It’s Masters Thursday and Positive Sean
is back.
How could I not be? The azaleas are blooming, the peach ice cream sandwiches are being devoured and Augusta National is looking firm as it appears we’ll be basking in sunny skies throughout the tournament.
Yesterday, Masters Chairman Fred Ridley had his annual state of the union address. This is typically a victory lap for all the many amazing developments happening around ANGC, and rightfully so.
The Masters almost never makes mistakes, especially if we’re talking about the last 15 years. The app is a remarkable piece of technology, sticking to the no-phone policy is admirable, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur has been a hit and their overall “approachable but professional” brand strategy should be studied in college classes.
If you’ve been to the Masters, you’ll know that no pimento cheese sandwich goes unturned. Details matter. We’re talking about everything from bathroom line logistics to player dining. Everything is considered and the Masters is pretty much batting 1.000, even if a few traditions have become overrated throughout the years.
So it’s a rarity when the Masters makes a legitimate mistake.
And it’s even more of a rarity when the Masters publicly admits to that mistake.
“That may not have been the best decision”
These are the words Ridley used during his press conference.
Was he talking about Augusta’s stance on the rollback? Nope. Ridley doubled down on ANGC’s support of the governing bodies, saying that golf has become too one-dimensional at the highest level.
“The impact to the recreational game will be immaterial,” according to Ridley.
There weren’t too many other news-making quotes from Ridley. He affirmed support for Tiger Woods and said he has a good working relationship with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
But during a mention of the Masters overall content strategy, Ridley admitted a mistake was a made a couple of years ago when they invited Dude Perfect to “play” Amen Corner (it was an “all-sports battle” where members of the group had to throw and kick different objects down each hole).
“A few years ago we had Dude Perfect play frisbee at Amen Corner,” Ridley said. “In retrospect … [laughs] … I like those guys … but that may not have been the best decision.”
Here is that video (it has 19 million views) for those who don’t remember.
For context, the Masters has been more progressive with their content and brand strategy over the past few years.
Tradition still matters deeply to the green jackets but the Masters has been willing to cater to the modern golf landscape in a number of ways. This shows up in the merch shop with big-lettered hats that say “SKIP IT” (referring to players trying to skip their ball across the pond on 16 during practice rounds), this shows up on the website where every shot is available to be watched (the Masters was the first to offer this), this shows up with an expansion of the main broadcast which is new for this year, this shows up with the tremendous efforts around the Drive, Chip and Putt competition for juniors.
I can go on for ages but it’s clear the Masters is not stuck in the past. The event has been a leader in how to run an event in the modern age while still holding reverence for its history.
Having said that, I very much appreciate that maybe not every single progressive idea is an ideal fit for the Masters.
Dude Perfect has a gigantic reach—one of the largest on YouTube—which Ridley originally mentioned as justification for having them out. The groups also caters to a younger audience who might not know that the Masters exists in the first place.
You could understand the thinking of where the Masters wanted to go with this.
But a line has to be drawn somewhere with their content strategy
And that line probably should have been drawn at letting Bryson DeChambeau and a handful of influencers kick a soccer ball around Rae’s Creek.
This kind of idea might work well for the PGA Championship but the Masters brand is powerful because it exists in that special space where sports fans deeply respect the institution.
Being on the grounds should hold some level of sacredness. As much as I love YouTube golf, that Dude Perfect content idea went against that Masters North Star of giving us just enough to be satisfying without stepping on the allure of exclusivity that defines so much of ANGC and the tournament.
Is it some catastrophic mistake? No, absolutely not. Hey, nothing in life is perfect. It’s really not that big of a deal.
But my broader point here is that I honestly admire the Masters so much for taking the risk, reflecting on it and admitting that it wasn’t the right move for them.
Great organizations do that.
OK, back to the action. Enjoy round one of the best tournament on Earth.
Top Photo Caption: Fred Ridley gives his annual press conference Wednesday morning at the Masters. (GETTY IMAGES/Joe Toth)
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