Johnson, 71, had coronary artery bypass surgery at an undisclosed hospital.

"He's resting comfortably; he's in good shape," Augusta National spokesman Glenn Greenspan said. "A full recovery is expected."

During the surgery, doctors repaired an aortic aneurysm and replaced an aortic valve, Greenspan said.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is among the most common surgeries performed in the United States, performed more than 550,000 times in 1998, according to the American Heart Association. Typically, the surgeon takes a blood vessel from elsewhere in the body and creates a new route for the blood around the blocked artery in the heart.

Johnson, a resident of Columbia, became the fifth chairman at Augusta National after the 1998 Masters, succeeding Jackson Stephens.

During his tenure, Johnson has overseen extensive alterations to Augusta National, changed tournament qualification standards for players, expanded television coverage of the Masters and disclosed the club's annual charity contributions.

Most recently, Johnson has been in the news after the club's membership policies were questioned by the National Council of Women's Organizations.

Johnson said Augusta National would not be "bullied" into allowing women members and subsequently announced that the club would forego television sponsors for the 2003 Masters.

Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or jboyette@augustachronicle.com.