Golf Vic Vol 60 No 1

tournament

by Karen Harding

Paul and Angela Wheelton with AMOTA green jacket winners Stephanie Kyriacou and Chun-An Yu

Wheeltons Drive Women’s Golfing Dollar Further

The women's Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship has a couple of sterling supporters in its corner. KAREN HARDING speaks to them about their passion for encouraging women and girls. Paul and Angela Wheelton may not be golfers themselves, yet they will leave an important mark on the game as it moves forward. Their three-year sponsorship of the women's championship of the Australian Master of the Amateurs - which began

with the championship’s first running in 2018 alongside the long-held men’s championship – directly addresses one of their major philosophical and philanthropic missions: empowering females in sport. AMOTA co-founders Peter and Angela Mann have had a green jacket for women in mind – and in the cupboard – since the first men's championship began 22 years ago but found it difficult through the early years to get the same level of financial support for a women’s event as for a men’s. It’s a common story but one, fortunately, that is changing.

Through a business connection between Paul Wheelton and David Mann, brother of Peter, the Wheeltons became aware of the opportunity to support women golfers competing on an equal footing with the guys. It immediately resonated with them. “It was not just about getting girls to play in a tournament. It was actually about seeing what was happening with women in sport and seeing the lack of funds that were going in,” said Paul. “We would normally have sponsored through Budget (Paul owns the largest franchise group within Budget), but we elected to do it under

36 Golf Victoria