Chairman Billy Payne addresses the media
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The Chairman of Address to the media was as entertaining as always. Billy Payne always gives a press conference on the eve of the Tournament, and this year the main news was that tickets will be available for the first time to the general public.
Usually, practise day tickets are available to the public, but only ‘patrons’ get tickets for Tournament days. But, from next year, a small amount of tickets will be made available through a ‘random ballet’ and you can apply through a post office.
Not surprisingly, Payne was reluctant to give details on the number of tickets.
“It won’t be a real, good chance,” he said, “but it will be a chance”.
The Chairman also addressed the damage done to the course by Monday night’s storm.
“It arrived at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and by 4 a.m. we had over 100 groundstaff on site, trying to clear up the mess. We lost a magnolia tree on Magnolia Lane which was very sad. One hundred and fifty year old magnolias are in short supply for transporting; but we’ll deal with it somehow.”
This is the largest field (99) since 1966 (103) and Payne also suggested that they may well reduce numbers next year, as they are right on the limit now.
