All Ears Will Be on the Augusta National Chairman's Masters Press Conference
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The time between major championships often allows for considerable change to occur. Players get hot, others cool off, some emerge from the depths, others sink to levels beneath them.
Scottie Scheffler lost and regained the No. 1 ranking since the British Open at St. Andrews. Max Homa won three times and had an impressive Presidents Cup. Jon Rahm won five times in 10 worldwide starts. Rory McIlroy had a time at No. 1. Tiger Woods played a regular PGA Tour event.
And Cam Smith, who won the Open, jumped to the LIV Golf League.
There has been no lack of activity since the end of the Open and the start of this week’s Masters at Augusta National, where 18 players who have gone to LIV Golf will be part of the 88-player field that begins play on Thursday.
And LIV Golf is among the storylines that would have been difficult to foresee a year ago, when Scheffler won the green jacket, McIlroy finished second and Smith tied for third.
Throw in the proposed ball rollback and the changes made to the par-5 13th at Augusta National—due in part to the distance the ball travels today—and there is plenty of fodder for discussion.
All of which should make the Fred Ridley news conference quite interesting on Wednesday.
Ridley, the Augusta National and Masters chairman, is scheduled for his annual address on the eve of the Masters. It is the only time all year where he is publicly made available. Typically, there are matters less mundane to discuss.
This time, there will be at least four rather significant points that he will cover, either on his own or via questioning: LIV Golf, future Masters invitation criteria, the ball and the changes to the golf course, specifically the 13th.
Here are some things to consider on each topic.
LIV Golf
None of the four major championships are keeping LIV players from competing, and the Masters in December made it clear that those who qualified would be eligible to compete in 2023. And—unlike the U.S. Open—the Masters did not change the wording of its invitation that goes to those who qualify for the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship. Talor Gooch wasn’t “eligible" for the tournament but he qualified. That wording may cost him a trip to Los Angeles Country Club.
But it is clear that the majors are not necessarily enamored of the LIV Golf concept. The heads of all of the majors have made that clear, if not directly, then certainly with their carefully-worded statements and sound bites.
Upon announcing that LIV players would be eligible, Ridley said “we’ve reached a seminal moment in the history of our sport."
Although he never said LIV Golf by name, it was obvious who he was referencing.
“Regrettably, recent actions have divided men’s professional golf by diminishing the virtues of the game and the meaningful legacies of those who built it. Although we are disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honor the tradition of bringing together a preeminent field of golfers this coming April."
That meant an invitation to those who are eligible with a caveat. “As we have said in the past, we look at every aspect of the tournament each year, and any modifications or changes to invitation criteria for future tournaments will be announced in April."
Invitation Criteria
Ridley strongly hinted that he could be announcing some changes when he speaks this week. That’s why the idea of LIV players being banned this year always seemed unlikely. The Masters typically uses the Wednesday media briefing to announce such changes, if there are any. The idea that the Masters will do anything to make it easier on LIV players seems pretty remote.
What could Augusta National do? Well, it already hinted at a coming change when it invited the reigning NCAA champion? Look for the Masters to make that an annual invite.
The idea the Masters would take a certain number of players from the LIV points list seems remote when you consider it has never done so for the DP World Tour.
The main criteria for Masters qualification are wins on the PGA Tour, top 30 in FedEx Cup points, the top 50 in the OWGR at the end of the calendar year and again the week before Masters week, the top four finishers in the other major championships and the first 12 players from the previous year’s Masters. Those who win the Masters are invited for life.
Among the things the Masters could do to alter the dynamic for LIV players is to drop the OWGR criteria at the end of the year while adding an invitation category for DP World Tour players. It could also take the leading player from various tours around the world, such as the Japan Tour or the Sunshine Tour.
If LIV Golf continues to be denied world ranking points, the avenue to entry becomes smaller. And even if LIV does get points, moving up the list will not be an easy task.
The Golf Ball
The recent USGA/R&A announcement that proposes a new “Model Local Rule" for elite players that would require them to play a ball that travels a shorter distance when tested with a 127 mph swing speed has been quite controversial.
Generally, players are against it, mostly because the equipment companies that pay them nice endorsement income are against it. The manufacturers offer numerous reasons, including the fact that pros and amateurs would then be playing by a different set of rules.
The governing bodies and others in the game wonder where the lengthening of courses to combat distance at the elite level will ever end. Augusta National offers a prime example. More than 500 yards have been added to the course since Woods won his first Masters in 1997. Hence, a comment period that will conclude in August. If the new rule is enacted, it won’t occur until 2026.
Ridley, who won the 1975 U.S. Amateur, is a former USGA president (2004-05) and the club has typically supported USGA initiatives. His words a year ago on the distance subject suggested as much.
“A few weeks ago (in 2022), the R&A and USGA shared their latest update as part of the ongoing research on this subject," Ridley said. “We recognize this is an intricate topic that won’t result in solutions overnight, and we support the level of consideration displayed by the governing bodies throughout this process.
“We look forward to further discussions during the comment period this summer as well as future recommendations and ultimately implementation."
In other words … Augusta National will support the ball rollback.
The Golf Course
Several times, Ridley has expressed concerns about Augusta National keeping up with the times. And he often references club co-founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts.
Last year, changes were made to the 11th and 15th holes, with the tee moved back at 15—a par-5 that saw no eagles in 2022.
Ridley was asked about the par-5 13th, where for several years there has been room behind the tee to lengthen a hole that measured 510 yards last year, and if there was a timetable for changes.
“There's no timetable," Ridley said. “Nothing to announce at this time. That's something that certainly we have considered and will continue to consider.
“Admittedly, and I've said this before, the 13th hole does not have the same challenges that it has historically, and, I can just remember as a young guy watching the Masters, some of the triumphs and tragedies. And while we still have those, the fact that players are hitting middle to short irons into that hole is not really how it was designed.
“Having said that, my reluctance to date has been that it's such an iconic hole. And probably along with 12 and maybe 15, probably the three holes where the most history has been made at Augusta National.
“That has been a sort of counter to doing anything. But at some point in time, it's something that we likely will do. We just don't have anything to say about it right now."
That time became approximately two months later. In June, aerial photos via @EurekaEarthPlus revealed work being done to the course, with the tee being moved back. When the final work was done, approximately 35 yards was added, lengthening the hole to 545 yards.
How that hole plays is one of the talking points going into the 2023 Masters.