Chairman Ridley Tackles Some Of The Trickier Annual Pre-Masters Meeting With The Media

7 months ago by Comments Off on Chairman Ridley Tackles Some Of The Trickier Annual Pre-Masters Meeting With The Media

Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley hosted the annual Chairman meets with the Masters media earlier today at Augusta National.

There was Ridley’s opening address of some 1,800 words before he opened the floor to questions.

Ridley was asked 16 questions ranging from a variety of topics with a couple of particular note that we have selected hereunder:

 


As it relates to the field, was any consideration given to create a category for a LIV player as the USGA and the R&A has done? And along those lines, the PGA TOUR had some relatively weak fields in the fall that all received an invitation to the Masters. Were you comfortable with that, and has there been any consideration to the BMW PGA Championship winner on the DP World Tour and other strong tournaments?

CHAIRMAN FRED S. RIDLEY: I think as it relates to the first question, I think that the — some of the issues that have been raised in connection with world golf rankings, and that is pathways for players to come and go on the LIV Tour as well as the team aspect of the LIV Golf, certainly creates some concern in that regard.

As it relates to the USGA and the R&A, they certainly act independently. We respect their decisions. We are an invitational tournament. We have historically considered special cases for invitations for international players, which is how Joaquin Niemann was invited, or why he was invited, the last couple years.

We feel we can deal with that issue, whether it’s a LIV player or a player on some other tour that might not otherwise be eligible for an invitation, that we can handle that with a special invitation.

As it relates to the fall tournaments, I think that’s a really good question. It’s really a balance. We think it’s important to win a PGA TOUR tournament, and we have for many years recognized that by granting an invitation to the winner of each tournament.

But like we do every year, and I’ve said this I think every year in this press conference, we will have a thorough examination of our qualifications at the end of the year — or after the tournament this year, and we may make some changes. Not necessarily that, but some years we do make changes, some years we don’t. I think your comment about a couple of international tournaments is well-founded, and that will be part of our examination

Q. Fred, can you address the reason for the earlier tee time starts on Thursday and Friday?

CHAIRMAN FRED S. RIDLEY: Well, we have more players. Our average field the last few years has been around 90 players, and we have 95 players this year. So that extra two groups just adds a little time. So we’d rather do it on the front end than the back end.

Q. Is that a pace-of-play issue?

CHAIRMAN FRED S. RIDLEY: Well, it might be. We’re starting out with a twosome, which always kind of helps get things moving. And that’ll put a little more pressure, I think, on the groups that follow because as long as you keep up with the group ahead of you, then you’re going to be okay, and that group is obviously going to be playing quicker.

Q. You mentioned obviously honoring past champions. I just wondered if you wanted to respond to some of the women’s rights groups who have criticized Cabrera’s appearance at the Masters this year.

CHAIRMAN FRED S. RIDLEY: Well, we certainly abhor domestic violence of any type. As it relates to Angel, Angel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts, and he is the past champion, and so he was invited.

Q. You mentioned what the club did for the community, some of it organic, some of it strategic, to help those in need. How would you describe the responsibility that you and the membership have for the people of Augusta in tragic times?

CHAIRMAN FRED S. RIDLEY: Well, I think I said not only in tragic times but in all times. I think what I said on Monday was Augusta, Georgia, has been very good to this club and to the Masters Tournament, and I look at our involvement with our community as being a relationship. It’s not a transaction. It’s not a series of transactions.

I think if you look at it that way, it explains why we do what we do. We are a part of this community. I hope the people feel that we’re an important and productive part.

We have been supportive for many, many years. Until recently, that was sort of done in a cloak of secrecy almost. I have felt that we can be more intentional and more outward-facing in that support while still presenting the right tone, I guess is what I’m saying, as to what we’re doing.

It’s amazing once you start giving what happens and how many more opportunities are presented. I mean, I could spend the next 30 or 40 minutes talking about things that we have in the pipeline that hopefully we’ll be talking about over the next five years.

It’s a responsibility we have. It’s one that we accept and that we appreciate the opportunity to have, and we’re going to continue to do more.



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