FORMER AUGUSTA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

BILLY PAYNE TO RECEIVE

METROPOLITAN GOLF WRITERS ASSOCIATION’S

GOLD TEE AWARD

For Immediate Release

Elmsford, NY (March 27, 2025) — The former Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, Billy Payne, will be recognized with the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association’s highest honor -- the Gold Tee Award.  The presentation will take place at the MGWA’s 73rd National Awards Dinner when it returns to Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. 

The MGWA’s Gold Tee Award  is presented annually to an individual whose career achievements exemplify the best spirit and traditions of golf.  Past recipients read like a Who’s Who of the most accomplished people in the sport: Arnold Palmer (1965), Jack Nicklaus (1967), Seve Ballesteros (1989) and Nancy Lopez (1995), along with more recent recipients Butch Harmon (2020/21), Dottie Pepper (2022), Larry Nelson (2023) and Luke Donald (2024).

A native of Athens, Georgia, Billy Payne earned a B.A. in political science at the University of Georgia. He had a prolific football career while at UGA, lettering in three seasons as a receiver and then a defensive end and earning All-SEC and AP All-American honors his senior year. As a sophomore, his TD reception helped the Bulldogs to a win over SMU in the 1967 Cotton Bowl. As a senior, he provided the game-turning play with an interception of Archie Manning to beat Ole Miss in 1968. 

After graduating from UGA, Payne remained at the school to earn his law degree.  He practiced real estate law until 1988, when he became President and CEO of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games in their effort to bring the Games to Atlanta in 1996.  He became the first person to both land the Olympic bid and remain in that leadership position throughout the Games.  Following the Olympics, Payne held a number of Managing Director/Vice Chairman/Board positions at such prestigious organizations as Gleacher & Company, Bank of America, WebMD, and Lincoln National Corporation.

Payne succeeded Hootie Johnson as the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club in 2006.  During his tenure (he retired in 2017), he was the catalyst for numerous changes at the tradition-laden club.  He negotiated a TV contract with ESPN that included coverage of the Masters’ Par-3 tournament.  He instituted a Junior Patrons program, where one Augusta patron could bring a junior (aged 8-16) to all four rounds of the Masters for free.  He granted permission for a video game that featured the course, the logo, and the Masters name.  He was responsible for beginning the now-famous Drive, Chip and Putt competition for junior golfers. But perhaps the most groundbreaking change that Payne brought about was the admission of women to Augusta National, when, in 2012, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and business executive Darla Moore were the first females to join the Club after 75 years of male-only membership.

Billy Payne was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.  He has twice been named “Georgian of the Year” by Georgia Trend Magazine and was honored as one of the 20^th Century’s Top 100 in the American South, among his other numerous recognitions and accolades.

“As Augusta National and Masters Chairman, Billy Payne left a legacy as a pioneer and innovator with a vision that will take the club and the tournament far into the 21st century,” said MGWA President Hank Gola. He continued, “We are delighted to have him take his place among the greatest figures in the game as our 2025 Gold Tee honoree.”

The MGWA has celebrated the game of golf and promoted golf journalism since its inception in 1952, and its National Awards Dinner has been one of the highlights of the golf calendar since then.  It has honored – and been attended by – some of the greatest names in the sport: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, JoAnne Carner, Gary Player, Billy Casper, Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson and Annika Sorenstam, to name just a few.  This highly anticipated event is supported by golf’s leading organizations and corporate supporters, Met Area clubs and club leaders, as well as local and national golf media. Through the Dinner and other events, the MGWA has raised millions of dollars for Caddie Scholarship programs in the Metropolitan New York area, the MGA Foundation, and the Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship. 

Click here to purchase tickets to the Dinner.  For more information, view this one-minute video or contact Robin Sauerhaft, MGWA Executive Administrator, at: rsauerhaft@mgagolf.org.