Hootie listens to GCA criticism?

[Tony_Muldoon]

From the BBC website

Hootie Johnson is stepping down as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters.
Johnson, who has been a controversial figure since taking the reins in 1998, will be replaced by Billy Payne, who ran the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Johnson oversaw two major overhauls of the course, adding hundreds of yards in length and toughening holes as players hit the ball ever-increasing distances.  

  The tournament is successful by any measure and will continue to grow - I know I leave it in very capable hands

Departing Masters chief Hootie Johnson


Johnson, a member of the club since 1968, will relinquish his title on 21 May and move into the role of chairman emeritus.

"I have enjoyed my time serving as chairman," he said.

"Working with club members, staff and volunteers on the Masters has been very rewarding.

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

The 58-year-old Payne has headed the Masters media committee since 2000.

He said: "Hootie did a wonderful job as chairman, and I will endeavor to maintain the customs and traditions of our club as established by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones."

[Gary Daughters]

Holy cow

[A_Clay_Man]

Chairman emeritus, doesn't sound like he's really stepping down, does it?

[Glenn Spencer]

It does to me, you are either the Chairman or you are not, at Augusta National.

[rjsimper]

Chairman emeritus, doesn't sound like he's really stepping down, does it?

All that means is "used to be chairman" - I'm sure his opinion will be valued more than other members, but beyond that I think we're all safe to assume the Hootster is not going to be pulling the strings backstage.

I'm interested to see the stance the incoming chairman takes on changing the course as well as women members - I've always suspected that Hootie would never let in a woman out of spite, but the next chairman would let one in quietly assuming Martha doesn't pull out her bayonet on the day power changes hands.

[Gary Daughters]

Serious question:

What does Billy Payne know about golf?  Anyone know?

I see him wandering around the Masters rather conspicuously every year, and got to use his locker when I played E. Lake.

Does he know any golf?

I don't pretend to know the membership of ANGC but might feel better were the club/course in the hands of, say, Will Nicholson or Danny Yates.  This Payne thing seems to smack of nothing but corporatism.  But I must be honest I'm not sure.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Maybe the Blowfish asked him to step down.  They haven't had a hit since he took over as chairman.  


Irony-loaded headline I'd like to see tomorrow:

"Augusta Taking Down Trees Planted on #11,#15, and #17, First Cut Eliminated"


Juan Antonio Samaranch is smirking right now.  Billy Payne's Olympics were the first in Samaranch's long tenure as head of the IOC to not get the "Best Ever Olympics" stamp of approval afterwards.  The explosion in the Olympic square was not the only reason for that, too.

For those who want to jump on me for that, I know that the two situations are completely different and does not mean anything about the forecast for his tenure as chairman of ANGC.  All I said was he was smirking....it's just a joke.

[Andy Doyle]

Gary:

I know he (Payne) tried mightily to get golf included in the 1996 Olympics.  Until last year he was the Tournament Chairman for the Tour Championship at East Lake.  So he certainly has a history of supporting large golf events.

As to his personal knowledge of golf history, architecture, etc. I have no idea.

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[Andy Doyle]

Juan Antonio Samaranch is smirking right now.  Billy Payne's Olympics were the first in Samaranch's long tenure as head of the IOC to not get the "Best Ever Olympics" stamp of approval afterwards.  The explosion in the Olympic square was not the only reason for that, too.

For those who want to jump on me for that, I know that the two situations are completely different and does not mean anything about the forecast for his tenure as chairman of ANGC.  All I said was he was smirking....it's just a joke.

I'm glad you're joking.  Samaranch should have been smirking all the way to the bank.  The Atlanta Olympics made the IOC more money than any other games before or after.  Atlanta sold more tickets to women's events than Barcelona or Sydney did for total events.

Don't get me started.

Andy

[Gary Daughters]

 
Andy,

You hit on what I was thinking about, something that instinctively troubles me.  Payne is without question an impressario.  I think the Masters has that angle taken care of already.  

It makes one wonder.  What do they care about more about, the course or the toon-a-mint?

Hell, silly me.

[rjsimper]

It makes one wonder.  What do they care about more about, the course or the toon-a-mint?

You mean this wasn't made clear in the changes over the last 9 years?

[Gary Daughters]

Ryan,

Tough call.  One would hope they could make the two go hand in hand somehow.  I would think they could make it work, but they haven't.

You're right.

I suppose one could hope that with a change of leadership they might have seen the light, but I don't think this is the right guy.  Hope I'm wrong.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Juan Antonio Samaranch is smirking right now.  Billy Payne's Olympics were the first in Samaranch's long tenure as head of the IOC to not get the "Best Ever Olympics" stamp of approval afterwards.  The explosion in the Olympic square was not the only reason for that, too.

For those who want to jump on me for that, I know that the two situations are completely different and does not mean anything about the forecast for his tenure as chairman of ANGC.  All I said was he was smirking....it's just a joke.

I'm glad you're joking.  Samaranch should have been smirking all the way to the bank.  The Atlanta Olympics made the IOC more money than any other games before or after.  Atlanta sold more tickets to women's events than Barcelona or Sydney did for total events.

Don't get me started.

Andy

Of course it made lots of money, one of the major criticisms was that it was a vast bastion of commercialism.  I'm actually impartial to it all, maybe a little disappointed it was so close to home, and I couldn't go.    I did buy a shirt.....

You seem......partial, Andy.  Were you part of it?

[Gary Daughters]

Scott,

We Atlantans can be pretty parochial, and we're reflexively defensive about our town.  Gee, if it's so terrible why do so many YANKEES keep coming down to make it worse?

We did our best on the Olympics.  Or close to our best.  Too bad it didn't work out better.

Andy,

Hope I didn't step on you there.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Hey, as an American, I was disappointed that it wasn't perfect in the IOC's eyes.  It reflects on the whole country.  We didn't stop hearing how 'perfect' Sydney was in comparison.

[Gary Daughters]

Screw JAS.  Fascist.

And they should have thrown Dick Pound's wife under the jail.

[A_Clay_Man]

Was Mr. Johnson's predecessor made chairman emeritus?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Was Mr. Johnson's predecessor made chairman emeritus?

Yes, Jackson Stephens and same for previous chairman:

http://www.masters.org/en_US/history/jacket/sig_dates.html

I read (not on the link above) that Clifford Roberts commited suicide.  What's the story on that?

[Phil Benedict]

I read (not on the link above) that Clifford Roberts commited suicide.  What's the story on that?

I believe that Mr. Roberts shot himself out by Eisenhower Pond.

[Andy Doyle]

You seem......partial, Andy.  Were you part of it?

Like Gary said, we can get pretty defensive.

Yes, I was the Assistant Competition Manager for Results for Volleyball - basically responsible for collecting all of the match statistics and making them available for media, etc.  I worked in this position for about 2 years in preparation for the games, then supervised 84 volleyball matches during the games.

Some (probably a lot) of the criticism of the Atlanta Games is probably justified, but what really makes you mad is how much of it was out of your control.  The crass commercialism was largely the fault of the jerkoff mayor we had - recently convicted on tax evasion charges.

In my own little area, we had a great stats crew that worked their butts off and did a great job, but we were crippled by the technology of the results system that was controlled by the IOC sponsor, IBM.

There was a lot of criticism in the media, but I think for the people that were here - spectators and athletes - most had a great time.  It was the largest Olympics ever in terms of numbers of athletes, events and spectators.

I look back on my work with the Atlanta Olympics with a lot of pride and obviously bristle at the criticism.  

OK, off my soapbox.

Andy

[Mike_Young]

While I have met Billy Payne I do not say that I know him but have several friends in Athens that do know him quite well.  Lets say if he came to town, golf is not high on his list of things to do.  But he is a very honorable man and highly thought of around here.....
Knowing how UGA fans react to such things and having lived here while not a UGA alum.....I would say he will be unindated with redneck, barking UGA fans wanting to play.....and they will seriously expect him to allow it...

[David_Elvins]

Atlanta sold more tickets to women's events than Barcelona or Sydney did for total events.

Andy,
Not sure if that is factually incorrect or speceous.  Either way, I am curious to know the basis of that comment.

[Andrew Thomson]

am I missing the part where he refers to GCA criticisms?