Ridley attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.[3] While attending the university, he played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team and was an alternate on the Gators golf team that won the NCAA national tournament in 1973.[3] He graduated from the University of Florida's College of Business Administration with a bachelor's degree in marketing in 1974.
Ridley never turned professional. Ridley remains the last U.S. Amateur champion to have never become a professional golfer.[2] Ridley worked as a lawyer and golf administrator for most of his career.
Ridley was elected president of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 2004.[9] He has also served as co-chairman of the International Golf Federation.[10] He had been elected as a member of the executive board, treasurer, vice president of the USGA, and has also served as the chairman of the USGA's Championship Committee, Amateur Status and Conduct Committee, and International Team Selection Committee.[10] Late in his career he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Distinguished Letterwinner."[11]
Ridley, who is a member of Augusta National Golf Club, served as the competition committee chairman for 2011 Masters Tournament. On August 23, 2017, Augusta National announced that Ridley would succeed Billy Payne as chairman of the club.[12] Ridley took over when the club reopened for its 2017–18 season on October 16, 2017.[2]
Personal life
Ridley works as a commercial real estate lawyer in Tampa, Florida.[2][13] He is a partner in the law firm of Foley & Lardner, and practices in the areas of commercial real estate finance and development, planned unit development, resort development, and multifamily and condominium development.[13] He is married to the former Elizabeth ("Betsy") Herndon, a fellow University of Florida graduate. They have three daughters.[10]