Ridley: Augusta National supports golf ball rollback, 'we don't have a lot' of room

AUGUSTA, Georgia : Augusta National Golf Club supports the golf ball rollback spearheaded by the USGA and R&A and would prefer the Masters is never contested on a layout greater than 8,000 yards, chairman Fred Ridley said on Wednesday.

For almost 70 years the Masters had been played on a layout that was less than 7,000 yards but this week's edition, which begins on Thursday, has been extended to 7,550 yards and Ridley said 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," Ridley said during his annual pre-tournament Masters press conference.

"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 United States Golf Association and 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.

As such, the governing bodies said that starting in 2028 the game's longest hitters can expect a reduction of 13-15 yards in drive distance via testing conditions that will increase from the current standard of 120 mph swing speed to 125 mph.

While Augusta National has made holes longer to keep up with the power of today's big hitters and still has the ability to make other changes to protect the integrity of the famed course, Ridley conceded it does have limits.

"So I think we have some time to look and see what's going to happen. We have some more room, but we don't have a lot," said Ridley. "So I'm holding to that 8,000-yard red line, and I just hope we