AUGUSTA - The chairman of Augusta National Golf Club -- Hootie Johnson -- has refused to budge from his stance on the club's all-male membership.<br>
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He says the controversy won't damage the reputation of the Masters tournament, which begins Thursday. He says, ``It's been maligned, but it hasn't been damaged.''<br>
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With more than 60 green-jacketed members standing by in silent support, Johnson said at a news conference Wednesday the club remains united in the belief that it has a right to choose its members.<br>
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The woman leading the campaign against Augusta National's all-male membership -- Martha Burk -- is headed to the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Burk's appealing a district ruling allowing the city of Augusta to restrict Masters protests to a site a half-mile away from the club's main entrance.