Golf

New Augusta head: No Burk chat

Billy Payne says there is no need to open a dialogue with the activist about allowing female members to join the club.

By BOB HARIG
Published May 9, 2006

Billy Payne is the first Augusta National and Masters chairman without a link to club founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts.

He is the first lifelong resident of the state of Georgia to run the club.

And he is believed to be the first to take questions from the media via a conference call.

Despite all the firsts, Payne's first move in his new position will not be to invite the club's first female member.

"On membership matters, all of them will be decided by our members, and we have no specific timetable to address that issue," he said during a Monday media conference call.

When the subject was broached again in reference to Martha Burk, the former chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations whose public protests in 2003 caused the club to drop commercial sponsorship for two years, Payne did not waver and said no discussions will take place.

"I am very much aware of her position on all issues as they relate to Augusta National, and I don't really see at this time that any dialogue would be meaningful or helpful," he said.

Payne, 58, became the club's sixth chairman on Friday when it was announced that Hootie Johnson would step down May 21 to take the role as chairman emeritus. In two weeks, the club's leadership became decidedly younger. Johnson is 75. And Tampa's Fred Ridley, 53, is replacing Will Nicholson, 77, as chairman of the competition committees.

Given his friendship with Johnson and the fact he will remain as an adviser, nobody expected Payne to say much different during his news conference.

"I think I begin my tenure with the course and the club in pretty good shape," Payne said.

The former head of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Payne did not become an Augusta member until 1997. He had served as chairman of the media committee since 2000. Each of the previous club chairmen were members when Jones and Roberts were still around.

Johnson, in addition to his public fight with Burk, oversaw a huge overhaul of the Augusta course, including about 520 yards of extra length that were a big part of the discussion during last month's tournament won by Phil Mickelson.

Payne did announce some minor changes Monday: The tee boxes at the 11th and 15th holes will be lengthened in front to give more options, pine straw will replace rough around trees that are to the right of the 11th fairway, and the landing area on that hole will be lengthened.

"I think we have it just about right now," he said. "Remaining hopeful as I do that some limitations will be placed on equipment, which will diminish the game in distance.

"I think we've got the golf course pretty much like we like it right now."

And he hinted that the tournament may change its rules in the future to allow PGA Tour winners into the Masters field.

"We're studying that issue," he said. "We don't expect to do that by 2007.

"It would actually be unfair to do so because there are golfers out there playing right now under the existing qualification stands. ... I think it's a probability that you will see it sometime soon in the future."

Payne, who played college football for Vince Dooley at Georgia, first visited the Masters in 1966 as a spectator. He has a 6.8 USGA handicap index and said he shot "in the mid 80s" playing Augusta National from the tournament tees.

"This is a great way to top a career," he said.

"In the midst of members whom I love dearly, a place which is perhaps the most beautiful in the world, and to stay involved in a sporting event which is the envy of all others."

[Last modified May 9, 2006, 00:42:06]