THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, April 5, 2012
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by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer
The Masters The annual Masters Golf
Tournament begins today – April 5, 2012. This will be the 76th such competition on the hallowed grounds of Georgia’s Augusta Na- tional Golf Club. The Masters is my fa-
vorite sports event of the year, which I never would have thought possible as a youngster immersed in following the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and the NFL. Golf seemed so boring to
watch on television back then. (OK, it was black and white TV for me until I was a teenager.) The ac- tion was hard to follow, golf being inherently dif- ficult to capture on televi- sion. But tha t ha s a l l changed. For one thing, not only
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can we now watch in color, but we can watch on high- definition big screens. Expert camera-men can zoom onto balls and can zoom in and shade the background so we can actually follow the balls in flight, which was not the case when I watched my first Masters back in 1968, when Bob Goalby won be- cause Roberto DiVicenzo signed a scorecard that gave him one more stroke than he really took. (“What a stupid I am!” – Roberto DiVicenzo, 1968) In every Masters the
tension and drama start building on Thursday, usually reaching a cre- scendo during the final round on Sunday – ex- cept for 1997 when Tiger Woods won by TWELVE strokes. Due in part to the great camera work, televi- sion viewers can clearly see the joy and frustra- tion on the faces of these incredible golfers. This
serves to personalize the competition and help fans to better identify with the competitors and their per- sonalities, in ways impos- sible for those who watch helmeted automatons on NFL Sundays. Golf fans know of the
individual travails and challenges of the icons seeking golfing glory at Augusta. Could Phil Mick- eleson ever win a Major? (He finally won in August, 2004.) Could Greg Nor- man blow a six-shot lead? (Yes) Could Jack Nicklaus win it all at age 46? (Ab- solutely) Will Tiger Woods ever win another Green Jacket? (We’ll see). Technology has made
golf a joy to watch on television, as opposed to a challenge. Consider that multiple cameras are needed for every hole, and that there can be as many as 54 balls in play before the cut is made after Fri- day’s action (three golfers playing on 18 separate holes). The graphics and simulations that CBS-TV does to show the land- scape and terrain for ev- ery hole helps viewers to really appreciate what is going on. Jim Nance has emerged
as the voice of the Masters on CBS, one of count- less traditions associated with the most tradition- bound golf tournament in America. CBS has also done viewers a big favor by strictly limiting the num- ber of commercials during its Saturday and Sunday telecasts. So I’ll be watching all
day Sunday, hoping that everything will come down to a long putt on the 18th
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hole, as the sun sets in the western Georgia sky. And whoever makes that
putt will be richer by $1.5 million. Fore!
Masters Facts The first Masters cham-
pion, Horton Smi th, earned $1500 for his win in 1934 … Jack Nicklaus has won six green jackets, with Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods each claim- ing four victories … That traditional green jacket has been awarded to the winner since 1949, and it must be returned to the clubhouse after a year … Masters champions are automatically invited to play in the other three majors (the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship) for the next five years, and earn a lifetime invitation to the Masters … According to
Wikipedia, the tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds … The Par 72 course was length- ened in 2006 to 7,445 yards … The Masters has the smallest field out of the major championships at around 90 players … The current defending champion? Charl Adri- aan Schwartzel of South Africa …
Born Today ... That is to say, sports
greats born on April 5 include NFL wide receiver Ike Hilliard (1976) and San Antonio Spur Matt Bonner (1980).
Sportsquiz Who made the cover
of Sports Illustrated the most times? (answer fol-
lows). Sportsquote “I sometimes wonder
what I might have amount- ed to had I spent more time studying in school.”- President Ronald Rea-
gan, in admitting that his biggest academic concern in college involved keeping a “C” average in order to maintain football eligibil- ity.
Sportsquiz Answer Michael Jordan appeared
on the cover of Sports Illustrated 49 times, fol- lowed by Muhammad Ali (37).
Michael Moffett is a Pro-
fessor of Sports Manage- ment at NHTI, Concord’s Community College. His e-mail address is mimof-
fett@comcast.net .
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