Edina, Minn. ? Even though they’ll almost surely never play a professional round there, a handful of LPGA Tour players believe it’s time for Augusta National to open its membership to women.

“I can’t believe we’re still fighting this stuff racism, gender equality or whatever,” U.S. Open champion Juli Inkster said Wednesday from the Solheim Cup.

“But that’s life, I guess. It’s not going to change overnight, but hopefully, in the coming years, it will change.”

The National Council of Women’s Organizations has been pressuring Augusta National, the private club that runs the Masters, to admit a woman into its membership.

Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson said he will not be pressured, and last month dropped the tournament’s three corporate sponsors so they would not be subject to pressure from the women’s group.

The Masters will be televised without commercials in 2003.

NCWO chairwoman Martha Burk’s next target is CBS, which has said it will televise the 2003 tournament.

Last month, the PGA Tour said it would continue to treat the Masters as one of its official tournaments.

Several players at this week’s Solheim Cup said they have played as guests at Augusta National “I was 10 over after six holes, do we need to go on?” Patty Sheehan quipped and been treated well. Still, they think the club needs to go a step further and admit a woman member.

“I played earlier this year, I had a great time,” Kelly Robbins said. “Obviously, things have progressed quite a bit since then, as far as what’s taking place. I think it’s a shame. I do.”

Meg Mallon says she has no problems with private clubs, like the famous Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey, excluding women from membership. But she thinks Augusta National is different because it plays host to such a high-profile event.

“Augusta made itself a public facility,” Mallon said. “They are no longer a private facility, although they like to use that as their cover. My question is: Why is it OK for a black man to bully his way into Augusta and it’s not OK for a black woman to bully her way into Augusta? That’s just the way I feel about it.”

Augusta National admitted its first black member in 1990, around the time the PGA Tour was coming under scrutiny for holding events at clubs that didn’t allow blacks.

Sheehan, the U.S. Solheim Cup captain, also said she thought it was about time Augusta National admitted women.

“I think their standards need to be a little higher than they are,” she said.

Of course, not all players at the Solheim Cup agreed with that take on Augusta National, and not all think the issue is as serious as it has been made out to be.

Helen Alfredsson said she thought it was “a ridiculous issue, period.”

“I think men should have had the right to do it, and the women should have the right to have their private club, too,” Alfredsson said. “And we are probably going to start one where we are all gong to wear bikinis, and no men allowed. So that’s going to be a great club, I think.”

Laura Davies, meanwhile, said she’s sticking by what she has said for a while, now.

“All I have ever said is that if they’re looking for their first woman member, I would love to join,” she said.