( CNN ) -- A female sports reporter blasted the all-male Augusta National Golf Club on Monday , a day after a security guard would n't let her in to interview one of the stars of the recent Masters tournament . Tara Sullivan , a reporter with The Bergen ( New Jersey ) Record , tried to join other reporters Sunday evening in the club 's locker room to interview Rory McElroy , a 21-year-old from Northern Ireland who gave up a big lead at the close of the four-day competition . But a security guard said she could n't come in because she was a woman . Read more about the Masters winner on Golf.com . `` This is not an issue of sensitivity . This is just an issue of doing my job , '' Sullivan said Monday . `` I 'm a credentialed reporter . I should have been allowed in . '' On Monday , an official with the Augusta , Georgia , golf club explained that the guard had acted in error -- saying that , even though there are no female members in the club , female reporters have been and should be given the same access as men to do their jobs . `` It should not have happened , '' said Steve Ethun , Augusta National 's communications director , noting that the guard was not aware of the club 's policies . `` We will work as hard as we can to make sure it does not happen again . '' The security guard , who was also female , `` was very apologetic '' in denying her access to the locker room in the clubhouse , according to Sullivan . Sullivan responded by citing federal law that mandates equal access for reporters to get into such locker rooms , whatever their gender . `` ( The guard ) said it 's sort of this open bathroom area , '' the reporter said . `` I said , 'Yeah , like every professional locker room I go into . ' `` Male reporters , including Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times , who did get into the locker room , afterward gave Sullivan transcripts of the interview with McElroy . The Masters , one of professional golf 's four `` major '' tournaments , was won by Charl Schwartzel . Sullivan said she was mostly focused on finishing her newspaper column when she sought to enter the locker room . She became the story only after she wrote on her Twitter feed : `` Bad enough no women members at Augusta . But not allowing me to join writers in locker room interview is just wrong . '' Years ago , it was that former fact -- that the elite golf club allows only men as members -- that came under the spotlight . In 2002 , women 's rights activist Martha Burk began a movement aimed at forcing the prestigious club , which includes many titans of finance and industry as members , to open its ranks to women . But the club 's then-chairman , Hootie Johnson , resisted these efforts , including saying in a statement that no policy changes would come `` at the point of a bayonet . '' As to her situation , Sullivan said she accepts the apology from Augusta National officials . Still , the reporter said that the club -- and not necessarily the security guard herself -- deserves blame for what transpired . `` It 's ( the club 's ) responsibility that the tournament security week personnel ... are informed of what the policies are , '' said Sullivan , who vowed to be back at Augusta National to cover her fifth Masters next spring . `` It was just such a complete lack of awareness , which is inexcusable on the part of the people who run the tournament . '' CNN 's David Wilke contributed to this report .
A security guard did n't let Tara Sullivan into the Masters locker room for an interview . She said it 's ` ` inexcusable '' that the guard did n't know the club 's name . A spokesman for the Masters club apologized , saying , ` ` It should not have happened '' Only men can be Augusta National members , but female reporters are allowed ' .