Everyone loves to talk about how golf needs Tiger Woods to do well in order for the masses to show up in the TV ratings. While Woods certainly does move the needle when it comes to eyeballs on the TV screen, he is not the only thing that gets folks like me to watch The Masters. I am not a golf fan at all. I am a sports fan and a big fan of spectacles in general so I do check out the most beautiful golf tourney ever created. I don’t care who wins. I only care to see the awesome lanndscape of Augusta National Golf Club in high definition.
I can only imagine watching The Masters in old school standard definition. I don’t have to imagine. I can see the highlights of the event from decades ago and they are pretty awful looking, even though some of these clips have been remeastered in HD. I don’t sit on the edge of my seat watching every putt. I watch the event in the background while doing other things around the house or while working. The scenery in Augusta is unmatched with the blooming azaleas, perfect grass, and awe inspiringstone bridges over calm waters.
This year’s event was a runaway win for youngster Jason Spieth. The 21 year old led from wire to wire in only his second Masters. His rookie campaign yeilded a second place finish. Not a bad record for just two times in the event. Although there was no high drama, this year’s tournament the scenery was still enough to keep me watching three out of four days. I don’t think CBS cares if viewers watch for the close competition or for the perfect landscape in high definition.
Most all sports have benefitted from being broadcast in HD, golf maybe more than any other. It has a natural backdrop that is amplified at The Masters. It’s cool to see a nice baseball park in HD or even an NFL stadium with the wild fans and overhead blimp shots. But golf is a game that happens to be played at mother nature’s stadium and HD has made the sport worth watching no matter if Tiger Woods is in the hunt or a young guy like Spieth is running through the competition like a runaway train.
