Todd Manzi makes his case with ladies representing the Suburban Woman's Club of Augusta at the Clubhouse banquet hall on Washington Road Monday, where they had a chance meeting. Manzi is looking for a place to protest Marth Burk during Masters week, and the ladies were being interviewed by CNN for their anti-NCWO stance. From left to right, the ladies are: Joanne Dixon, Carole Parson, Elaine Clark Smith and Neita Mulherin. JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

Bearing golf balls and T-shirts with the likeness of Martha Burk and phrases such as "Drive Burk Out," Tampa, Fla., resident Todd Manzi visited the Augusta-Richmond County Sheriff's Office on Monday morning to apply for a permit to protest during the Masters Tournament.

Only he won't be picketing against Augusta National Golf Club's all-male membership. He'll be picketing Ms. Burk, the head of the National Council of Women's Organizations.

"I haven't found anyone supporting her yet," Mr. Manzi said early Monday afternoon after touring several Augusta business and residential districts.

He said he plans to spend the next two days talking to home and business owners in the Washington Road area in an effort to find a good place to protest Ms. Burk's positions. In part, his protest consists of the sale of his merchandise, which incudes shirts, hats and golf balls.

Ms. Burk visited Augusta during the weekend to scout out protest sites.

Sheriff Ronnie Strength said Mr. Manzi's application to protest is the first he has issued for someone seeking to demonstrate during the Masters. The department won't mail applications, so Mr. Manzi - the founder of anti-Burk Web sites TheBurkStopsHere.com and ItTakesBalls.com - had to drive from his Tampa home to obtain the form.

A golf ball emblazoned with the words "Drive Burk Out" is one of the items Todd Manzi plans to sell during his April protest against Martha Burk. JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

A vendor's permit to sell his anti-Burk apparel will have to be obtained separately, Sheriff Strength said.

Once the protest application is returned to his office, the sheriff said he will conduct a background check on Mr. Manzi and try to determine a location for his demonstration.

Mr. Manzi calls his effort "a protest of one" for now but says he expects to find as many as 100 supporters who will join his demonstration by April.

The former marketing executive and nongolfer has devoted the past four months to opposing what he describes as Ms. Burk's "attack on the Augusta National."

"I get tired of special interest groups like hers using bullying and extortion tactics to promote her agenda," Mr. Manzi said. "With the economy we're in, I look at her (efforts) as putting on the brakes."

Reach Heidi Coryell Williams at (706) 823-3215 or heidi.williams@augustachronicle.com.

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