Third Masters Question: What Can We Do To Stop Announcers From Talking Over Players?

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In the Masters press center the Lords provide the lowly scribes with the most amazing little console to track a golf tournament. A Stylus is provided to move around the IBM laptop screen where you can view stats, leaderboards and of course, every channel imaginable displaying golf (including the option to pick the camera coverage for any hole).

Working on various writing duties, I couldn't watch a lot of the telecast but I had headphones on and took in a fair amount of the coverage, which visually appeared to be a classic in terms of the number of shots we were shown. Sure, there are still the awkward delays when someone makes hole-in-one, we hear the roar, and it isn't shown for 15 minutes. But all in all, there is no better telecast of golf than CBS's presentation of the Masters.

Yet astoundingly, the 2012 Masters was but another example of the sound folks picking up some fantastic player-caddie conversations, only to be trampled over by the announcers. Now, I understand the broadcasting team has many voices coming through their headphones, and they may even be working under orders to explain a situation instead of allowing the player-caddy dialogue to tell the story. But I feel confident stating that I have yet to experience an announcer insight to be as interesting or informative as what the player and caddie are discussing.

Furthermore, there is no other sport where we are afforded the chance to literally hear the athlete's thoughts as the action is unfolding.

So what can we do to convince networks and announcers that these conversations are vital to the viewing experience?

Thoughts?

Oostenhuizenhuis!

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Louis Oosthuizen's name continues to give people fits, as Sam Weinman notes in his Masters-by-the-numbers notes. He kindly left out the press room announcement that went out using something close to the version in this post's title.

Deadspin was not so kind, putting together this epic video compilation of butchered takes on Oosthuizen's name.

Thanks to reader BruceWiggles' Tweet showing the CBS/ESPN Par-3 contest blunder involving Louis.

Second Masters Question: What Does A Double Eagle Ball Get You?

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Tracey McManus with the story of Wayne Mitchell, who Louis Oosthuizen tossed his double eagle ball to. 

“He caught my eye and threw it to me,” Mitchell said.

A quiet day at the Masters became a whirlwind. Patrons across the course were talking about the man who caught Oosthuizen’s ball. Journalists and photographers swarmed Mitchell, and a huddle of Augusta National Golf Club members arrived in a golf cart to escort him to the clubhouse.

“I came here anonymous and I don’t feel so anonymous,” Mitchell said.

Two questions actually: What do you think the club gave him for the ball, and can we have a caption for that strange sight of a member hooking Mitchell?

Masters Podcast Wrap-Up

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Sam Weinman sits down in GolfDigest.com's Augusta on-site sound studio with Jaime Diaz, Craig Bestrom and I to talk about the Masters. Here it is, and iTunes subscribers can also get it on their devices free of charge.

Listen to the podcast

**Well so much for that...will post a working code when I get it. Here is a link to it on GolfDigest.com.

**The iTunes subscription page.

2012 Masters, Video Roundup

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Hard to find official, sanctioned, quality highlight videos from the final round, but here goes...

The CBS recap show, an 8 minute package.

Louis Oosthuizen's double eagle can be viewed at Deadspin.

The green jacket ceremony...

And this fun loop of the missed handshake in the Butler Cabin ceremony, which can also be viewed in less awkward form here: