Payne steps down as Masters chairman

WASHINGTON: Billy Payne retired as chairman of the Masters and Augusta National after an 11-year tenure that saw the club in Augusta, Georgia, admit its first women members.

Payne, 69, said that his resignation would become official on Oct 16, when the club opens for a new season.

He will be succeeded by Fred Ridley, a former US Amateur golf champion and US Golf Association president who is chairman of the Masters competition committee.

Ridley will be Augusta National’s seventh chairman – and the first to have played in the Masters, in 1976, 1977 and 1978, missing the cut in each appearance.

Payne gained prominence on the international sporting scene when he led the bid that brought the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta. He was invited to join Augusta National in 1997, after concluding his work with the Atlanta Games.

He became chairman of the Masters three years later and succeeded Hootie Johnson as chairman of the club in 2006.

Payne brought changes to the tradition-bound Augusta National. A decade after Johnson defied critics and refused to open the exclusive club to women members, former secretary of state Condoleeza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore joined Augusta National in 2012.

Payne also worked with the Royal & Ancient and other golf bodies to boost golf worldwide, helping create the Asia-Pacific Amateur tournament with the winner awarded a spot in the Masters.

Payne also oversaw significant land acquisitions by the club, which allowed for increased hospitality areas and spectator viewing of the Masters.

“The privilege I experienced serving as chairman of Augusta National and the Masters was far greater than I could have ever imagined,” Payne said in a statement.

“Just as nothing can prepare you for the unique responsibilities and important decisions that come with this position, it is equally impossible to anticipate the many joys and, most importantly, the wonderful friendships that are the ultimate reward of service.