CHANGING NO. 12 LIKE 'TOUCHING UP MONA LISA'

Augusta chairman wont’ lengthen Golden Bell as he discusses golf’s distance decisions

- 

Augusta National Golf Club supports the golf ball rollback spearheaded by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) and would prefer the Masters is never contested on a layout greater than 8,000 yards, chairman Fred Ridley said on April 10.

For almost 70 years the Masters had been played on a layout that was less than 7,000 yards, but this week's edition has been extended to 7,550 yards and Ridley believes that is inching closer to the course's limitations.

"I've said in the past that I hope we will not play the Masters at 8,000 yards. But that is likely to happen in the not-too-distant future under current standards," he said.

"Accordingly, we support the decisions that have been made by the R&A and the USGA as they have addressed the impact of distance at all levels of the game." Last December, the USGA and the R&A announced in a joint statement that in an effort to reduce the effects of distance in the sport, they would change how golf balls will be tested for conformity.