Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament Fred Ridley speaks to members of the media in a pre-event press conference ahead of practice round 3 at Augusta National Golf Club, Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – As we are halfway through Maters Week, there is big news on and off the course here at Augusta National Golf Club.
From golf course changes to philanthropy, Chairman Fred Ridley meeting with the media on Wednesday.
“It is my pleasure to welcome everyone to the 87th Masters Tournament,” Ridley announces.
Masters week is always a busy time at Augusta National, but the chairman’s annual news conference showed how busy the Club has been for the past year, which includes an announcement of a partnership to overhaul Augusta’s municipal golf course and a program to teach college students how to get into the golf industry.
“We can’t wait to get started with this partnership. We hope it will be a model for other communities,” Ridley says.
When you watch The Masters this week, you’ll get to see the par 5 13th hole, now 35-yards longer.
“We believe that this modification will put a driver in play more often and restore the element of risk and reward that was intended in the original design of the hole,” Ridley says.
And even though the Masters is a tradition-rich tournament, Augusta National likes to stay connected to the modern world with the chairman announcing the launch of a new video game.
“The response to demand for an enhanced experience, we have returned to the EA platform with the launch of Road to the Masters,” Ridley says.
The actual Road to the Masters starts first thing Thursday morning, and former champions Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson will get the tournament started with their ceremonial tee shots.
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