Augusta National Fred Ridley congratulates Scottie Scheffler at the 2024 Masters. | Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley spoke about the course and the 2025 Masters at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Japan.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, wreaked havoc on the Southeastern United States last week, leaving hundreds dead, thousands homeless, and millions without power.
In its path of destruction was Augusta, Georgia, where, according to The Augusta Chronicle, over 225,000 people lost electricity. Power has yet to return for countless residents almost a week after the storm hit, leaving the town in agony. Due to the destruction, schools have canceled classes for the foreseeable future. Traveling through the city itself remains difficult. Washington Road looks like a war zone.
Augusta National suffered substantial damage, too, which has left golf fans anxious and worried about the state of golf’s holiest grounds. The 2025 Masters begins on Monday, Apr. 7, 189 days from now, a date like an object in a side-view car mirror: it’s much closer than it appears.
This past Saturday, Sept. 28, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley released a short statement, essentially saying the club’s focus was on the community rather than the course. On Thursday, Oct. 3, the club announced that it would pledge $5 million toward the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund.
“I was in Augusta in the days immediately after the storm and have seen firsthand its devastating impact,” said Ridley. “Our employees, neighbors, friends, and business owners need, and deserve, immediate and meaningful assistance to overcome the hardships being experienced at this moment throughout Augusta.
“Augusta National and the Community Foundation each take to heart our obligation to care for our community. Our goal is to make a difference when it’s needed the most, and our hope is that our gift may inspire others to assist or ask how they may contribute to this critical mission.”
Now Ridley is in Japan for the Asia-Amateur Pacific Championship, which is now in its 15th year. This event, one of the top amateur golf tournaments in the world, is facilitated by Augusta National and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the world’s governing body for golf outside of the United States. The tournament winner receives invitations to The Masters and The Open Championship—golf’s oldest major will return to Royal Portrush in 2025.
Thus, while sitting in on a pre-tournament press conference, Ridley fielded a question about the state of Augusta National in the wake of Helene.
“As far as the golf course, it really was affected just as the rest of the community was,” Ridley said, per Evin Priest of Golf Digest.
“There was a lot of damage, and we have a lot of people working hard to get us back up and running. We don’t really know exactly what that’s going to mean, but I can tell you that if it’s humanly possible, we will be back in business sooner rather than later.”
Despite that, Ridley assured that the 2025 Masters will not be affected.
“The Masters will be held,” Ridley said.
“It will be on the dates it’s scheduled to be held.”
The next six months will be a long road ahead for the Augusta region, including the club itself. But at least the 2025 Masters can serve as a light at the end of the tunnel, a week to look forward to for the entire city amid all the devastation.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
