Day: October 16, 2017

Fred Ridley begins reign as Augusta National chairmanFred Ridley begins reign as Augusta National chairman

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017| 22:28

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fred Ridley recalls soaking up the ambience of Augusta National a week before his debut in the 1976 Masters as the U.S. Amateur champion. He was alone under the massive oak tree next to the clubhouse when he turned around and realized he had company. Clifford Roberts, co-founder of the club and the first chairman of the Masters, was standing behind him. “I kind of jumped and thought, ‘Oh God, what have I done?'” Ridley said. “We had a nice conversation. The interesting thing was, we were leaving and he says, ‘Now young man, you’re going to be playing in the Par 3 next Wednesday. You make sure you get some practice over there.’ He loved the Par 3. That was my recollection of the only conversation I had with him.” Forty-one years later, Ridley is the seventh chairman in the 85-year history of Augusta National. He took over Monday when the club re-opened for a new season. Ridley, a 65-year-old business lawyer from Tampa, Florida, succeeds Billy Payne, who is retiring after 11 years. Payne’s tenure was marked by the club inviting female members for the first time, and for creating events geared toward American youth (Drive, Chip and Putt) and two amateur events in Asia and Latin America that offer the winners a spot in the Masters. Payne, who chose Ridley as his successor, becomes chairman emeritus. Starting with that chance meeting with Roberts under the oak tree, Ridley says he has met every chairman who preceded him and knew most of them well. What he took from Payne was the value of relationships and the willingness to share credit. “The worst thing I can do is try to be Billy Payne, other than his accomplishments and his drive to be the best,” he said. Ridley was not specific on any changes or initiatives he had in mind for the club, saying only that he would lean on the principle established by Roberts and Bobby Jones. “That principle here is constant improvement,” Ridley said. “That permeates the culture here, whether it’s the Masters Tournament, whether it’s the member experience, whether it’s growing the game or whatever we do.” Augusta National recently acquired land from adjacent Augusta Country Club that would allow it to expand the par-5 13th hole, which now is 510 yards. “We are looking at whether we’re going to do anything,” Ridley said. “We just haven’t made any decisions.” He also was reserved about how the club felt about the distance the modern professional is hitting the golf ball, referring only to a good relationship with golf’s two governing bodies, the USGA and the Royal & Ancient. “We’re interested in that issue,” he said. “It’s not my place to talk about what’s good and not good for the game. I might have opinions, but I’m not the person to talk about it. What I can talk about is what’s good for Augusta National and our golf course. Going back to the guiding principles, again, I believe that the philosophies that Jones and (Alister) MacKenzie established here are timeless.” Ridley is the second Augusta National chairman, along with Hord Hardin, to have served as USGA president. He has not stayed active with the USGA, where executives are known for their blue blazers, saying that “my jacket has been green for quite some time.” Ridley was USGA president in 2004 when the final round of the U.S. Open was marred by the overly baked condition of the greens at Shinnecock Hills and a pin position at the par-3 seventh that made it impossible for anyone to hold the green without putting water on it. He was not directly in charge of the golf course, but “I was the president, so the buck stops there.” He was chairman of the competition committees at the Masters for the last 10 years, making him responsible for a rules controversy involving Tiger Woods in 2013. Woods hit a wedge off the pin and into the water on the par-5 15th. He dropped from an incorrect spot, which was spotted by a television viewer, David Eger, a former USGA and PGA TOUR rules official. When word got to Ridley, he said he viewed the drop and did not see a violation. Only after more questions were raised did the rules committee realize Woods should been penalized. Woods was given a two-shot penalty but spared disqualification for signing an incorrect card because Ridley said officials made a mistake by not speaking to Woods. “I think anytime you get involved in a complicated situation you learn,” Ridley said. “I think we were pretty transparent when we told the media what happened, what we did, how we resolved it. But yeah, we learn things all the time. I try not to look backward other than to learn.”

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Kuchar, English return to defend QBE Shootout TitleKuchar, English return to defend QBE Shootout Title

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017| 20:12

One of the more dominant teams in QBE Shootout history will defend its title when the PGA TOUR’s longest-running Challenge Event returns December 6-10 to Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Resort, in Naples, Fla. In addition, Lexi Thompson, the highest-ranked American player on the LPGA Tour, is scheduled to make her second-consecutive appearance, becoming the first female player in tournament history to play multiple times in the QBE Shootout. “We are looking forward to watching Harris [English] and Matt [Kuchar] as they seek to become the first duo to win the QBE Shootout three times. Both have been great champions and supporters of the event�, said Tournament Host Greg Norman. “I am equally thrilled that Lexi Thompson, one of the games bright stars, will be returning to the QBE Shootout once again. Lexi brings another element of youthful energy to the week for our pro-am participants, fans, players, corporate partners and worldwide TV audience.� “In addition to The Shootout bringing together some of the world’s best and most prominent names in golf, the tournament provides financial support for very worthwhile charities,� said Russ Johnston, Chief Executive Officer of QBE North America. “Giving back to our communities is in our DNA, which is why the opportunity to sponsor the Shootout was very attractive to us. There’s a very close alignment between the goals of the QBE Charitable Foundation and the philanthropic mission of Greg Norman’s event.� Since winning the QBE Shootout, Kuchar had another consistent season on the PGA TOUR. He accumulated nine top-ten finishes in 26 starts that included a runner-up finish at The Open Championship and a T4 at the Masters. Kuchar finished the season as a member of the victorious U.S. Presidents Cup team, contributing with a 2-1 individual record. English advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs for the sixth consecutive year on the strength of four top-25 finishes that included a pair of top-10s. English and Kuchar won the QBE Shootout last year by one stroke over Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly. It was English who sank a 12-foot putt for eagle on the 17th hole to secure the duo’s second title in three years. Thompson, 22, enjoyed another stellar season on the LPGA Tour. She picked up two more victories giving her nine career wins on the LPGA and a total of 12 professional titles. She is ranked No.3 in the world—the only American in the top-ten. The remainder of the 24-player field, competing for a $3.3 million purse, will be announced October 30. The pairings for the teams will be finalized by early November. The criteria for players qualifying for the 24-person field was adjusted this year to accurately reflect today’s PGA TOUR standards. The Shootout’s field will be comprised of its defending champions playing as a team, the top 12 committed professionals from the final 2017 FedExCup standings and 10 special exemptions; a minimum of four which will come from the top 40 on the PGA TOUR Career money list. The QBE Shootout, featuring 12 two-person teams will once again feature a scramble format during the first round, a modified alternate shot format on Saturday and a final-round better ball on Sunday. CureSearch for Children’s Cancer is the tournament’s primary charitable beneficiary. Additionally, to support the relief efforts of Hurricane Irma the QBE Shootout has recently launched a hurricane relief fund to support the local recovery efforts. Since 1989, the Shootout has raised more than $13 million for charitable causes.  

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