It’s one of the few things in this world that money can’t buy. But you’ll still need a lot of money to get in.
That thing is a membership at Augusta National Golf Club, home of the annual Masters golf tournament. Membership in this exclusive club is hard to come by. One must be invited by a current ANGC member, of which there are only around 300.
Per a report by Josh Carpenter in Sports Business Journal on Wednesday, the storied golf club will add four notable new members this year, three of which have major sports media ties.
First up is former CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus who helmed the sports operation at CBS since 1996 before retiring last year. McManus seems like an obvious pick for ANGC membership. The Masters has aired on CBS every year since 1956.
The two entities have a unique arrangement. CBS does not pay ANGC any rights fee, as most networks would for live sports content. Instead, ANGC awards CBS broadcast rights on an annual basis, but in return exercises significant editorial control over the presentation of the tournament on television. That’s the sort of relationship that requires some adept interpersonal skills and business savvy, so it’s no surprise that McManus has some friends among the green jackets in Augusta, and received an invite.
Also receiving membership this year is former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. The current co-host of the ManningCast alongside his brother Peyton, Eli’s connection to ANGC is clear: Peyton is already a member. Still, one would think ANGC could find some room for a guy with two Super Bowl rings even if he wasn’t a legacy addition.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is also among those receiving membership into ANGC this year. Perhaps it’s more surprising that the CEO of Amazon wasn’t already a member at Augusta, but Jassy has some sports media bona fides himself.
Prime Video finds itself as the home of Thursday Night Football, and next season will begin broadcasting a significant package of NBA games. Live sports probably isn’t consuming Jassy’s day-to-day operations with Amazon, but it’s becoming a significant part of the company’s video strategy.
The fourth new member reported in Carpenter’s story is Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian. He has no apparent sports media connections.
At the current rate of sports media figures receiving membership, perhaps one day Augusta National will admit a journalist covering the industry. And if so, Fred Ridley, you know where to find me.
