Golf

'96 Olympics leader takes over Augusta

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published May 6, 2006

ATLANTA - Billy Payne, who ran the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, is replacing Hootie Johnson as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters.

Johnson, 75, had served since 1998. His term included rejecting demands that women be allowed to join the club and adding 460 yards to the course to counter better equipment and longer-hitting players.

A South Carolina native and member of the club since 1968, Johnson will become chairman emeritus May 21 to allow Payne to become the club's sixth chairman.

"The tournament is successful by any measure and will continue to grow," Johnson said in a statement. "I know I leave the championship in very capable hands."

Payne has headed the Masters media committee since 2000.

"It's an honor," he said in the statement. "Hootie did a wonderful job as chairman, and I will endeavor to maintain the customs and traditions of our club as established by (co-founders) Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones."

Payne was not available for further comment.

Payne, 58, is part of a new, younger leadership at Augusta National. Last month, Will Nicholson, 77, who had been in charge of setting up the course since 1990, retired. He was replaced by Tampa's Fred Ridley, 53, former president of the U.S. Golf Association.

Martha Burk, who led the fight to admit women in 2003, said she wants to reopen the issue.

"I hope that Billy Payne will exercise stronger leadership and better judgment than Hootie Johnson," said Burk, ex-chairwoman of the National Council of Women's Organizations. "I hope Billy Payne has not had to engage in a prior agreement to continue to bar women in order to ascend to the chairmanship."

Andrew Young, a civil rights pioneer and former Atlanta mayor who worked with Payne to land the Olympics, said he believes Johnson might have gone along if not for Burk's public campaign.

"Mr. Johnson was very much an old-school Southerner. He was ready to change, but he wasn't going to be pushed," Young said. "The Masters is the premier tournament in the sport largely because of Mr. Johnson.

"Let's give him credit for all the good he did and not try to blame him because he wasn't able to see into the 21st century. That's up to Billy to do."

[Last modified May 6, 2006, 02:15:18]