Rory McIlroy commits to Travelers Championship

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Billy Payne is retiring as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters after 11 years of substantial change that included the club inviting female members and supporting the game’s growth with two international amateur tournaments. Payne officially retires Oct. 16 when the club opens for a new season. He will be succeeded by Fred Ridley, a former USGA president and U.S. Amateur champion who heads the Masters Competition Committee. Ridley will be the first chairman who played in the Masters. Payne was invited to join Augusta National in 1997, one year after he concluded his long-shot bid to bring the Olympics to Atlanta. He was appointed chairman nine years later, and he worked to move the club into modern times without losing sight of its traditions.

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Not long ago, Tiger Woods’ return to golf was in doubt. Not anymore. With expectations surging, we track and project his every movement along the way.

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Bryson DeChambeau has selected a new caddie. Brian Zeigler, an instructor at Dallas National, will carry DeChambeau’s bag in next week’s Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. DeChambeau announced the move on social media. “Jumping into the deep end!” DeChambeau said. “Excited to have Brian Zeigler joining the team as my new caddie. Can’t wait to have him be part of the journey. Thank you to my great friend Tim Tucker for everything you have done for me. I am grateful for our friendship.” Dallas National is where DeChambeau practices at home. His instructor, Chris Como, is the director of instruction at the course. Tucker was on the bag for all eight of DeChambeau’s PGA TOUR wins, including last year’s U.S. Open. DeChambeau and Tucker split on the eve of last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Everybody always thinks there was some kind of falling out, but there really wasn’t. This was in the works for a while,” DeChambeau told Golf.com. “Tim is a really, really great friend of mine. He’s somebody that I’ve cared about, and still care about, and will care about for the rest of my life.” Tucker, who also spoke to Golf.com, said a combination of DeChambeau’s long hours and Tucker’s new business contributed to the decision. Tucker is starting a luxury transportation service to and from the Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon, where he used to caddie. “We were really tired. The season; the TOUR schedule was grinding on us, grinding on me. I knew I was working on this business on the side; we’ve had a very intense relationship where he works a lot of hours,” he said. “It was a little bit of me not being 100% healthy and happy. … We made the best decision for the both of us.” DeChambeau, who has two wins this season, is No. 4 in the FedExCup. He has missed the cut in two of his three Open Championship appearances and finished T51 in the other.

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