Augusta National Chair BILLY PAYNE is stepping down in October, and while "expanding the Masters' reach may be Payne's primary legacy," he will "always be remembered as the chairman who finally admitted female members to America’s most prominent all-male club," according to Scott Michaux of the AUGUSTA CHRONICLE. Also, Payne in '09 joined the R&A in "establishing what’s now called the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship." In '15, that mission "spread to another hemisphere with the Latin America Amateur Championship aimed at similar goals." Augusta National also joined the USGA and PGA of America in '13 to "establish the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship with the ultimate carrot of letting both girls and boys ages 7-15 compete at Augusta National on the eve of Masters week" (AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, 8/24). ESPN.com's Bob Harig wrote unlike "any of his five predecessors, Payne reached far beyond Augusta National's boundaries and made the club and the Masters Tournament a force beyond one week a year in April" (ESPN.com, 8/23). GOLFCHANNEL.com's Rex Hoggard wrote Payne "brought the club into the 21st century while honoring those traditions that make the Masters one of the game’s most revered events." While neither Payne nor the club "went looking to become a standard-bearer to grow the game, it’s a role both embraced." Payne in many ways was "both a consensus builder and an autocrat, a leader who understood the challenges the game faced and Augusta National’s unique position as a conduit for change." That he was "willing to use that influence was, quite simply, an act of leadership" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 8/23).
MORE THAN A CARETAKER: In Atlanta, Steve Hummer writes while Payne’s reign "encompasses a wide range of changes," the '12 admittance of former U.S. Secretary of State CONDOLEEZZA RICE and South Carolina businesswoman DARLA MOORE is "bound to frame his legacy." Payne’s era may have been Augusta National’s "most ambitious." Throughout, he "tried to keep one foot in the Masters’ hidebound past and the other on the accelerator" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/24). MORNINGREAD.com's Mike Purkey writes Payne was "much more than a caretaker." He was an "innovator, and a courageous one, at that." No one "looked more pleased than he was that day" in '12 when the club extended memberships to Rice and Moore (MORNINGREAD.com, 8/24). In Atlanta, Jeff Schultz wrote Payne's legacy also "will be, and should be, tied more to bringing the Olympics to Atlanta" (AJC.com, 8/23). Gold Digest's Jaime Diaz said one thing that stood out about Payne was his "sophistication with new media, especially for a guy in his 60s to understand something like 4K." Diaz: "It really lays the groundwork for the Masters to be preeminent in terms of the telecast and broadcast and getting information out. The website is tremendous so all those things really showed what a visionary he is." Golf Channel's Hoggard added that Payne "impacted golf on every level" ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 8/24).
TWITTER REAX: Jack Nicklaus tweeted, "Although I say this with mixed emotions, I am really very happy for Billy Payne and Augusta National Golf Club." Golfer Sergio Garcia: "It was an honor to be the last @TheMasters champion with Billy Payne as Chairman. All the best to Fred Ridley as new Chairman." Sports writer Rick Reilly: "My cell went off once @ Augusta on a Tiger putt. Billy Payne ... could've booted me 4ever but saved my a**. Thx BP!" Edinburgh Evening News' Martin Dempster: "Thought the way Billy Payne handled Augusta National's tribute to Arnold Palmer at this year's @TheMasters was exceptional."
