5 takeaways from Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley's news conference
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley's annual press conference is essentially the Masters 'State of the Union' and it produces a flurry of topics.
It's essentially the Masters "State of the Union" and it always produces a flurry of topics. Fred Ridley's annual media session on the Wednesday before the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club generates a wide range of discussion points. This year, those included the tournament itself, Tiger Woods, the PGA Tour, amateurs and the rollback of the golf ball.
Ridley, the 1975 U. S. Amateur champion, has been chairman of the club since 2017.
Here's a look at the top talking points from his 2026 news conference. Fred Ridley, Masters standing behind Tiger Woods Ridley kept his comments about Tiger Woods and the five-time Masters champion's personal issues brief. Ridley credited and thanked Woods for his involvement in The Loop at The Patch , a 9-hole short course designed by Woods and TGR Design.
Ridley then repeated the statement released by the Masters four days after Woods' March 27 accident and arrest on DUI charges. — Tom D'Angelo, Palm Beach Post Augusta National chairman supports golf ball distance regulation Ridley reiterated his support of the efforts of golf’s governing bodies to regulate the distance elite players are hitting the golf ball saying, “My feeling on this subject is failure's not an option. I think we need to continue to work together to come to some agreement.