Fred Ridley

Fred Scobie Ridley (born August 16, 1952)[1] is an American amateur golfer and golf administrator who won the U.S. Amateur in 1975 and became chairman of Augusta National Golf Club in 2017.[2]

Fred Ridley
Personal information
Full nameFred Scobie Ridley
Born (1952-08-16) August 16, 1952
Lakeland, Florida
Nationality United States
ResidenceTampa, Florida
SpouseElizabeth Herndon
Children3
Career
CollegeUniversity of Florida
StatusAmateur
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentCUT: 1976, 1977, 1978
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenCUT: 1976
The Open ChampionshipCUT: 1976
Fred Ridley
Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club
Assumed office
October 16, 2017
Preceded byBilly Payne

Early years

Ridley was born in Lakeland, Florida.[1] He attended Winter Haven High School in nearby Winter Haven, Florida.

College career

Ridley attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.[3] While attending the university, he played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team and was an alternate on the Gators golf team that won the NCAA national tournament in 1973.[3] He graduated from the University of Florida College of Business Administration with a bachelor's degree in marketing in 1974, and earned a J.D. from the Stetson University College of Law in 1977. Ridley was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Distinguished Letterwinner."[4]

Amateur career

In 1975, Ridley won the U.S. Amateur, the preeminent amateur golf tournament in the United States, on the James River Course of the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.[5] He defeated Keith Fergus in the 36-hole final, having beaten Curtis Strange and Andy Bean in previous rounds of the match-play championship.[6][7] He has competed in fifteen USGA championships, including ten U.S. Amateurs.

Ridley was a member of the U.S. World Amateur Eisenhower Trophy team in 1976, and the U.S. Walker Cup team in 1977. In the 1977 Walker Cup, he won two singles matches (both against Sandy Lyle) and lost his foursomes match.[8] He also won the Monroe Invitational in 1976.

He served as captain of the U.S. Walker Cup teams in 1987 and 1989, and of the U.S. World Amateur team in 2010.

Ridley remains the last U.S. Amateur champion to have never become a professional golfer.[2] He played in three Masters Tournaments and a U.S. Open as an amateur. Internationally, Ridley competed in the British Open in 1976 and the British Amateur in 1977 and 1987. His career-low 18-hole round is 63.

Ridley was elected president of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 2004,[9] and served as the co-chairman of the International Golf Federation.[10] He had been elected as a member of the executive board, treasurer, vice president of the USGA, and has also served as the chairman of the USGA's Championship Committee, Amateur Status and Conduct Committee, and International Team Selection Committee.[10]

Ridley, who is a member of Augusta National Golf Club, served as the competition committee chairman for The Masters in 2011. On August 23, 2017, Augusta National announced that Ridley would succeed Billy Payne as chairman of the club,[11] officially taking over when the club reopened for its 2017–18 season on October 16.[2]

Personal

Ridley works as a commercial real estate lawyer in Tampa, Florida.[2][12] He is a partner in the law firm of Foley & Lardner, and practices in the areas of commercial real estate finance and development, planned unit development, resort development, and multifamily and condominium development.[12] He is married to the former Elizabeth ("Betsy") Herndon, a fellow University of Florida graduate. He and Betsy have three daughters.[10]

Amateur wins

Results in major championships
Tournament197619771978
Masters Tournament CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship CUT

Note: Ridley never played in the PGA Championship.

  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

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gollark: Live in the cloud.
gollark: The format is incredibly simple, too.

See also

References
  1. Elliott, Len; Kelly, Barbara (1976). Who's Who in Golf. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House. p. 161. ISBN 0-87000-225-2.
  2. Harig, Bob (October 16, 2017). "Fred Ridley takes over as Augusta National chairman". ESPN. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  3. Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 37, 40, 41 (2010). Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  4. F Club, Hall of Fame, Distinguished Letterwinners. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  5. Sarah Pileggi, "A Not-so-perfect Match," Sports Illustrated (September 8, 1975). Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  6. U.S. Amateur, Past Champions, 1975: Fred Ridley. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  7. John Valerino, "Ridley Has Good Reason For Smiles," The Ledger, pp. 1B & 3B (September 2, 1975). Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  8. 1977 Walker Cup Match results
  9. Christine Brennan, "Keeping Score: New USGA chief won't cut old ties," USA Today (February 4, 2004). Retrieved January 18, 2012.
  10. International Golf Federation, Press Releases, "USGA President Fred Ridley To Serve International Golf Federation As Joint Chairman." Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  11. "Payne Announces Retirement, Ridley Named Successor". Augusta National Golf Club. August 23, 2017.
  12. Foley & Lardner, Our People, Fred S. Ridley. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
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