Earlier this month, the LIV league was denied an application for Official World Golf Ranking points based on its team element and lack of promotion/relegation. LIV’s star players, such as Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, then called for a category to be made to ensure LIV’s players are not frozen out of golf’s four majors as their world rankings have taken a hit. DeChambeau called for the top 12 on LIV’s money list to be exempt into the majors, and LIV’s acting COO Gary Davidson (they have since appointed a new COO) said the league was in early discussions with organisers of two of the majors about the pathways into the tournaments.

Asked whether the Masters and the Open would create such exemptions for 2024, Slumbers brought up a recent media report suggesting talks were already under way to specifically include LIV golfers, and he rejected that notion.

“There’s been some speculation in the media recently on the topic that you’re raising,” Slumbers said at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne. “I would say that it is completely off the mark. I would like to make it very clear that exemptions for the Open, we do not discuss them with anyone and nor would we at any point in time. I think it’s very important that you don’t lose sight of the fact that the Open is intended to be open to everybody, that you earn your place in the field, through exemptions, and that won’t change.”

The Open differs from the Masters in that it actively runs qualifying events, both at PGA Tour and DP World Tour events around the world via its Open Qualifying Series, as well as 36-hole final qualifying tournaments. The Masters is an invitational with criteria and special exemptions for entrants.

Ridley said the criteria for invitations to the 2024 Masters, which will use the OWGR’s top 50 by certain dates, are not likely to be tweaked other than three changes revealed at Augusta National in April this year. They are: an official invitation to the NCAA Division I champion; players who qualified for the PGA Tour’s 2023 season-ending Tour Championship; and winners of full-point PGA Tour events this autumn.

However, Ridley did leave the door open for future revisions.

“If you look back over the history of the Masters tournament, and the qualifications that existed, we have changed those qualifications in numerous times, dozens of times,” Ridley said. “We look at those every year. We don’t make changes every year, but we do look at them under the current circumstances. As you’ll recall last year, there was some speculation as to whether or not we would invite LIV golfers. We stayed true to our qualification criteria. We invited everyone who was eligible.

“While we do not, at this time, anticipate making a change in 2024, we do always look at [criteria], and we will continue to do that. Our qualifications are very much dynamic, and we adjust to what we feel is in the best interest of a tournament representing the best players in the world. We’ll always look at that.”

Without access to OWGR points, LIV players’ rankings have suffered. Cameron Smith left the PGA Tour ranked World No. 2 and is now 19th. Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson dropped from 13th to 131st, and DeChambeau has gone from 29th to 140th. However, the trio are recent major winners and remain eligible for the majors.

Others aren’t so fortunate. Talor Gooch, who has dropped from 35th to 214th in the OWGR, was eligible for the PGA Tour’s finale last year, but was banned for having left for LIV. This year, the Oklahoma native has won three LIV Golf tournaments and claimed the $18 million season-long individual points title.

Asked if they felt it was unfortunate that LIV players such as Gooch will continue to fall down the rankings and lose pathways to the majors, Ridley and Slumbers reiterated the best interests of their tournaments would be the focus.

“They [LIV golfers] made decisions based on what they thought was in the best interests of their golf careers,” Ridley said. “Our invitation criteria does say that we reserve the right to issue special exemptions to international players, [and] we did issue a special exemption to an [American] amateur and NCAA champion last year [Gordon Sargent]. So, we’re always looking at that. But these decisions have been made and will have to do with what’s in the best interest of the Masters.”

Added Slumbers: “From my perspective, without getting into detail, we make sure there are plenty of opportunities for any player in the world, who has [played] good enough, to have a chance to qualify and play in the Open Championship, irrespective of which tour they are participating on and that will not change.”

Main image: Ross Kinnaird

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By GolfDigestME.com
When it comes to distance, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley has been patient. Resolute that something should be done to rein in distance, responsible in adapting his course for the current status of the game’s longest hitters, but generally insistent that massive changes to the layout that we saw in the early part of this century weren’t immediately necessary because change was coming to the rules governing clubs and balls.

At Wednesday’s annual pre-Masters address with the media, Ridley seemed to concede that both the rules and the course may change, and the latter likely will not depend entirely on the former.

Ridley addressed the media with comments that endorsed the recent announcement by the USGA and R&A of potential new equipment standards that could roll back distance for elite golfers by shortening the golf ball and making drivers both less hot and less forgiving. He also acknowledged that any such changes were hard to predict and were some time off.

Those changes could include increasing the test swing speed for golf balls that by some estimates would reduce how far conforming balls fly by 15 to 20 yards. Other changes for elite competitions might affect drivers so they have less spring-like effect that might reduce distance by another five to 10 yards. Less forgiveness on off-centre hits at the elite level may cause players to swing a little slower, shortening distance even more.

RELATED: Now comes the hard part for Tiger

“We recognise this is an intricate topic that won’t result in solutions overnight, and we support the level of consideration displayed by the governing bodies throughout this process,” Ridley said. “We look forward to further discussions during the comment period this summer, as well as future recommendations and ultimately implementation.”

For those reading tea leaves, the phrase “and ultimately implementation” seems to carry some measure of portent. You don’t speak of looking forward to rule changes being implemented unless it’s going to have some specific hoped-for effect. In this case, it would be some reining in of distance at the elite level of men’s golf.

Ridley’s comments would in that way reflect earlier comments made by USGA CEO Mike Whan. While not wanting to put words in Ridley’s mouth but acknowledging that the two had spoken about the distance issue multiple times, Whan suggested that Ridley continued to push for change.

“I think Chairman Ridley knows that without change, he’ll buy more subdivisions and Augusta will play 9,200 yards,” Whan said. “While that might be fine for the Masters, that’s really not a model that others can replicate. He understands his role as a leader and people follow what they do. And if that’s how we’re going to solve distance long term — which is just, ‘Hey, get over it,find another subdivision to buy’ — then, man, we are not really paying attention to the future of the game.

“It’s not an option [for others], and he doesn’t want that to be an option. He’s both excited and encouraging when I’ve talked to him. His last comment to me was, ‘Mike, keep going and don’t stop.’”

In Wednesday’s media session, however, Ridley also made it known that nothing regarding a distance rollback was clear in his mind at this point.

“We won’t know for some time because there’s sort of a process that everyone has agreed to as to how any equipment changes such as this are going to take place,” Ridley said. He was referring to the somewhat involved rule-making procedure that involves the ruling bodies announcing “areas of interest” and then seeking comment from manufacturers and other constituencies in golf. From those comments, which in this case have a September 2 deadline, there will be more consideration and research and review by the ruling bodies, potentially followed by more formal proposals for actual rule changes, followed again by another period of comment by manufacturers. Those kinds of changes could be easily five years down the road until any kind of reality, and the amount of consensus building in front of the governing bodies is a bigger project than all the construction enhancements to Augusta National since it was a plant nursery.

Front and centre in the case for distance-related changes to the rules or the course is, of course, the iconic par-5 13th hole, which has been lengthened slightly over the years. The hole has been as short as 465 yards until being stretched to its current length of 510 yards in 2011. Ridley has said in the past the hole’s second shot today lacks the “momentous decision” that founder Bobby Jones originally intended, and he wants to bring it back. Today, he said he has hesitated to change the hole’s length and look because of its special place in Masters history.

“The 13th hole does not have the same challenges that it has historically,” he said. “The fact that players are hitting middle to short irons into that hole is not really how it was designed. My reluctance to date has been that it’s such an iconic hole. Probably along with 12 and maybe 15, the three holes where the most history has been made at Augusta National. So that has been sort of a counter to doing anything. But at some point in time, it’s something that we likely will do. We just don’t have anything to say about it right now.”

What Ridley did say, though, is that any equipment rules changes aren’t likely to be enough for a hole that’s already been lengthened 45 yards since 1984 and he thinks is still too short by today’s standards.

“I don’t know what the changes [to the equipment rules] are going to be. But what I’m saying is, I think the likelihood of a ball going 50 yards shorter is not very great,” he said, later adding, “if there are some marginal modifications to the equipment rules, from what I have observed over the past few years with the players and their athleticism, their strength, their size, the efficiency of their golf swings, I don’t think that we are going to see [a rule change that results in] courses being shortened.”

No one laughed, although it’s worth noting that the 13th hole played shorter in 1984 (465 yards) than it played in 1976 (485 yards). His point was that distance rollback rules alone wouldn’t be enough to restore the momentous decision to the 13th hole.

“Regardless, we are going to go forward on our own timetable and make changes we think to,” Ridley said. “Perhaps the two factors might converge, but I don’t think that what the governing bodies do is going to have a direct impact on what we might do at 13 or any other hole on the golf course.”

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By Dave Shedloski
The shot might have been one of the most forgettable Dustin Johnson struck in the final round of the 2020 Masters on his way to his record-setting five-stroke victory. And yet, just a few weeks ago during a casual round at Augusta National Golf Club with chairman Fred Ridley, Dustin’s brother, Austin, was regaling the chairman with the details of a simple 6-iron layup on the par-5 13th hole.

Ridley, a former U.S. Amateur winner who knows the game as well as anyone, could only shake his head in wonder.

“He loved that story,” said Austin, who was on the bag for his brother last fall during that very unusual Masters—the one absent patrons and roars but which Dustin filled up with satisfaction and emotional recompense.

This particular shot on a partly cloudy Sunday in mid-November would not have provoked roars had spectators been in attendance. Perhaps a few head scratches, but certainly not roars.

After teeing off with his 3-wood on the sharp, sloping dogleg left hole, Johnson casually flushed a chopped-off 6-iron from a sidehill lie in the middle of the fairway that was purposely conservative, never rising above waist high. “Just a little running 6-iron for the layup, just to keep it on the ground,” was how Dustin described the shot in his winner’s press conference.

The choice of shot served two purposes. First, it kept him out of trouble and potentially a grave mistake. “We had a perfect yardage, maybe 240, a perfect 4-iron, but there was mud on the left side of the ball,” Austin said. “That means it’s going to go right, so if we go for the green, we put the water [Rae’s Creek] in play.”

Second, the play at the tail end of Amen Corner made his third shot easier. “There, I cleaned it for you,” Dustin said to his brother as he handed him the club while walking up the fairway.

He wanted it on the ground quickly so the wet turf would clean the ball. Which meant Johnson would have better control of his next stroke, a lob wedge he smoothed to 15 feet, followed by a low, half fist pump when his putt found the heart of the cup for a birdie.

“It was genius,” Austin said. “It was one of the coolest things he’s ever done.”

Few players have exhibited more cool than Dustin Johnson, but his casual demeanour and languid gate hide a fierce competitiveness. Meanwhile, his much-celebrated physical gifts overshadow another aspect of his prowess, something rarely discussed—his golf acumen.

“Dustin’s golf IQ, some of the things he does on the golf course, some of the things he sees, people don’t understand just how well he thinks around a golf course. I’ve known for a long time,” said his manager, David Winkle, who was an outstanding junior player in Texas. “I’ve played golf nearly all of my life, and I’d never heard of that or thought of that. In that moment, under that kind of pressure, to have the clarity of mind to think that way, it’s pretty telling.”

Johnson said Tuesday during a conference call with the media that he was “super focused all week” during the 84th Masters, and the results were quite telling.

They were also emphatic.

JD Cuban
As Johnson cruised to victory in November, he managed to break several Masters scoring records including the low 72-hole score.

With a closing four-under 68, Johnson set the tournament record with a 20-under 268 total, breaking the previous mark shared by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth. “I knew exactly what I was going to do and was able to execute,” he said.

Johnson returned to Augusta National two weeks ago for his first visit since he won the green jacket, the most coveted piece of clothing in golf, even for a guy who has a penchant for filling his closet with high-priced suits. The South Carolina native had grown up an hour from Augusta, and anyone could see how much the victory, his second major to go with his 2016 U.S. Open, meant to the player who is No. 1 in the world but too often had been an also-ran in the biggest events. He just couldn’t hold his emotions in check.

More emotion, mostly pure joy, washed over him during his two-day stay at Augusta National. He and Austin, and their father, Scott, stayed overnight in one of the cabins. Dustin got the chance to wear his green jacket. He found out that he will share a locker with 1979 winner Fuzzy Zoeller in the Champions Locker Room.

“That was pretty cool, first time back,” he said, “going into the Champions Locker Room and stuff. That was a really neat experience. First time I spent the night on the grounds, so that was another, like, cool first-time experience, and had dinner in my green jacket. That was a lot of fun.”

Also fun was the first of two rounds, when some memories from November came flooding back. “I’m pretty sure when I was playing on most of the holes, you know, I was definitely thinking about the shot that I hit on that Sunday when I played.”

That Sunday, Johnson, 36, remembers something else quite vivid and visceral. His nerves. They were churning like never before.

“I was definitely nervous starting the day because obviously it meant so much to me,” he said. “I was feeling it from kind of the time when I woke up. I couldn’t hardly even … couldn’t eat any breakfast, really. Took a couple bites. But it was hard to get down for some reason, which I’ve never had that problem before. And then on the course, too, I remember walking down trying to eat a little bit of an almond butter and jelly sandwich and took one bite and had to wash it down with water, and that was the only way I could get it down.”

JD Cuban
Johnson acknowledged that nerves were a factor when he teed off in the final round last November.

And although his lead dwindled to a single stroke at one juncture, his nerves did not get the best of him, even with his history of disappointments in the majors, including in August when he held the 54-hole lead in the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco but finished second to surging Collin Morikawa.

Johnson pulled away from the pack with three straight birdies starting at, yes, the 13th, where he played a shot his brother couldn’t wait to describe to the Masters chairman.

“Obviously, golf is very mental,” Johnson said. “I think a lot of it is in your head, so with golf and when I’m playing well, yeah, you’re thinking very clearly and you’re making good decisions. But golf is a funny game. So I don’t know how to explain the mental part of it.

“I know my mental game’s pretty strong, but I guess it’s all natural ability. And then I’ve learned a lot of it, too, just through college, playing experiences, whatever it might be, books. Kind of just taking everything I’ve learned along the way, and I tried to make it into my own.”

With a green jacket in his closet, he definitely has come into his own. “It definitely reassures me and [tells me] to myself that I am a very good player, and that, I can win these big golf tournaments,” he said.

“Rory [McIlroy] made a comment that Dustin might be the smartest guy out there,” Winkle said. “And Bryson DeChambeau said he thinks [Dustin] is the smartest guy on tour—and we know how Bryson approaches the game, the thought he puts into it. It’s funny how the dialogue has shifted on Dustin and people are taking noted of it, how smart he is. He’s a complete player.”

And authentic. While McIlroy and Justin Thomas have expressed an appreciation for Johnson’s mental strength—his ability to shake off bad luck, bad bounces and focus on the next shot, the next challenge—Johnson couldn’t think of a single person from whom he has taken his cues. But, then, it’s almost counterintuitive to think about how to think. It has to come from within. In the end, you have to be yourself because you can’t rely on anyone else anyway.

“No, not really that I’ve thought about,” he said when asked who might have influenced his approach. “I feel like what I’m doing has been working pretty well, so I’m going to stick with it until it’s not. I don’t know, didn’t really answer your question very well.”

It’s OK. Last November, he answered all the important questions ever asked of him.

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By Joel Beall
Augusta National Golf Club announced Tuesday that the club intends to have a limited number of patrons in attendance at the 2021 Masters.

In a statement, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said by conducting similar health and safety protocols to those at the 2020 tournament in November—which was held without patrons and watched only on-site by media, club members and players’ families—the club is confident it can welcome fans safely back on the Augusta National premises.

“Nothing is, or will be, more important than the well-being of all involved,” Ridley said. “While we are disappointed that we will be unable to accommodate a full complement of patrons this year, we will continue our efforts to ensure that all who purchased tickets from Augusta National will have access in 2022, provided conditions improve.”

No specific number of patrons was mentioned in the release and nor was there a mention of whether patrons who do attend will be subject to specific testing in order to be allowed on the course.

At November’s Masters, Ridley had mentioned the need for increased testing measures to welcome fans to the Masters, an area the club was actively exploring.

“Our staff has been exploring those very deeply, and we have a number of people who are very interested in helping us,” Ridley said in November. “And so I think that’s something that we will really be looking hard at, is that capability—it already has developed, but as it continues to develop. That would certainly be a wonderful circumstance if we could test large numbers of people.”

Ridley also announced that the club intends to conduct the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (March 31-April 3) and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals (April 4) as scheduled. These competitions were postponed last year due to the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both events intend to host a small number of patrons.

The club said it is in the process of communicating with all badge holders of record, and refunds will be issued to those patrons not selected to attend.

The 2021 Masters is scheduled to begin on April 8. Dustin Johnson is the defending champ.

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By Joel Beall
Augusta National Golf Club is postponing the 2020 Masters amid concerns for the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement released by tournament chairman and club president Fred Ridley on Friday.

Sources told Golf Digest Thursday that Augusta National was reviewing contingencies include limiting patron access or banning patrons from the course entirely, as well as cancellations of practice rounds, the Par-3 Contest, the ANWA and the DCP. Multiple sources insisted that cancelling the tournament “is not expected at this time.”

However, as every major sports league suspended its operations—including the PGA Tour, which cancelled the Players Championship and its next three weeks of events—and awareness grew of the battle ahead against COVID-19, the club altered its approach to the 2020 tournament.

“Unfortunately, the ever-increasing risks associated with the widespread Coronavirus COVID-19 have led us to a decision that undoubtedly will be disappointing to many, although I am confident is appropriate under these unique circumstances,” said Ridley in a statement. “Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.

“Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.”

This is a breaking news story. This post will updated with more information as it becomes available.

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By Joel Beall
Augusta National Golf Club issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon regarding its preparation for the 2020 Masters in the face of growing concerns of the coronavirus.

With the tournament five weeks away, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley reassured fans that the Masters, along with the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, will proceed as scheduled. The decision comes after consultation from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Georgia Department of Public Health and local authorities.

“The safety, health and well-being of everyone is our top priority at Augusta National Golf Club,” Ridley said in a statement. “We will continue to review the available facts and information with the experts and authorities, establish precautions and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all involved.

“We are asking that everyone follow the preventative actions advised by the CDC to mitigate the spread of any virus. In addition, we strongly encourage all those travelling to Augusta, Georgia, to become knowledgeable of the most recent travel protocols and restrictions.”

The statement arrives a day after the International Olympic Committee said the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games would not be postponed, with the PGA Tour releasing its own update on Monday that it is continuing to monitor the outbreak but has no plans to cancel any tournaments on its schedule.

The virus already has impacted the world of golf. The LPGA Tour is in the middle of a month-long stretch without any tournaments after being forced to cancel three straight events scheduled for China, Singapore and Thailand. In February the European Tour postponed the Maybank Championship and the Volvo China Open, both scheduled for early spring. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour delayed the start of its China series, and the R&A held off on its Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship, scheduled for Feb. 12-15 at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand.

As of Wednesday morning, the illness has been confirmed in over 94,000 people in 75 countries, killing more than 3,200.

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By Ryan Herrington
The creation of an elite women’s amateur tournament was the big reveal during Fred Ridley’s first formal press conference as Augusta National chairman this past April. Less than seven months ahead of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019, some specifics of the new 54-hole event have emerged after the club issued a formal release on Wednesday morning.

Most notable, perhaps, is that NBC Sports will air the final round on Saturday, April 6. The network will provide three hours of live coverage (noon to 3 p.m. eastern) when the field finishes play at Augusta National in the days ahead of the Masters Tournament, which is broadcast on ESPN and CBS.

Some details on the event’s structure also were filled in. The 72-player field will compete in the first two rounds on April 3 and 4 (Wednesday and Thursday prior to the Masters) at Champions Retreat Golf Club in nearby Evans, Ga., using the Island and Bluff nines. Everyone in the field will then play an official practice round at Augusta National on April 5 (Friday). However, when the final round is contested on that Saturday, only the top 30 players and ties will compete at ANGC.

When Ridley announced plans to hold the tournament, he expressed the hope that it could provide inspiration to girls and young women taking interest in golf to continue their development within the game.

“I thought that this was the right time to do this,” Ridley said in April. “It was the right time for the women’s game. I thought for us to have the greatest impact on women’s golf that we needed to be committed to do it here at Augusta National.”

He reiterated this mission on Wednesday. “Since the announcement of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April, we have remained determined to organize a competition that will provide a meaningful impact on the development of the women’s game,” Ridley said in a release. “While we aim to stage a first-class championship, our motivation goes beyond the scores posted between the ropes. By providing this opportunity and shining a brighter light on this important segment of the sport, we expect role models to emerge who will help inspire a new generation of golfers.”

Qualifications for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur include automatic invitations to the winners of the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur (Kristen Gillman), the Ladies’ British Open Amateur (Leonie Harm), Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (Atthaya Thitikul), U.S. Girls’ Junior and Girls Junior PGA (Yealimi Noh) and the Girls’ British Open Amateur (Emma Spitz). The World Amateur Golf Ranking will be used to fill the next 60 spots, with the 30 top players from the U.S. not otherwise qualified taken and then the next 30 highest ranked players chosen based off the final list for 2018. The ANWA Championship Committee will fill the remaining spots via special invitations.

The winner of the inaugural ANWA event will be invited to the next five Augusta National Women’s Amateurs, provided she stays an amateur, as well as the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2019 Women’s British Open and any USGA, R&A and PGA of America amateur championships for which she is eligible for one year.

Beyond broadcasting the final round, NBC Sports will provide pre-event promotion across NBCUniversal’s various platforms. Golf Channel, which broadcasts the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals held at Augusta National the Sunday prior to Masters week, will show highlights and live reports during the first two rounds. Golf Channel’s “Live From The Masters” programs also will begin airing on April 5 from the course and continue through the final round of the ANWA and the DCP.

In addition, the club announced five presenting partners for the new tournament: AT&T, Bank of America, IBM, Mercedes-Benz and Rolex.

Ticket applications are now available for the ANWA at ANWAgolf.com.

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By Jaime Diaz

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Today marks Fred Ridley’s first official day as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters tournament. He is the seventh man to occupy the post, and follows Billy Payne, arguably the most dynamic and consequential chairman since the original one, Clifford Roberts. With a measured, understated personal style that befits his long career as an attorney, it’s easy to assume Ridley will never quite emerge from under Payne’s shadow.

But the 65-year-old Floridian, whose full head of hair and smooth features makes him look a decade younger, should not be underestimated. He went from a player who could not crack the University of Florida’s starting lineup to beating college stars and future PGA Tour winners Curtis Strange, Andy Bean and Keith Fergus on his way to winning the 1975 U.S. Amateur. Shrewdly maneuvering very much under the radar, he rose through the USGA’s executive committee to become the organization’s president in the mid-2000s. At the prominent law firm of Foley and Lardner, where he operates out of the Tampa office, Ridley is the national chair of its real-estate practice. Whether the public has noticed or not, he’s spent a long and knowing time in the arena.

And in the one moment before Payne chose him as his Augusta successor that Ridley was unwittingly thrust into the world’s spotlight—the tangled Tiger Woods rules controversy at the 2013 Masters—he acquitted himself admirably when a misstep could have damaged his chances for the chairmanship.

To review, a resurgent Woods was on the verge of leading the tournament late in the second round when his third shot on the par-5 15th caromed off the bottom of the flagstick and into the water. Likely stunned by his misfortune, Woods took a drop that a television viewer informed an official had been about two yards behind the divot hole made by his third shot. If true, it meant Woods had not dropped as near to his original location as possible and was thus due a two-stroke penalty for “playing from the wrong place.”

When Ridley, in his role as chairman of the competition committee, was told about the situation, however, he deemed after reviewing the video that Woods’ drop had been close enough to the original spot not to incur a penalty. Yet that decision was called into question after Woods signed his scorecard and then, in a television interview, said that he had intentionally dropped two yards behind his original spot, thus incriminating himself. With Woods standing to be disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard, Masters officials the next morning invoked rule 33-7, which states that “a penalty of disqualification may in exceptional cases be waived, modified or imposed if the Committee considers such action warranted.”

It was thus determined that because the committee had not discussed the alleged violation with Woods before he signed his scorecard, he was absolved from disqualification but given a two-stroke penalty—changing his score on the 15th from a bogey 6 to a triple-bogey 8—before his third round.

As the golf rulings often can be, the outcome was confusing, leaving many to wonder why Woods hadn’t been disqualified. It fell to Ridley to explain it all to the assembled media. Rather than rely on arcane language, he did so with clarity, patience and an honest admittance of his own fallibility—much like a relatable and above all believable witness before a jury in a complicated civil trial.

At the press conference, Ridley said that because he had initially “in my best judgment,” thought Woods had complied with the rule, “I chose—it was my decision … that I was not going to go down and tell Tiger that we had considered this and it wasn’t a violation.” But when asked if in retrospect he wished he had spoken to Woods before he signed his card, Ridley candidly answered, “There’s not a day that goes by that there are not some things I wish I would have done differently.”

David Cannon/Getty Images Ridley handled himself well as he addressed the media during the Woods’ ruling in 2013.

Last week, in the elegant but homey chairman’s office at Augusta National that Payne made the headquarters of arguably the most powerful position in golf, Ridley reflected on that moment. “That press conference was not difficult at all,” Ridley said in his sonorous, faintly Southern voice. “I knew exactly what had happened, what we’d done, and what the result was. And while you can always do things better, in the end we got to the right result, we did the right thing. And so, and I’ve told Billy this, I was not nervous when I walked into that press conference. My thought was to state what happened, explain why you did what you did. That’s all you can do.”

Presumably, it’s the approach Ridley will bring to his new role. And while Ridley has high praise for Roberts and his good friend Payne, his beacon would seem to be Bobby Jones, a boyhood hero who he followed in remaining an amateur golfer (Ridley is the last U.S. Amateur champion not to turn pro) and into a career in the law.

“I did read a fair amount about Jones,” said Ridley, who got started in the game playing with his father, a school district administrator, at public courses in Lakeland and Winter Haven. “Clearly, he remains the greatest amateur of all time. But the thing that really struck me and was an influence on me was his integrity, the sportsmanship he showed, just his character. And even though he’s been gone from competition for a long time, for a young and avid golfer, that was a pretty good example. And as a member of this club for the 17 years, I’ve gotten to know him and his persona better. The letters that he wrote about this place, and in general, were so eloquent and profound.”

Related: Billy Payne’s lasting legacy as Augusta National chairman

• • •

Ridley went into a more measured mode when asked about possible changes in Augusta National’s future. Top of mind is the famed 13th hole, where land purchased last year from the adjoining Augusta Country Club opens up many alternatives, among them lengthening the currently 510-yard par 5, revered by many for its nuanced and dramatic second shot but which in recent years has increasingly been reached with a drive and mid- and even short irons.

“No decisions have been made to do anything with the 13th hole,” said Ridley, while hinting that more length will be in the offing. “It really goes back to the underlying philosophy of the challenge that the golf course should present. Jones had a great quote about the 13th hole, that the second shot should entail ‘a momentous decision whether or not to try for the green.’ That says it all. So we are looking at opportunities there.”

And what about the issue of the increasing distance professional golfers are achieving and what it’s doing to classic courses? Does Ridley plan to oversee more lengthening of the course similar to what Hootie Johnson initiated while chairman in the early 2000s? Or perhaps even look into the development of a special “rolled back” ball for the tournament?

“[The ball] is an idea Mr. Johnson introduced,” Ridley said, “and I guess I would say that I hope that is not something that we would ever have to do. But I will say that we are committed to do whatever is necessary to preserve the integrity of the Augusta National golf course. Don’t know exactly where the line is, but it’s something that we are certainly watching. I wouldn’t take anything off the table.”

Scott Halleran
Former Augusta National chairman Billy Payne and Ridley look over the 18th green during a practice round prior to the start of the 2016 Masters.

Ridley said he will not continue as chairman of the competition committee and will soon appoint his replacement. Asked whether coming from a competitive playing background might make him a chairman more attuned to the wishes of Masters competitors—particularly in their wishes for changes to the golf course—Ridley was vague but not dismissive. “I think it will be helpful,” he said. “As we look into the future, and we continue to try to honor the philosophy of Jones and [Alister] MacKenzie when they built the golf course, I hope that my background will be a positive.”

• • •

As the only chairman to have ever played in the Masters (he missed the cut in three straight years beginning in 1976), Ridley can still shoot some low numbers in the 20 or so rounds he plays at the club each year. His best score from what he calls “the old Masters tees” is 67, with three 66s from the members tees. From the current Masters tees, he says he’s never broken 75. (On Augusta’s Par 3 course, his best is a 22 shot last year.) He has birdied all the par 4s, eagled all the par 5s, and has one hole in one, on the 16th, playing with two of his daughters (he and his wife, Betsy, have three).

In what is probably a practiced response, Ridley has no regrets about not ever turning pro. “None,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be a professional golfer when I was a teenager. If someone said, Fred, you would have won $50 million as a professional, my answer is the same. There’s no amount of money that could replace the life I’ve had.”

He looks at his victory the U.S. Amateur at the Country Club of Virginia as a magical week to be eternally thankful for rather than a prompt for “what if”.

“I knew I was going back to law school after playing golf that fall,” Ridley said. “So I went to the tournament with this incredible peace of mind. Like This is great, I’m just going to have a good time. And I never looked past the match I was playing. It was all in the moment.”

Though it will probably prove impossible, he seems to be trying to take a similar approach to the chairmanship. And while fully acknowledging that there is only one Billy Payne, Ridley carries a quiet but well-earned confidence about what he can bring.

Augusta National Jack Nicklaus and Ridley stride down the 14th fairway during the 1976 Masters.

“Billy has leadership qualities that are probably the best I’ve ever witnessed in my life,” Ridley said. “He understands the immense power of relationships. I always felt that I had a good understanding myself through my law practice, but I understand it better from watching Billy and his accomplishments over the last 11 years. He just has that ability to make people want to do better at everything they do. And to me that’s the definition of great leadership.

“Billy was guided by the principle and the mandate that goes back to Mr. Roberts and Mr. Jones, which is the idea of constant improvement. It’s a driving principle that permeates our culture. I look at it as an honor to follow Billy Payne. But if I am true to those same principles, there’s not going to be a shortage of opportunities for me to leave this position even stronger than when I took it. That’s kind of where my focus is.”

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By Tim Rosaforte
Fred Ridley was doing legal work at the law firm of Foley & Lardner LLP in downtown Tampa on Wednesday morning when breaking news came out of Augusta National. The boy from Polk County, just introduced as the next chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, had come a long way from his childhood days playing public courses in rural Lakeland and Winter Haven, Florida. He had already won a U.S. Amateur and served as president of the USGA before the greatest honor in his golf life was bestowed upon him at age 65. While it seems daunting, joining the ranks of Clifford Roberts and to follow in the footsteps of Billy Payne, the job was something Ridley had been groomed for. Bobby Jones was a lawyer, too.

When Ridley’s picture popped up on a screen in the clubhouse at Lone Pine Golf Club in Lakeland, Fla., Andy Bean had to laugh. So did Ridley’s colleagues at the law firm, especially the then and now images of the hairdo Ridley sported in his pairing with defending champion Jack Nicklaus in the 1976 Masters. “He’s a very young looking 65,” said Randy Wolfe, Ridley’s law partner for 28 years.

Around Tampa, Ridley is recognised and respected much as he is in the world of golf. “He’s a well-known, well-loved guy,” Wolfe says. As an “old-school” commercial real-estate lawyer, his gentlemanly demeanour matches his persona in golf. Ben Crenshaw used the same words as Wolfe to describe him. “He’s a consummate gentleman who has sort of a courtly manner to him and he’s very endearing,” said the two-time Masters champion in an interview on Golf Channel.

Augusta NationalJack Nicklaus and Ridley stride down the 14th fairway during the 1976 Masters.

Bean grew up with Ridley. He has had dinner at his childhood house. He remembers Ridley’s mom being “so nice,” just like Fred. But that didn’t make up for the burn Ridley put on Bean in the 1975 U.S. Amateur.

They were teammates at the University of Florida, too. But while Ridley didn’t make the starting lineup on the 1973 NCAA Championship team that featured Bean and Gary Koch, he was good enough after taking lessons with Jack Grout to eliminate Curtis Strange in the quarterfinals and Bean in the semis of the ’75 Amateur.

Walking back to the clubhouse after their match at the Country Club of Virginia, Bean grabbed Ridley by the collar and told him, “I’m going to kick your behind if you don’t win the final match tomorrow.” Ridley responded by taking out another college star of that generation, Houston’s Keith Fergus, the NCAA champion, for the title.

It was a loss Bean never quite got over. “I thought about it,” Bean told me on Wednesday as he was heading to Gainesville with his fishing poles to watch a Gators football practice. “I might just call him up and ask for four [Masters] tickets to see what the heck he would say.”

Knowing Ridley, it wouldn’t be a problem, because he hasn’t forgotten where he came from, which is a long way from Augusta, and where his contemporaries ended up. Sandy Lyle won a Masters and an Open Championship after Ridley beat him twice in the 1977 Walker Cup. While Bean went on to win 11 times on the PGA Tour, Ridley never turned pro, the last U.S. Amateur champion to decide not to play the game for money. Instead, he took his law degree from Stetson and started working for Mark McCormack at IMG, where he managed the early career of Hal Sutton.

“You could see it early on in Fred,” Koch said. “We go back to high school golf, back in the late ’60s. He was always a guy that did things the right way, that was very respectful of the game and everything the game stands for. He was a bright guy, very smart, and he figured out through college his golf game wasn’t probably going to serve him later in life as a means to making a living. At a pretty young age, when a lot of kids are indecisive about what the future held, he certainly wasn’t.”

Ultimately, this is how Ridley found his calling in golf administration. One of his mentors was former USGA president Reg Murphy, who took a liking to Ridley.

“I think he’s one of the really good people in golf,” Murphy said. “He’s courteous as can be on a golf course. He’s just a fine human being.”

Fast-tracking through the hierarchy, Ridley became Walker Cup captain in 1987 and 1989. Five years later he transitioned to the USGA Executive Committee, ascending to president in 2004 after working on the Championship, Amateur Status and Conduct and International Team Selection committees.

The door to membership at Augusta National opened in 2000, and the new member was quickly put to work as Chairman of the Cup and Tee Marker Placement Committee. When Payne became chairman in 2007, Ridley was named chairman of the club’s Competition Committee. For the past 11 years, he has basically run the tournament under the direction of Payne.

In his statement released Wednesday, Payne said he was confident Ridley would lead Augusta National “to a future that I am confident will hold new promise.”

What Ridley promises to be—in what Crenshaw calls a voluminous job—is not Billy Payne.

“I think it will be a low-key kind of chairmanship,” Koch said. “Fred is very measured in a good way, he seems to be able to handle every situation and handle it with calm and class. I think we’ll see a lot of that.”

Whatever that new future holds, count on Ridley being true to what he’s always been.

Scott Halleran Ridley was handpicked by Payne to be his successor after chairing the Masters Competition Committee since 2011.

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By Jaime Diaz
With a legacy that indisputably qualifies him as the most significant Augusta National and Masters chairman since Clifford Roberts, Billy Payne has announced he is stepping down from arguably the most powerful position in golf.

After serving just over 11 years as the sixth chairman in the club’s history, Payne will be followed in the job by his handpicked successor, Fred Ridley, effective Oct. 16.

In an interview with Golf Digest in his office on Tuesday, amid two paintings by President Dwight Eisenhower—one of the 16th hole and one of Bobby Jones—and a framed photo of Payne with his predecessors Hootie Johnson and Jack Stephens, the man often referred to simply as “Billy” was himself a portrait of contentment and equanimity.

For good reason. In his relatively short time, Payne has fulfilled an enormous to-do list, ranging from admitting the first women into the club in 2012 to the successful development of the Drive, Pitch and Putt Championship, demonstrating vision, grit and nuanced gifts for leadership.

Andrew Redington/Getty ImagesPayne’s most public moments as Augusta National chairman have been opening the Masters with the tournament’s honorary starters.

Under Payne, the position of the Masters and Augusta National among golf’s major organizations has climbed in stature and import. The club has a bigger voice in the game’s issues and seems to operate with more autonomy. By shrewdly blending its increased revenues with a broader, more culturally current vision, Payne pushed the previously often hidebound club and its tournament into the 21st century with a vitality that in retrospect is stunning.

With so much accomplished, Payne decided the time was right to pass the torch. But not because the grandfather of 11 will turn 70 on Oct. 16. And not because the survivor of two triple-bypass operations, the first in 1982 when he was only 34, the second in 1993, was finding the job too physically taxing.

“Health doesn’t even enter into the equation of the timing of this decision,” said Payne, who through a strictly followed daily regimen of exercise carries a trim 205 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame. “I’ve stayed in shape, and I’ve tried hard.” Acknowledging that for him self-discipline is not a struggle, he added, “I think I’m pretty focused when I get something on my mind. I’m kind of relentless.”

Payne’s life, from earning 1968 All-America honors as a defensive end at the University of Georgia, to being the key figure in bringing the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta, to his tenure at Augusta, makes him a sensei in “Get er Done.”

“What I do is I do my very best at everything that I attempt to do,” Payne said. “Sometimes it might not be good enough. Sometimes it may be misdirected. Nevertheless, I’m never going to be in the place where lack of effort was the contributing factor in failure. I’m just not gonna put myself there.”

But that doesn’t mean Payne has lacked finesse. Quite the contrary. Conversing across a coffee table, Payne is the opposite of the gruff autocrat Masters chairmen have often been assumed to be since Roberts, who by reliable accounts was that way throughout the 44 years he reigned until his death in 1977. Payne’s language is a listenable mix of folksy and high-brow, reminiscent of Bill Clinton’s in its Southern cadence, tone and pitch, and when called for, profundity.

“Arnold Palmer let us all into his life,” Payne said before this year’s Masters, the first played since Palmer’s death last September. “Not from the distance that is typically maintained between a superstar and a fan, but into his life, close‑up, so that we could literally push him to greatness and regale in his accomplishments as though they were our own. I think tomorrow will no doubt be an emotional goodbye, but at the same time, an even more powerful thank you to the man we dearly love.”

Clearly, Payne is a persuader and a mobilizer, and surely at times an irresistible one. The alchemy has been particularly effective on the many captains of industry that make up Augusta’s membership.

By shrewdly blending its increased revenues with a broader, more culturally current vision, Payne pushed the previously often hidebound club and its tournament into the 21st century with a vitality that in retrospect is stunning.

“There is residing among our membership a wealth of talent that may be unparalleled in any organization in the world,” Payne said. “And deciding and motivating those who otherwise have very important positions, to come and embrace Augusta National and its culture, and make the time commitment … it’s a challenge. And yet because there are so many of them, and because they themselves embrace and love Augusta National, they are more than willing to make the sacrifices required. And that gives us, I believe, the edge in the way we present our sporting event.”

Although Augusta is often seen as holding itself apart, Payne’s achievements have been built on forging alliances, notably with the PGA Tour, PGA of America, USGA, R&A and LPGA. Hesitant to call himself the most progressive chairman, he is comfortable being the “most collaborative.”

“I’m pretty good at math,” he said in reference to working in concert with golf’s other organizations. “I know if you add five together, it’s a lot more powerful than just doing it alone.”

Payne is at his most natural one on one. He says that the best part of his chairmanship has been developing “lifelong, deep, foxhole kind of friendships” with some 20 fellow members he has gotten to know since joining the club in 1997. And when asked his proudest achievement, Payne cites fostering a friendlier environment at the club through parties, tournaments and other functions. “The fact that my members and friends come more often than they used to because they like it more,” he said. “I hope I’m a part of the reason that they want to do it.”

“Billy has revolutionized what Augusta National is all about,” says Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports, which has covered the Masters since 1956. “His forward thinking in the area of television, and social, digital and interactive media is extraordinary. I don’t think I have ever met anybody who has such an eye for fine detail, but at the same time a vision for the future. And there’s not a guy who I would rather spend time just hanging out with and listening to stories than Billy Payne.”

But after “articulating a goal” to his followers, Payne then unapologetically returns to “being relentless.”

Andrew Redington/Getty ImagesPayne presided over Augusta National’s admission of its first female members, including former Secretary of State Condi Rice.

“Overcontrol … that’s kind of a permissible description of the chairman of Augusta historically,” Payne said. “That is honestly a part of our culture. And you just hope you’re fortunate enough to get good at it. It’s a chairman-centric culture. And that’s why you can coalesce all of this diverse talent and knowledge because there is one person in charge. And it works.”

Certainly it did for Payne. His accomplishments far outnumber the four previous chairmen who followed Jones’ and Roberts’ legacy.

Besides the aforementioned 2012 admission of Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore as the first female members in the club’s history (IBM’s Ginni Rometty became the third in 2014), and the establishment in 2013 of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, open to boys and girls 7-15, further “grow the game” milestones under Payne’s leadership include:

• Establishment of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (2009) and the Latin America Amateur Championship (2014), both of which admit winners into the Masters field.

• Media innovations including, in 2016, the first live 4K broadcast of a sporting event in the United States, and the first live virtual-reality experience made available to the public for a professional golf event with Masters Digital.

• Persuading Arnold Palmer to become an honorary starter in 2007, and adding Jack Nicklaus in 2010 and Gary Player in 2012. Says Payne, “One thing I’ve noticed through the years, even though it’s a ceremonial shot, they are all very serious about it. That last 10 seconds before they hit the ball, you can feel it. You ought to hear all the mumbling they have back and forth.”

• Restoring the tradition of PGA Tour winners from the preceding 12 months qualifying into the field of the Masters.

• Vastly expanding free patron parking in 2009 with land purchased west of Berckmans Road.

• A new 18-acre practice facility, 400 yards in length, opened in 2010, featuring a state-of-the-art short-game area, two fairways with trees and bunkers.

• Opening Berckmans Place 2013 as a high-end hospitality venue near the fifth hole.

• Removing the Eisenhower Tree in 2014 after an ice storm left it irreparably damaged.

• Opening a new Tournament Headquarters and the Press Building in 2017.

• Buying a large strip of land on the adjacent Augusta Country Club that borders Augusta National’s 12th and 13th holes, that will make possible a lengthening of the par-5 13th by as much as 50 yards.

Payne’s missteps have been few and a matter of opinion. Some applauded his stern words when Tiger Woods returned to golf at the 2010 Masters—“It is not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here; it is the fact that he disappointed all of us.”—but others found them overly judgmental. Says Payne, “You know, all of my failures I’ve worked pretty hard at, too.”

Harry How/Getty ImagesPayne’s embracing of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship has helped the event become a fun part of Masters week.

As Payne transitions to his new title of Chairman Emeritus, he will undoubtedly retain a strong voice. On Tuesday he opined on possible future issues.

On creating a rolled-back Masters ball:   “That would be a very drastic step, and we would hope before that was necessary, there would be a collaborative decision. We love to follow collaborative decisions. Not be a loner. But we reserve the right to do so if we think it’s needed. We retain options about our course. So, I would suspect we would exhaust those before we would unilaterally jump ahead of others.”

On lifting the ban on cellphones:   “You have to ask the next chairman. I asked as recently as today if he has the same opinion as I do. And that’s where he stands right now.”

On allowing players and caddies to wear shorts:   “They don’t offend me. But it’s just not Augusta National. We don’t allow it for tournament or member play.”

Allowing Augusta to be less green in the interests of “brown is beautiful” sustainability:

“It’s not where we want to go. We think our beauty is part of our reputation and our brand. And it may surprise you to know that on the course we primarily hand water, using substantially less water. So we are not an abuser of that, and people think we perhaps may be because it’s so beautiful.

“You know I’ve never had that guilt trip [about sending a “too green” signal to seeking the Augusta ideal]. We’re going to do what is required to maintain the beauty of our course so that we can deliver both to our guests who play, and to our television audience the beauty that they expect.”

Payne says he is confident the 65-year-old Ridley, the 1975 U.S. Amateur champion, will navigate such issues with good judgment.

“He’s an extraordinary leader,” Payne said. “He needs a lot more skills than the obvious ones his resume would show, and he has those skills in immense qualities. He’s the perfect choice. If that [finding his successor] was my most important decision, I think time will prove I did a pretty good job.

“And now I have identified the person I believe can take it to the next level. That, therefore, signals to me that it’s time to leave.”

Payne said in 2013, “There are two personalities which will always define Augusta National: Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts. All the rest of us just came and went, and I’m going to fall into that latter category.”

Certainly, he hasn’t. And based on his extraordinary contribution as chairman, he won’t.

J.D. Cuban

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