Tom Watson On The Horse Race That Was The Masters, Learning From Bubba's Wedge Game And Crying
Tom Watson has gone from the Masters to the Encompass Insurance Pro-Am in Tampa, and had some interesting things to say about last week (thanks to reader Mark for this). Meeting with the press...first he worked as a telecast critic.
The shot he hit on the second playoff hole that he hooked the gap wedge 155 yards, there are very few people who can do that, hook it and hit it that far. The only two people that I have witnessed be able to hit a wedge like that are Trevino and Andy North. They can turn a wedge just right around a corner. I can't do that. I can't turn it that much.
I wish they had set that shot up a little bit better before they hit the shot, before he hit the shot. I wish somebody was down there describing the shot because they didn't know from the tower what the shot really was about. They didn't know how far it was until afterwards. Afterwards they said 155 yards. I wish somebody had set the stage for the shot rather than it being an after‑fact.
When that shot hit the green and Faldo so correctly said, I've never seen a ball screw to the right like that on this green ever. We've never seen a shot like that. He had to play that shot and he did and won the tournament with it. That's what makes ‑‑ that's what makes certain tournaments legendary. You'll always remember that shot out of the trees on the playoff hole at Augusta.
A nice horse racing metaphor next...
Another great Masters, though. Just seems like every year it comes down ‑‑ you've got, you know, Saturday's round, you had 12 guys right there within a few shots. All of a sudden the race began and you've got the thoroughbreds running out to the front. The last day, all of a sudden you had a double eagle and it changed ‑‑ ballgame's changed now. It was just a wonderful tournament to watch. That's ‑‑ that's why people watch golf, for tournaments like that. They don't get lucky enough to get tournaments like that very often, but at Augusta it seems they get lucky a lot with tournaments like that.
Well said. Now, this just blows me away coming from one of the great wedge players of all time.
Q. Is Bubba's style a game changer? Here you have a guy hits it 350 and bends it like Beckham or Pavin or fill in the blank. Do we have a game changer to use a trendy term, his style?
TOM WATSON: Well, the main thing is he puts the club on the ball where he wants to. I practiced my chipping on Wednesday and he came up and I was practicing. We were 10 feet from each other, and I notice every chip shot he hit was absolutely dead solid perfect. I mean dead solid. In my ear, you can hear it. You know ‑‑ well, the way I chip it's clunky now. I look at his form there and I said to myself, my hands aren't quite far enough ahead when I chip, and I started doing that today and practicing the last couple days. Who would have thunk it, you know? I'm starting to hit the ball solid again with the chip just by watching Bubba chip, the way he was chipping. So I got some feedback that helped my game listening to his chip shots.
And on the emotional moment when Bubba was crying...
He's hitting the ball on the clubface. You really can't say it's a game changer, but he won a tournament. The emotions were just, you know, it reminded me of Crenshaw when he won and Harvey Penick died, went to the funeral, came back and then Ben wins the tournament. Those emotions are ‑‑ any golfer watching it, they can relate. I mean, I cried when he cried, and it was beautiful, yeah. A lot of things culminated with that win with him. He missed his dad, his mom was there hugging him. Different problems that he's had with ‑‑ you know, his loved ones have had. It was a beautiful sight.
Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 08:23 PM
Reader Comments (34)
Indeed he was, and one of the great things about Mize's chip-in!
CBS should beg Augusta yearly to LET them boss 'em around, lol. ANGC knows how to run a golf tournament, and they also are smart enough to ensure traditions are upkept while adding the newest and best technology.
That being said - there are massive spots for improvement as has been mentioned a few times around here. Personally, I think a bunch of it has to do with "storyboarding" the action in a different fashion (what order to link the visuals together+commentary+some new shots/angles) - but nobody from the alphabet networks/ANGC has asked to see my doodles.
This year, I did notice some "timing" issues (with leaderboard displays, etc.) being held onscreen for too long, and some quick "jump cuts" between shots ... I don't recall seeing those before, but I probably wasn't watching as closely as I was this year.
Blimp view would be decent ... but they can't let the cameraman get "excited" and zoom the angle in (and this goes for the other side/behind angles too) ... it causes the viewer to lose all context between the ground, the hole, and the ball.
I believe it's one of the reasons Chirkanian did not end up as a fan of the blimp. They're great for an overall shot, or if you can frame it perfectly.
http://www.realclearsports.com/articles/2012/04/09/masters_policy_mars_final-round_telecast_97653.html
I didn't hear about Luke's scorecard ... what happened?
Thurs/Fri morning = piles of online coverage. I agree though, that ANGC could allow an ESPN broadcast window in there for the early Thurs/Fri portion of the tournament ... in my view though, there could be a few issues with doing that. Not that it's NOT doable, just a few considerations would need to be taken into account soas to not dilute the actual product.
Reporters can't fight through the crowds? Are you kidding me with this one? From what I understand, the amount of actual sportswriters that have EVER chosen to walk the course during the event are few and far between. Geoff also provided us with some inside info regarding the tech used in the press tent and such (with the touchscreen gizmo) - sounds pretty decent. Personally, if given the opportunity, I would pay extra to walk the course and write about what I see, but that's me and my anachronistic attempt to "feel" like the old-school golf scribes. Camp out in a spot one day, move around the next day, etc. Fun times, lol.
PGA Tour does not own ShotTracker ... and from what I've been hearing, we're likely to see more of those tracking visuals at ANGC as well. The online coverage provided by ANGC (with tech partner IBM) was amazing this year and just continues to get better.
One of the reasons (in my opinion) that The Masters IS considered a Major, and continues to have such strong cachet, is due to the membership of ANGC trying to retain most of the traditions of the event while running it without outside interference. I'm not even sure what to say in regards to the "1950s power trip" ... I'm guessing it has to do with female membership or something, which is well above my paygrade.
Shotlink was created by CDW with the PGA Tour, I believe it is proprietary. The online coverage was nice, but I'm sorry not being able to see any shots on the front 9 from either the world #1 or Tiger on Thurs or Rory and Phil on Fri is patently ridiculous in today's day and age, and every other major manages to have more TV coverage.
Many reporters don't leave the media tent, but a lot of the best ones (like Doug and Elling), generally try to spend a fair amount of time on the course. They feel that seeing things that you can't on TV and reporting on it allows them to give fans the best coverage (shockingly).
The 1950's thing is partly women related, but also no cell phones, having to refer to fans as patrons, use of outdated technology, lack of tv coverage, making Rickie turn his hat around etc. And it's a major bc of the history of the golf and event, not because the front 9 isn't televised.
Just getting to the rest of your post, but I must've misunderstood what you were saying when you referenced ShotTracker in your original post - not ShotLink.
Okay, now I've read the rest of your post, lol.
That's pretty insane in regards to Luke's scorecard ... same thing could easily happen with scanning it into a PDF and sending it across though. OCR software ain't perfect yet, lol.
I completely agree with reporters walking the course - I personally think it's great. Not sure what problem it is of ANGCs though ... scribes to get preferential crowd treatment or something? Special holding pens for anybody with a pencil? :)
No cell phones? I'm 33, fairly technologically savvy, also fairly new to golf ... and I don't think cell phones should be allowed at ANY tournament or even on most golf courses. It's hard for me to think of an argument FOR cell phone use, which is why I'm on the other side.
Referring to fans as "patrons"? Part of the ANGC charm. Take it (and other things) away, and you have another cookie-cutter PGA Tour event. Whoop-ti-doo.
Rickie can turn his hat around for one weekend ... probably won't kill the kid. He'll take his T8-20th and go buy something preeeeeetty. :)
Sorry mate - I was thinking of ProTracer.
Get a netbook, hook it into your TV via HDMI and enjoy the online coverage in 44"-100" splendor. :) Aside from ProTracer-type tech (as I said, from what I know - it's coming soon and better) and some ShotLink stats for online ... The Masters is pretty much (from my opinion) the same tech-level (or higher ... checked out 3d yet?) than other tournaments.
As I said though - I personally believe golf production could stand for an overhaul .. ingratiate some new camera tech (for walking cams - makes them steadier), change the storyboarding, change the "follow cams", bring back "same-time" player reaction to shots, etc. Plenty of room to improve.
As to the reporters at every other tournament (including the other majors) they can go inside the ropes, Augusta doesn't allow it.
Yeah, I was getting ShotTracker mixed up with ProTracer. I like ShotTracker ... allows me to follow some golfers during work, or when I have some action on specific players.
ha, ha, ha,...love these people that bash Augusta that have never been there...figures.
If it helps rb I've talked to multiple people who have been there many times, they all find it akin to turning back time to the 1950's, a great tournament experience for people who are there, and that you walk around on eggshells bc well the ANGC people are a little bit scary if you put a toe wrong, or just happen to get an albatross ball.
ha, ha...you never fail to entertain.
As to the walking on eggshells comment, it's a the more you know thing. If you look up into the trees you'll notice they have cameras in there (also fake birds chirping). You're prob an excellent and knowledgeable golf patron and would never do anything to draw their attention. But let's just say I hope the guy who got Loius' ball was compensated by ANGC, but their was no way they were letting him leave the grounds with the ball.
That said...and this is what all the longtime local badgeholders told me...they said that they usually leave the grounds when the leaders are playing 7,8, or 9...so they can get home and actually see how the tournament concludes. Because as good as the course is for spectating...if you're interested in seeing shots...TV is the place to see em.
Also...looking at some of those poor pine trees makes me sad. The Eisenhower tree on 17 should be put down! Of course you will never see it on TV...but the only reason that tree has been "in play" the past 20+ years is due to all the steel cables holding the tree together (wonder if someone will argue for free relief b/c technically it is a "staked" tree that can not stand on it's own).
If they ever let nature take over and they remove the artificial supports used on many of the big tall pines...the course would become WIDE open in alot of spots overnight.
All in all...a trip to Augusta Nat'l is an awsome experience...regardless of the "artificiality" of the whole place in some peoples eyes.