Augusta National boss takes dead aim at one of game’s chronic issues

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fred Ridley, the Augusta National chairman, an accomplished amateur golfer in his day and a detail-oriented real-estate lawyer, is so measured and appropriate in his public statements, his comments on Wednesday about pace-of-play issues, was a hysterical hissy fit, by his mild standards. In his annual State of the Masters press conference, in his prepared remarks, Ridley said this:

“Because of the size of our field this year and also because of the commentary in recent weeks, the subject of pace of play is top of mind. Playing without undue delay, as the rules and the game’s traditions dictate, is an essential skill of golf at all levels. Recognizing the challenges professionals face each week, I also believe pace of play is an important element of the examination of the world’s best players. 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. Therefore, I want to encourage continued dialogue on this topic, especially at the professional levels which serve as the most visible representation of our sport.”

For Ridley, reading from a crafted statement? That is screaming. And if you need a CliffsNotes version, here it is: “Golf, at every level, is played at an obscenely slow pace and it is choking the life out of the game.”

After he read his formal statement, Ridley, per custom, took questions from reporters. You may have to cover your ears as you read this exchange:

Reporter: “I’m wondering what your reaction was on Sunday afternoon when you saw a little mite of a golfer use AimPoint, and take some time to do it. And then, having lined up her putt like that, she then went on a tour of the putt and calling in at every compass point on the way around and taking perhaps as much as two minutes. I’m wondering what your reaction to that was.

“Secondly, in view of your comments now about pace of play, I’m wondering whether in the spirit of the [club’s] great founder, who said so much about etiquette, that there’s even the thought that you might lead the way in trying to encourage these young players to get a move on.”

That is, Bob Jones.

People laughed not because it was ha-ha funny but because it was so deeply true.

Ridley’s response:

“Well, I think that example really illustrates the problem, and unfortunately, these young people are looking to their heroes who play the game each week for a living as to how they’re going to approach competitively playing the game.

‘I think it’s been a very good thing that knowledgeable people, such as Dottie Pepper, have commented on this. Recently, she made the point, which I alluded to in my comments, about respect for others, including, most particularly the people who watch the game, the fans. So I think maybe this might be a call to action that perhaps we haven’t seen in the past.

“I’ve spoken about it a number of times. We will be dealing with that issue this week. I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to be happy with the results, but I think I am encouraged that the PGA Tour is doing some things, experimenting with some timing procedures that might be a little bit more aggressive than we’ve seen in the past.

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“As it relates to the Drive, Chip & Putt, I too noticed exactly what you noticed. It’s interesting, but every phase of the competition has the same length chip and the same length putt, so it’s really not necessary to pace that off. They know how many yards that is. Nevertheless, that’s what they were doing. 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.

“Thank you for that question.”

Translation: “The pace of place is A JOKE. We can improve the kiddie pace of play here. But until the PGA and LPGA tours makes ready-golf the norm, by way of fines or clock or through social stigma, nothing will change.”

Ridley had one more comment about pace of play:

“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.”

This is a well-meaning fantasy. The first group off, at 7:40 a.m., is the twosome of Davis Riley and Patton Kizzire. They might play in four hours. The average pace for the threesomes to follow is likely to be well over five hours. Afternoon winds and crusty greens and self-importance and years of slow-play custom only slow down the pace. On Friday, the first group of the day is a threesome.

This problem is so intractable that nothing, of course, can change in a day. No single comment by a commentator, even as one as knowledgeable as Pepper, is likely to have any impact. Would eliminating the yardage book and giving every caddie a rangefinder speed the pace of play? Yes, but it will never happen. Would Tour courses, including Augusta National, that top-out at 7,000 yards speed the pace of play? Yes, but that will never happen. Will the LPGA’s pace-of-play initiatives, announced last month and related to a shot clock and penalty strokes, improve the pace on the women’s tour? Yes, but it is unlikely to have an impact beyond it. Unless men’s professional golf as its highest levels does the same thing in a meaningful way.

Can you imagine Augusta National with officials in the forests looking at their watches?

The spirit of the great founder, Mr. Bob Jones, played at a superb pace. Of course, he learned the game from a Scotsman, in an era when golf was an ancillary part of life, not an all-day activity. Times under the pines — that does not seem Jones. And at Augusta, the question is always, What would Bob do? Ridley has a plan to get the kids to pick up the pace. The next issue will be to get the grown-ups to do the same.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com