Martha Burk, chairperson of the National Council of Women's Organizations. (AP photo)

The showdown many will be watching this week at the Masters is Martha vs. Hootie.

Over the past year, you've probably heard all you want to hear about Martha Burk, the women's advocate from Tyler, Texas, who heads the National Council of Women's Organizations and has set out to get a woman admitted as a member at Augusta National, the golf club that hosts the Masters.

Burk has told us plenty about her protest plans and disagreements with Augusta chairman Hootie Johnson. Florida Today reporter Jeff D'Alessio found out a little more about the 61-year-old mother of two:

Q: True or false: As a child, your nickname was Hootie?

A: Right. I'm not making it up. I had to ask my dad about it recently, because I honestly never knew where the name came from. He said: "Well, when your brothers were babies, they couldn't pronounce your name. We don't know where they came up with Hootie." But it was their attempt to pronounce something, and it just stuck.

Q: How long will you fight?

A: Until (Augusta) either fades from the scene and becomes the small, Southern, private club it claims to be or it changes its policy.

Q: Do you get a lot of hate mail?

A: We do. But we get a lot of hate mail, anyway. When you work for women's rights, you get hate mail. It's part of the job.

Q: If Tiger Woods held a press conference and said, "It's time for Augusta to let women in," what kind of impact would that have?

A: Well, he has said that before - on a number of occasions. So I'm guessing that unless he and the top 10 players stood together and made a stronger statement than that - something like, "We are asking, for the good of golf and for the good of the tournament and the players and everyone involved that Augusta end this and announce a timetable for the first member" - I think that would go a long way.

Q: You're getting worldwide attention for this issue - more so than other battles you've fought. How much of your time are you devoting to this issue?

A: Probably about 80 percent for the last week or 10 days. That's just because we're coming up on the tournament.

Q: Would you stand behind a man who wanted to play in an LPGA event?

A: I might, I don't know. But it's apples and oranges. We're not talking about women playing in the Masters. We're talking about women getting in the club. It's not a parallel situation.

Q: If you could hand-pick the first woman to be admitted into Augusta, who would it be?

A: I don't have any interest in who the first woman is.

Q: How about you?

A: If they ask me, I'll do it.

Q: When's the last time you played golf?

A: 'Bout 1978.

Q: What did you shoot?

A: Probably about 600.

Q: How many stars would you give Caddyshack on a 1-4 scale?

A: I enjoyed it tremendously. It's kind of childish and stupid, but sometimes we all need a good laugh.

Q: What's in your CD player these days?

A: Elvis in the '50s.

Q: What other kind of music do you like?

A: Oh, I'm a big fan of Willie Nelson. Paul Simon. I guess I'm showing my age.

Q: What do you do for fun?

A: My husband and I have a boat. It's on the Anacostia River, which means it's right basically in downtown Washington. We usually go in the Potomac and the Chesapeake.

Q: Got a favorite TV show?

A: I would say Six Feet Under because it's the only one I watch.

Q: Any sports heroes growing up?

A: Billie Jean King. She was a pioneer. I was actually a young adult when she played (Bobby) Riggs. But it was so meaningful for women and for its symbolism.

Q: Last thing: Have you ever heard that the word golf was originally an acronym for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden?

A: Yeah, I've heard it. And that's certainly true at Augusta, isn't it?