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
The two primary apps you need for coverage and live streaming are updated and live. Just poking around the Masters app a bit, the design is beautiful as always and appears to be very user friendly (screen shots below).
The official Masters app in the iTunes store.
And in the Google Play store.
I'm not sure if this should make me feel old, but when World No. 66 Lee Westwood is throwing his PING cap into the ring for the 2020 Ryder Cup post, something feels slightly surreal. Or maybe it's that the Euros feel the need to start staking claims to their cashing out opportunity so far out? Either way, we have our speed in the race, who's going to try to catch Westwood from far back? Padraig? 
Ewan Murray of The Guardian talks to Westwood about taking a big break heading into a busy stretch, with sights set on trying to navigate Whistling Straits in a buggy
Westwood can do little about that. Now 42 and based back in the United Kingdom – linked to the break-up of his marriage – he can map out a positive future. “I would like to go on a little bit longer,” Westwood says. “Two or three years, then think about the Ryder Cup captaincy. If I put my name in for the captaincy in four years’ time then I can think about the seniors after that.”
From an unbylined Reuters report on the cancellation of the Australian Masters by tournament operator IMG, which promises news of an "overhaul." This, even though the PGA Tour is bringing the World Cup to the sandbelt's Kingston Heath in 2016.
From the report on the demise of an event with a great history, won in thrilling fashion last year by Peter Senior:
"As part of IMG's ongoing evolution of its golf events business, the company is in the process of re-imagining its Australian Masters event to ensure the delivery of a world-class experience," David Rollo, vice president and director of golf for IMG Australia and New Zealand said in a statement carried widely in Australian media.
"To best execute a change of this scale, IMG today announced that the Australian Masters will not be played in 2016. IMG will unveil its new plans for the event in the coming months."
The one big negative of Caitlyn Jenner playing the ANA Inspiration (aka Dinah Shore) Pro-Am Wednesday?
A reminder that the LPGA Tour's first major that kicks off Thursday, and arguably its most historic and important event of the year, has a pro-am.
ESPNW.com's Melissa Issacson reports on Jenner's "first tournament since her transition" including a hole-out for eagle on her first hole.
Also, Jenner says her home club, Sherwood, has been very supportive.
A single-digit handicapper before her transition, Jenner said she is treated "better" as a woman at her home course, Sherwood Country Club near Thousand Oaks.
"They changed everything [for me]," the former Olympic decathlon gold medalist said. "A locker room change. They went right to my handicap from the ladies tees. There was a tournament they said I couldn't play because it was a men's tournament. They're all in there, so they've been great. And next week they have a ladies tournament and all the ladies want me to play."
There is one issue. Jenner seems to be admitting to anchoring to pro-am partner Danielle Kang.
"She told me she putts better now because her boobs anchor her," Kang said.
"Yes, I do," Jenner agreed.
A photo posted by USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) on Mar 30, 2016 at 12:14pm PDT
Jenner teeing off in the pro-am, courtesy of Beth Ann Nichols, who also filed this report.
.@Marina_Deee and @daniellekang played alongside @Caitlyn_Jenner at @ANAinspiration. That's @AbbyWambach yelling! pic.twitter.com/UCPoN2hhxi
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) March 30, 2016
**G.C. Digital with the roundup on Jenner's round, and Golf Central with a wrap on her first hole eagle, her pro-am group's win that included playing partner Abby Wambach and Golf Channel's Tom Abbott. Wambach dove into Poppie's Pond.
Here is a little ratings copy and paste job on some interesting For Immediate Release material.
But knowing the number of key demo viewers are watching golf should make your day...
GOLF CHANNEL POSTS FOUR STRAIGHT QUARTERS OF INCREASING VIEWERSHIP GROWTH
First Quarter Up 15% on Golf Channel & 28% on NBC vs. 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 30, 2016) – Golf Channel continues to build upon its momentum with four consecutive quarters posting year-over-year growth. Golf Channel’s first quarter in 2016 was up +15% vs. 2015 for viewership, building upon last year’s increasing growth in second quarter of +3%, third quarter of +8%, and fourth quarter of +13%. For 24-hour Total Day (6AM-6AM), 110,000 average viewers per minute were tuned into Golf Channel in the first quarter, representing the 15% year-over-year increase, as well as a 19% increase with people 25-54 (31,000), according to data released by The Nielsen Company.
NBC’s PGA TOUR coverage is off to a strong start in 2016 with average viewership +32% and people 25-54 +31%. Through 12 broadcasts, NBC is averaging 2.64 million average viewers and 657,000 people 25-54.*
Golf Channel’s first quarter highlights include:
· Golf Channel’s live golf coverage peaked in first quarter with 1.8 million average viewers on Sunday afternoon during the semifinals of the WGC-Dell Match Play and coverage averaged 1.1 million viewers, the best at this event since 2008.
· PGA TOUR live coverage on Golf Channel is +4% YOY (483,000 average viewers), +9% with P25-54 (101,000 average viewers)
· Golf Channel’s primetime is +27% (151,000 average viewers), driven in part by the sixth season premiere of Feherty interviewing Jordan Spieth, which is now the most-watched episode of the critically acclaimed series (436,000 average viewers, Live+3 Day).
· Live coverage of the European Tour was up 65% and LPGA Tour was up 3%.
· Golf Central saw its strongest first quarter since 2013, up 29% with average viewers and 30% for people 25-54 vs. last year.
· Morning Drive was up 27% with people 25-54 vs. 2015.
This seems like a wise move all around, or one prompted by Tiger (eligible) saying he was not ready to be inducted in 2017. 
Either way, two positive moves to improve the World Golf Hall of Fame, bolstered only if other living members under the age of 75 actually turn up for the '17 ceremony in St. Augustine (the old guard has been phenomenal about showing up).
For Immediate Release:
World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum Names Selection Commission Co-Chairs for 2017 Induction Class
Jack Nicklaus Joins Fellow Hall of Fame Member Co-Chairs
Age Change to Induction Criteria also Announced
St. Augustine, FLORIDA (March 30, 2016) – The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum today announced 18-time Major winner Jack Nicklaus will join fellow Hall of Fame Members Nancy Lopez, Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam as Co-Chairs of the Selection Commission for the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Selection Commission will elect the Class of 2017 which will be inducted Monday, May 8, 2017, the week of THE PLAYERS.
Lopez, Player and Sorenstam will return for a second term, while Nicklaus will replace Arnold Palmer and join the process for the first time.
“Being elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame, especially with the inaugural class (of 13) in 1974, was one of the unquestioned highlights of my career,” said Nicklaus. “It was a sign of respect and validation for the hard work I put into a game I have always loved and considered the greatest game of all. To now have the opportunity to join the Selection Commission, including my friends Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player—all great players, wonderful people, and all highly respected in our game—gives me the opportunity to perhaps make someone else’s career and life very special with this honor. The Commission is an esteemed group of global leaders in our game, and I am honored to have the opportunity to help them advance the World Golf Hall of Fame and its tremendous work. And it should be a lot of fun along the way.”
“We are honored and excited to have Jack Nicklaus join the Selection Commission,” said Jack Peter, President of the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum. “From his storied playing career to his current contributions to the game, he certainly has a firm grasp on the sport’s pulse and will be an incredible asset to the Selection Commission. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Palmer for helping us transition to our new Induction process. He has been, and continues to be, one of the Hall of Fame’s most engaged and insightful supporters.”
The Selection Commission will review candidates in four categories: Male and Female Competitor, Veterans and Lifetime Achievement. Later this fall, the Commission will assemble to discuss the merits and vote on the 16 finalists. A candidate must receive at least 75 percent of the vote to be elected. The Class of 2017 will be announced later this fall.
Also announced today was a change to the qualifying age for enshrinement. Effective immediately, candidates must be at least 50 years of age at the start of the year in which selections are made, replacing the previous age requirement of 40. The exception would be if a player was at least five years removed from being an active participant on his or her respective Tour.
“We work very closely with our Hall of Fame Members to ensure all aspects of the Induction criteria are shrewd and judicious,” added Peter. “As players continue to elevate their fitness levels and continue to play at a high level for a longer period of time, moving the age requirement to 50 ensures that we are able to celebrate their careers at the proper time.”
The Class of 2017 will be inducted on May 8th, the Monday of THE PLAYERS, and the 2019 class will be honored at Pebble Beach the week of the men’s U.S. Open.
**George Savaricus and I discussed on Golf Central.
We'll put him down for reducing the driver head size. Since the scientists can only make a ball longer and not shorter, this may be an option.
From a very enjoyable Q&A with Brian Wacker at PGATour.com:
BW: If you were equipment czar of the game for a day, running the USGA and R&A, what would you change?
AS: I think it's possible that you could make an argument for having different equipment rules for us than the amateurs. I think that's almost logical to do that. I’d re-implement anchored putting because until I'm given facts that it actually is a game-improver, performance-enhancer, then I'm going to have to say I'd put it back in. Maybe driver head size is something I'd look at. That’s a massive difference now. When I was a kid, pulling the driver out of the bag was a concern, like you're going to have to make a great swing to hit a good drive. Now it's the go-to club. It's the most forgiving club we have. That's a huge difference in how you get off the tee to start a hole of golf.
And in the one-course-you-could-play-for-the-rest-of-your-life division, Adam picks...
AS: I guess I'm torn. I could play Kingston Heath every day for the rest of my life in Australia, and the upside of that is in it's Australia and it's an amazing golf course. But I love Cypress Point. It's my favorite course in the world. I just love playing socially on those golf courses that are so much shorter and just less demanding length-wise for me, and then the people I play with can enjoy it. It's very hard to enjoy a round of golf when I play 90 yards from them. It's like we're on different courses. So those two, if I’m allowed to say two.
Ahhh...love when the great minds come to their senses! 
Welcome, Barney, to the technophobic, anti-capitalist set of subversives who think major championship courses are a thing to be protected so that future generations can enjoy big events at the Merion's of the world.
Thanks to reader Chuck for longtime equipment industry leader Barney Adams' commentary calling on the USGA to introduce a tournament ball to protect classic venues and to generate interest in the U.S. Open that can't no longer sniff the ratings of the Masters, even when it's played in primetime.
Writing for GolfWRX, Adams says...
A shorter-flying ball brings dozens, if not hundreds of great venues back into play for our nation’s championship. The USGA can give all kinds of altruistic reasons, but the reason I use to justify is the media. Each venue is a repository for stories on how it will be played with a shorter ball that spins more. The stories, the build up, the after stories about next year’s course… one objective, the No. 1-rated major golf tournament.
As much as we can appreciate the joy the Drive, Chip and Putt has brought to young lives, the Masters' other grow-the-game initiative took a bit of a hit with Rory McIlroy foreshadowing his plan to skip this year' Par-3 contest.
Speaking to The Guardian's Ewan Murray, the man who has famously had Caroline Wozniacki and Niall Horan as caddies and is as likely to enjoy the light pre-tournament mood as the next young star, says it's become a "hassle."
“It’s a bit of a distraction and the year I had my best chance at Augusta, 2011, I didn’t play the par-three contest,” McIlroy said. “So maybe the decision not to play it this year can work in my favour.”
To put the Par-3 in a different light: if any of the other major championships unveiled a similar pre-first round event, replete with kids running around the greens and celebrity pals chunking shots while dressed in a caddie suit, there would be calls to strip them of major championship status.
CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz sat down for a Golf Digest My Shot with Guy Yocom and covered many Masters-related elements, including amateur Bryson Dechambeau's upcoming start. DeChambeau stopped by Nantz's house to talk Augusta, great Masters amateurs and to borrow DVD's of recent Masters.
Nantz feels Dechambeau "has the capacity to utterly change golf" and that a win by the amateur "would be a fulfillment of Bobby Jones' dream of glory going to the amateur."
Casey Reamer, the head pro at Cypress Point and a mentor to Bryson, asked if I would speak to him about the history of the Masters. It was an amazing two hours. He asked every question imaginable about every significant player in Masters history, with an emphasis on tales of amateurs such as Billy Joe Patton, Frank Stranahan, Ken Venturi and Charlie Coe. I have DVDs of all the recent Masters, and Bryson asked to borrow them, not for entertainment so much as to study hole locations, how putts break, where players were laying up on the par 5s. This young man is obsessed with winning the Masters as an amateur. His mind works in a unique, scientific way. It all reminded me of Bert Yancey and how he constructed clay models of the greens at Augusta and studied them. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see this young man contend.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
