Lynch: Thankfully, some things won't change at Augusta National, not on Fred Ridley's watch

USA Today

09-04-2025

Lynch: Thankfully, some things won't change at Augusta National, not on Fred Ridley's watch
AUGUSTA, Ga. — There was a time, not too distant in the rear view, when Augusta National was known for defending norms that were, even then, unpalatable. An ignoble example of such was raised by Chairman Fred Ridley in opening remarks at his annual pre-Masters press conference Wednesday, when he cited the 50th anniversary of Lee Elder becoming the first Black man to compete in the Masters, then in its 39th staging.
'Lee's inspiration, his courage and spirit remain truly an inspiration for all of us. We never will forget his enduring legacy that made golf a better game for everyone,' Ridley said.
Much has changed at Augusta National since then. The membership isn't exactly a rainbow coalition but is considerably more diverse than the monochrome monolith of yore, and its creation of the Latin America Amateur, the Asia-Pacific Amateur, the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt make a case for the most exclusive club in the game having become the game's most inclusive force.
The Chairman's press conference is golf's State of the Union, since if the actual governing bodies believe in a higher power, then it's undoubtedly whoever occupies the position. Encyclicals issued from the altar at Augusta National carry influence far beyond these grounds and this week, every syllable is parsed for meaning that can sometimes lay a couple layers beneath the surface. The closest thing to a theme that emerged in Ridley's comments was a defense of norms, a timely issue given the tumult beyond the gates.
The first norm he sought to protect was the authority of the sport's governing bodies. The USGA and R&A have announced new specifications to be adopted in 2028 that will reduce, or at least stall, the distance a golf ball can travel. That decision, reached after a lengthy and intense discussion process — has been under attack by the PGA Tour and the PGA of America, the latter disingenuously pretending it was not sufficiently consulted. It was, it just didn't care for the decision reached after those consultations.
Ridley made clear there will be no daylight between the Masters and the USGA and R&A. 'Once again, I am here reaffirming our support of the governing bodies and their efforts to address the issue of distance,' he said, going on to describe the process as 'deliberative and collaborative.'
Translation: the Masters will adopt a modified ball, as will the Open and U.S. Open, potentially leaving the PGA Championship (already the runt of the major litter) standing alone among premier events. It also forces the Tour to consider the domino effect on its product. If players use one ball for 48 or 49 weeks, but another for the four that define legacies, then how vulnerable are Tour events in advance of those majors as players stay home to bed in a new ball?
The next norm to which the chairman turned his impressive bouffant was the integrity of competition, which is compromised by both slow play and the nature of LIV Golf.
'Playing without undue delay, as the rules and the game's traditions dictate, is an essential skill of golf at all levels,' he intoned. 'Golf is a special game because it requires us to be considerate while also being competitive. Respecting other people's time, including, importantly, the fans who support the game, is a fundamental courtesy.'
A wry British scribe duly noted Sunday's spectacle of kids pacing off putts and using AimPoint at the Drive, Chip and Putt and asked whether the Chairman would be doing anything 'to encourage these young players to get a bloody move on.'
Ridley pointed out that blame lies with the professionals on TV whose behavior the kids imitate, but said action is coming: 'I think it's safe to assume that next year at the Drive, Chip & Putt you will see some sort of time limitations placed on the competition.'
He restated his skepticism of LIV's competitive purity since team and individual tournaments are played currently, complicating how to best assess performance. While other majors have fashioned exemption criteria for LIV's top players, Ridley said the Masters will not. It's an invitational, and LIV's Joaquin Niemann has been invited the past two years, he said. He didn't mention that the reasons cited for the two invites conspicuously omitted any mention of his play on LIV at all.
One of Augusta National's most prized internal norms is its reverence for past champions, which presents a thorny issue this week. At a time when baseless fear is being whipped up about foreigners with criminal records entering the U.S., a criminal foreigner has a Masters tee time at 10:59 a.m. Thursday. Angel Cabrera, the 2009 champion, is 55 years old and hasn't competed here since 2019. During his absence, he served 30 months in prison for domestic assault in his native Argentina.
'We certainly abhor domestic violence of any type,' Ridley said by way of necessary preamble. He followed with a praiseworthy (and necessary) statement for a moment when too many are eager to contort judicial processes to their preferred outcome. 'Angel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts, and he is the past champion, and so he was invited,' he said.
Augusta National is the kind of place that calls to mind the author E.B. White, who once wrote admiringly of people who wind the clock daily as a contribution toward order and steadfastness. That's oddly comforting these days, when norms are casually dispensed with, when most every entity in golf seems overly reactive or outright panicked, when traditions are turned over for demographic engagement, when the focus is more often on the depth of a pocketbook rather than its power, when a considered process is considered passé. For that at least, we ought to be thankful that there are some aspects of this place that won't be changing. At least not on Ridley's watch.