AUGUSTA, Ga. — Echoes of Dwight Eisenhower are as ubiquitous at Augusta National as azalea cocktails and preening executives. His eponymous cabin, built for lengthy sojourns from the White House, remains standing by the clubhouse. His tree on the 17th hole was lost to an ice storm in 2014, but his pond is there on the Par-3 Course. Yet, flickers of Ike were less tangible than philosophical during Wednesday’s press conference by Augusta National’s chairman, Fred Ridley.
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“The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist,” Eisenhower said in his 1961 Farewell Address. Ridley, too, seems conscious of power misplaced — in the hands of players (eager to get more of whatever is going), executives (hungry for internal wins) and equipment manufacturers (keen to stall or kill any action against their products).
On Wednesday, the chairman raised a manicured eyebrow at all of them.
Ridley opened by name-checking the many projects Augusta National is involved with. Like The Patch, the muni across town that the club has refurbished, while also adding a short course. Or the TGR Learning Lab they’re establishing nearby with Tiger Woods. Or the myriad amateur events created or underwritten — the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the Latin America and Asia Pacific events, the Drive, Chip and Putt. It was a none-too-subtle reminder that the revenue tsunami generated by the Masters floats many boats, that the commitments of Augusta National extend far beyond ensuring that professional golfers are handsomely compensated.
This year, for the first time, Masters invitations have been extended to the winners of six national Opens of historic stature. “Creating global pathways will continue to be our priority at the professional level also,” Ridley said. That one was for PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, whose organization can sometimes overlook the role of others in creating the talent pipeline.
“I think it's important to note that there are a number of golf organizations, including ours, that makes the journey to the PGA Tour possible,” he added, citing the American Junior Golf Association and the college system.
Ridley was reminding Rolapp that he doesn’t exploit Tour assets to fill his field; he creates those assets. Rolapp, profit-driven and not of the golf ecosystem, is eyeing the majors for a potentially greater slice of the revenue they generate on the backs of his equity stakeholders, but Ridley didn’t crack his wallet even a hair.
“So I think I understand Brian's comment, I suppose, or his perspective, but I think we really need to look at the entire ecosystem to get a full perspective of that issue,” the chairman said. “What we should be talking about and what I'm talking about is collaboration to elevate the game of golf. I think that’s where we're all going to be successful.”
In other words, the PGA Tour is a beneficiary of the work other entities perform and finance, not the sole engine that drives everything.
Asked about coming changes to the Tour product and how that might impact invitations to the Masters, Ridley said this: “There was nothing that we talked about that would trigger any thoughts, immediate thoughts on changing criteria. We'll just have to wait and see what his plans, how they unfold, and what that means for the schedule and for who’s playing in what tournament and how those tournaments sort of stack up in importance. Then we'll react accordingly.”
The Tour would face a challenge selling — to players and sponsors — any product in which a significant number of tournaments wouldn’t award the winner a ticket down Magnolia Lane. Perhaps Rolapp sees the golf world (not unjustifiably) as arcane and inefficient in its structure, but he’s still learning that there are pockets of real power beyond his control.
The distance debate was also to the fore Wednesday, given the imminent delay in implementing a pause on golf ball distance previously announced by the USGA and R&A. The timing might change, but Augusta National’s stance hasn’t. “I want to reemphasize that support and affirm our position as the USGA and R&A represent their collective obligation as custodians of the game,” Ridley said. “I also want to be clear that our position is grounded on much more than protecting the Augusta National golf course. We will continue to make modifications as are necessary to react to driving distances.”
To the chairman, this isn’t an issue limited to things that can be captured by a pencil — birdies, bogeys, scoring averages — but in the decision-making process itself. He cited the 13th hole, the club’s iconic par-5. In the final round 30 years ago, Nick Faldo debated in that fairway for an eternity that would have him roasted by modern social media. Fairway metal or long iron? Eventually, he hit a frozen rope 2-iron so beautiful it would have made a sphinx gape in awe. Ridley wants that decision-making recaptured.
“The scoring average, the number of birdies and eagles, has not materially changed. What has changed is the way the hole is played today and, I think, the excitement of the hole,” he said. Added distance has slightly remedied that, but not enough to keep pace with technology. And he doesn’t intend to keep compromising his golf course in a losing effort.
“Failure's not an option. I think we need to continue to work together to come to some agreement.”
Ridley stated the obvious — that many of those feverishly opposed to action on distance have commercial ties to companies that manufacture balls and clubs, while noting that such considerations aren’t inherently disqualifying, but nor can they be decisive. He’s letting a process play out at an achingly slow pace, but making clear there’s no daylight between Augusta National and the governing bodies.
That won’t surprise veteran executives at equipment manufacturers. They’ve heard it all before from the well- coiffed chairman. Rolapp, newly installed and attending his first Masters, is probably hearing a lot of things for the first time these days. Whether he’s minded to listen, or will gamble on trying to leverage the rest of the golf ecosystem to achieve his ambitious business objectives, promises to be one of the more compelling stories over the next 364 days until the most powerful voice in the game speaks again.
Eamon Lynch is a columnist for Golfweek and a regular contributor to Golf Channel.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Fred Ridley vs. Brian Rolapp could be interesting for PGA Tour, Masters