Competitors in the 89th Masters have been urged to be mindful about pace of play and do their bit to stop young golfers from thinking it is acceptable to be slow coaches. In Sunday’s Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National, one competitor not only used the AimPoint method that is now common in the professional game but took forever in doing so. Being asked if he felt something needed to be done to get “these young players to get a bloody move on” raised laughter in Fred Ridley’s annual media briefing but, make no mistake, The Masters chairman spoke in a serious tone as he delivered his answer. “Well, I think that example really illustrates the problem,” said Ridley, having already spoken about how pace of play is “top of mind” in the season’s opening major due to a combination of the field size of 95 being slightly bigger than the recent average of 90 and the subject of slow play having been a narrative in the game in recent weeks in the US. “And, unfortunately, these young people are looking to their heroes who play the game each week for a living as to how they're going to approach competitively playing the game. “I think it's been a good thing that knowledgeable people such as Dottie Pepper (a former LPGA player who is now a TV analyst) have commented on this recently. She made the point about respect for others, including most particularly the people who watch the game, the fans. “So I think maybe this might be a call to action that perhaps we haven't seen in the past. We will be dealing with that issue this week. I'm not going to tell you that I'm going to be happy with the results, but I think I am encouraged that the PGA Tour is doing some things, experimenting with some timing procedures that might be a little bit more aggressive than we've seen in the past. “As it relates to the Drive, Chip & Putt, every phase of the competition has the same length chip and the same length putt, so it's really not necessary to pace that off. They know how many yards that is. But, nevertheless, that's what they were doing. “I think it's safe to assume that next year at the Drive, Chip & Putt you will see some sort of time limitations placed on the competition.” In the meantime, Ridley, a former US Amateur champion, is keen to see the world’s best players get a move on over the next four days. “Playing without undue delay, as the rules and the game's traditions dictate, is an essential skill of golf at all levels,” he added. “Recognising the challenges professionals face each week, I also believe pace of play is an important element of the examination of the world's best players. “Golf is a special game because it requires us to be considerate while also being competitive. Respecting other people's time, including, importantly, the fans who support the game, is a fundamental courtesy. “Therefore, I want to encourage continued dialogue on this topic, especially at the professional levels which serve as the most visible representation of our sport.” In his media conference, Ridley was asked about Angel Cabrera, the 2009 winner, making his first appearance in the event since serving a prison sentence for threats and harassment against two ex-girlfriends. “Well, we certainly abhor domestic violence of any type,” he said. “As it relates to Angel, Angel has served the sentence that was prescribed by the Argentine courts, and he is the past champion, and so he was invited.”