Tenure As Augusta National Chairman
On May 5, 2006, Billy Payne replaced Hootie Johnson as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament. As chairman, Payne has already made some adjustments at the Masters, including a new television contract with ESPN that allowed for unprecedented coverage of the par-3 tournament, beginning in 2008. Also that same year, a junior-patrons program was instituted, which allows one Augusta National Golf Club-accredited patron the opportunity to personally bring one junior patron (ages: 8-16), free of charge, to each of the four competitive rounds of the Masters. The program is not available on practice round days, and is also unavailable to company patrons.
On April 7, 2010, immediately before The Masters Tournament, Payne criticized Tiger Woods, stating that he failed as a role model.
In 2011, Payne and his fellow members at Augusta National continued further with diverting from the club's usually uncompromising, tradition-laden ways by establishing another contemporary modification to their featured golf tournament. They have now sanctioned a video game that features the Masters name, logo, and their fabled golf course. The video game is so technologically sophisticated that if rain - for example - should happen to be falling in Augusta, Ga. on the day an end-user powers up the game from anywhere around the world, rain will also be simulated on the end-user's video screen.
Payne had said in a statement: “'Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters' will inspire the next generation of golfers.” According to Payne's release, the proceeds from sales of the video game made by Augusta National will benefit a non-profit foundation that promotes youth golf.
At the 2012 Masters Tournament, the public was reminded that some traditions at Augusta National Golf Club (ANGC) still hold true to form as Payne sideswiped reporters' incessant questions about any prospect of allowing a female (specifically IBM CEO Virginia Rometty) to join ANGC. Payne explained the issue of who gets invited to join ANGC, which is notoriously known as having male-only members, is "subject to the private deliberations of the members." Incidentally, ANGC has offered prior membership to the last four IBM CEOs as IBM is one of three major corporate sponsors of the Masters. However, on August 20, 2012, Payne announced that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and business executive Darla Moore will be the first female members of the club after 75 years of all male membership.
Payne also serves as Chairman of Centennial Holding Company, a Real Estate Investment concern in Atlanta, Georgia.
Read more about this topic: William Porter Payne
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