When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
R.I.P. Pat Summerall
/Adam Scott's Impromptu Rendition Of "Come on Aussie!"
/Many were wondering what Adam Scott screamed in his moment of triumph after sinking the birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Masters. Just as CBS's Ian Baker-Finch nailed the interpretation--and great call by CBS to keep the Australian golfing great involved in the final moments of the telecast to lend perspective and emotion--it was "Come On Aussie." John Strege reviews the telecast and other Sunday media, including the CBS announcers doing some impressive lip reading:
"Did I just lip-read him, 'come on Aussies?'" Faldo asked. A slow-motion replay confirmed it.
"There's a great song at home called 'Come On Aussie, Come on,'" Australian native Ian Baker-Finch said. "That's what we've all been saying."
Here's the first verse, a fitting ode to Scott and Australian golf:
"It's been a long time comin' "To silence all that drummin' "To show them that it wasn't just a dream."
In the post round press conference, yours truly asked for a confirmation. Here was Scott's answer:
Q. On 18 in regulation, when you reacted, it looked like you were saying something; do you remember what you said?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah. Come on, Aussie. Yeah, that's right. I did, yeah. It was maybe a natural reaction. That's from back in my cricket days probably.
I don't know if Steve appreciated me yelling that straight toward him (laughter) but whatever. Maybe the one time he doesn't mind.
You can find that winning moment on the Masters.com video page somewhere, perhaps sitting through a highlight video that does not have a link.
Or you can wait a few hours and we can watch an unauthorized YouTube version through some person's iphone camera and television screen.
"ESPN Has Highest-Ever Friday Masters Ratings, Audience"
/Faldo, Chamblee Calling On Woods To "Man Up" & WD
/Stunning contrast right now on Golf Channel and ESPN this wacky morning.
Nick Faldo and Brandel Chamblee right now are calling on Tiger Woods to "man up" (Faldo) and that he knows he gained an advantage, knows he broke the rule and has not yet withdrawn "sad" (Chamblee).
Both players made clear they believe he made a mistake, mixed up the rules and did not intentionally cheat.
ESPN meanwhile, with Andy North and Curtis Strange, have been lauding the committee's use of the Decision and that this is why the rule was created. Whether it was created for this reason though, is very much in dispute.
Costas: I'd have to discuss Augusta's "History of racism and sexism"
/Appearing on Dan Patrick's radio show Friday, Bob Costas said he could never announce at The Masters because he'd be forced to discuss the club's past on the air.
DVR Alert: Nantz Remembers Crenshaw At The Masters
/Glad I set the DVR before I left since the Nantz Remembers have never been anything but excellent and this one figures to be special.
CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR FEATURES
“JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: BEN CRENSHAW AT THE MASTERS®”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 14
CBS Sports broadcasts a CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR special JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS
AUGUSTA: BEN CRENSHAW AT THE MASTERS® on Sunday, April 14 (1:00-2:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network. Jim Nantz, this year covering his 28th Masters for CBS Sports, and 26th as host, looks back at the career of one of the tournament’s most revered champions, Ben Crenshaw.
From his debut in 1973 when he finished as low amateur, his first green jacket in 1984, and his emotional triumph in 1995, Crenshaw's journey has been a remarkable ride. It all began in Austin, Texas where he learned the game from one of its greatest teachers, Harvey Penick. The bond that developed between the two men was a love that carried beyond the golf course, and in one magical week in 1995 they showed the world what love could do.
“Ben Crenshaw embodies the history of golf and this tournament,” said Nantz. “He learned the game from one of its greatest teachers. His emotional Masters win in 1995 became the ultimate tribute to his mentor who had passed away earlier that week.”
The one-hour special includes a conversation with Crenshaw as he joins Nantz in looking back at his memorable moments and glorious triumphs at Augusta.
JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: BEN CRENSHAW AT THE MASTERS is produced and directed by Chris Svendsen. The Executive Producer is Jim Nantz.
Tiger Giving Telecasts A 60% Boost These Days
/Matthew Futterman files a WSJ look at the state of Tiger and big business.
Down the piece a bit, and after considering what the sport faced in 2008-09, Futterman looks at the Tiger-fueled recovery and includes this on 2012 and 2013 television ratings:
CBS has seen television viewership for golf rise steadily. Audiences for final-round coverage of tour events averaged 3.5 million in 2012, 46% higher than in 2010. So far this year, an average of 4.1 million viewers have watched final-round coverage of the network's three tournament broadcasts. NBC's audiences grew to 3.4 million viewers last year, from 2.3 million in 2010.
Mr. Woods's participation in tournaments still has a big effect—but not as big as it once did. In 2012, his participation in a final round boosted viewership by 60%, compared with 118% in 2009.
Strange: Nike Man Curtis Lashes At Rory Critics, Appears To Have Forgotten His Similarly Disastrous Equipment Switch!
/Curtis Strange, on a conference call to promote his work as part of ESPN's Masters announce team, says Johnny and Sir Nick have been "so out of line, so out of touch with club manufacturers now" in criticizing (here and here) Rory McIlroy's wholesale club switch.
Tony Jimenez of Reuters reports on the comments from the former Macgregor man who turned to Maruman man after winning two U.S. Opens…and never won again.
Thanks to reader Lloyd for the link and reminder of Strange's strange move.
Nantz's Crazy Busy Season Is Here...
/Ed Sherman talks about Jim Nantz's one-two punch of working the NCAA Final Four and the Masters.Though he doesn't reveal how he gets to Augusta so quickly after the national title game, we're going to assume NetJets is in the Hello Friends Hall of Fame.
Nantz operates at a frenetic pace as he tries to talk to as many players as he can. The biggest obstacle, he says, will be the players wanting to talk to him about the NCAA tournament instead of chatting about themselves.
“I’m not going there to observe the birds and check out the flora,” Nantz said. “I’m looking for fresh information. I’m running the whole time. I don’t sit down for a meal that week.”
Golf Channel Viewership Up 10%
/Holly Sonders Admits: She Has Trouble Saying Rory McIlroy
/This news, which most had not noticed but will now, along with revelations can be seen in promo video set to rejected-reality show music for the Morning Drive star's Golf Digest photo shoot.
Sonders appears on the cover of the May fitness-themed issue which I've already seen on the newstand in my neighborhood.
Bay Hill Viral Video Update: Sergio Tops 3 Million
/Some of you know golf has been a tad slow to embrace The YouTube. The most glaring example is in Augusta, where clips of Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen's epic shots from last year's Masters remain unfindable except in really bad bootleg form (here and here). Not surprisingly, the number of views are shockingly small.
So here's a follow up for the stakeholders, proud enforcers of rightsholders television contracts, who might still have doubts about YouTube and its ability to generate interest in the game, attention for players, and impressions for sponsors.
At Bay Hill last week we saw some amazing moments and a few of them went viral or semi viral. These aren't Gangham numbers, but you have to start somewhere. And I'm guessing Mastercard enjoyed having their brand noticed by over 3 million or so pairs of eyes. Just a guess.
Sergio climbs tree at Bay Hill to hit shot video; 3,003,132 views
Nicholas Thompson's barefoot water shot: 578,782 views
Even Matt Every's water hazard eagle is up to: 106,741 views
Silva Named Back9Network Head, Confirms Channel Still Exists
/For Immediate Release from the "lifestyle multiplatform television network and media company" which named a new president today, Carlos Silva.
The channel's mission, elaborated on in its press release, sounds like a noble one. Minus the "hang" part.
Back9Network was developed as a complementary alternative to traditional media's focus on professional golf tournament coverage. Focused on compelling storytelling, interesting personalities, features and fashions, interviews and instruction, travel, gear and so much more, fans of all kinds will want to hang with the Back9Network.
Next Stop On The Charlie Beljan Low Blood Sugar Attack Tour!
/Amazingly, NBC News continues to perpetuate the saga of Charlie Beljan's "panic attack" from last fall's Disney event, the same "attack" that came after not ingesting food for 20 hours.
In my day, not eating for that long and feeling faint on the course would be a low blood sugar or energy issue. But these days it's a panic attack.
Thanks to reader DTF for warning me about Friday's Rock Center maudlinfest...and I love Mary Carillo, but this is absurd:
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