Scott HalleranAugusta National chairman Billy Payne and competition committee chairman Fred Ridley look over the 18th green during a practice round prior to the start of the 2016 Masters.When Augusta National Golf Club opens again on Oct. 16, it will do so under new leadership. Billy Payne, chairman of the club and the Masters Tournament since May 2006, announced on Wednesday that he will retire from the role this fall.
Succeeding Payne will be Fred Ridley, a former USGA president who has served most recently as the chairman of the Competition Committees for the Masters.
During his tenure, Payne, 69, helped create the Asia-Pacific Amateur, Latin America Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship in an effort to extend the game’s reach to new, broader audiences. He also oversaw the expansion of the club’s physical footprint, but said now was “the right moment to step down.”
“The privilege I experienced serving as chairman of Augusta National and the Masters was far greater than I..

Christian PetersenThe FedEx Cup Playoffs are here and they begin. . . with a course no one knows anything about. Glen Oaks Club is a new venue for everyone at this week's newly titled Northern Trust. Think of it as an NCAA Tournament game on a neutral site, so ANYTHING can happen. Kinda like in 2009 when the first playoff event was held at Liberty National for the first time and Heath Slocum took down Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker. So to discuss this beautiful, but mysterious course, make our weekly picks, and talk about a recent fantasy fail, Chris Powers subs in for Joel Beall and joins me from Glen Oaks Club for our weekly chat. Please have a listen:
And if you're more old school and would rather just read my normal weekly fantasy golf picks, here's my fab foursome at Glen Oaks Club:
Dustin Johnson: That three-tournament winning streak seems like ages ago, but this four-event finale wouldn't be the worst time to get hot again. DJ l..