Last Saturday I reported that ESPN is not scheduled for live play-by-play coverage of the April 8 first round of The Masters until 4pm ET that day. Until then, there is no pre-scheduled live coverage of the tournament. ESPN has also given no indication that will change.
With Woods teeing of on April 8 at 2pm ET at the very latest, ESPN is not pre-scheduled to capture the first shots of the golfer’s comeback live. When I wrote the piece about that lack of live coverage a week ago, the Masters website gave no indication that the first few holes would be covered live online by the tournament’s official website either.
But in the past week, there’s been a major development to that end.
The official website of The Masters this week introduced increased live coverage of the tournament, expanding its “featured group” coverage to include live streaming video. Last year The Masters provided live, online coverage of holes 11-13 and 15-16 on its official website. The 2009 “featured group” coverage though was not live.
In the history of golf, if there was ever a “featured group” of a single tournament, it’s the group Woods will play in at The Masters on April 8. Though knowing the rapidly-fossilizing folks at The Masters, whose membership demographic in no way resembles contemporary society, it wouldn’t surprise me if we still somehow miss the opening shots of Woods’ comeback in real time.
6:20 pm on March 27th, 2010
this is great news but usually the featured group would feature a group that tees off in the am. In addition, the British tabloids are reporting that Tiger and Elin are working out divorce details as I write this and once that is done she is filing. It makes sense. They both realized it wasn’t going to work and now both are moving on.
Play Golf America!!!!!
6:58 pm on March 27th, 2010
I really don’t care to see the POS play at The Masters. I am waiting for a lesser venue where all the people he treated like shiat will give it back to him. Sorry Tiger, no more pedastle, I hope you are ready to face reality. Tiger’s people are saying win The Masters and all will be forgotten, such pressure. Win and you are great again, lose and you suck. I do not care for the hype.
7:26 pm on March 27th, 2010
“the rapidly-fossilizing folks at The Masters, whose membership demographic in no way resembles contemporary society”
Really , Brooks? You are so low class…I would much rather be part of their society then yours. Why I waste even a minute of my life reading your b.s.. Why I think its worth it is beyond me. I think I need BS website rehab
1:09 am on March 28th, 2010
British Tabloids make things up. They’re notorious for doing so.
1:41 pm on March 28th, 2010
I couldn’t care less whether they televise Tiger or not. This may be the 1st time that I record the Masters on my DVR and watch it later. All we will hear on the weekend is Jim Nantz talk about Tiger on CBS. I am looking forward to the 1st tourney he plays where free speech will actually be allowed. Any ‘patron’ who yells out something bad about Tiger at the Masters will probably be kindly escorted off of the premises and will not be allowed back.
12:01 am on March 29th, 2010
After espn bashed nbc for non live olympics, they don’t televise THIS live. asses they be
7:37 am on March 29th, 2010
Look for IBM’s name on this. They provided the “featured group” coverage of the U.S. Open online this past year and it was pretty nice. They used ESPN’s secondary announcers (same people who do their women’s events.)
12:01 pm on March 29th, 2010
man, what a Rain Storm the North East is getting, I hope it doesn’t flood too much…. Easter just around the corner, Going to be a wonderful weekend. has anyone noticed that spring is here? Wheww no more snow….. just some other things going on in the world… not just tiger, leave the guy alone