The Masters: Jim Nantz calls this the “most anticipated of our lifetime”
Jim Nantz, the iconic voice of the Masters Tournament for nearly 30 years, says this year’s tournament could be one for the history books.
As Jim Nantz, Sir Nick Faldo and Sean McManus, Chairman of CBS Sports, pointed out in a pre-Masters press phone conference call, there are so many exciting story possibilities at the 2018 Masters that it’s hard to know where to start or who to look at in terms of winners. However, they all agree that there are one or two top stories. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Rory McIlroy won a tournament in mid-March, and he needs a victory at the Masters to complete a career grand slam. He just got a putting lesson from Brad Faxon which seemed to smooth out his stroke well enough for a victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Woods is playing in the Masters for the first time since 2015, and he has been playing well in his comeback. The Tiger-factor is lost on no one. Fans have been five deep on every hole he plays, which is visible on television coverage. Ratings are up on all networks carrying golf.
“Obviously Tiger has created a great bump this year,” Faldo said. “On course attention has been very much like the old days of Tiger.”
“Tiger has returned and far surpassed anyone’s loftiest expectations of what he’d be able to do this quickly,” Nantz said. “It’s exciting for the game. It’s indisputable that there’s a greater buzz when he’s in the middle of it.”
Nantz noted that it was interesting that so many of the best in the world have also come alive this season. He cited victories by Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Jason Day and Phil Mickelson, all popular with golf fans.
“This is probably the most anticipated Masters that any of us have seen in our lifetime,” he added.
CBS looks to make it bigger than ever on this year’s Masters
Even the corporate side of CBS likes what they see.
“With people like Rory and Justin and Jordan and Phil and Bubba playing terrifically, and obviously Tiger Woods making his resurgence, I think it sets up a really exciting Masters,” McManus said about the upcoming tournament.
Nantz is impressed with the level of play on the PGA Tour this season. He added that a lot of people who have been tuning in to watch golf are Woods fans and are excited about a chance to see Woods do well, while those closer to the sport are interested not just for that aspect, but also for the kind of competition exhibited by nearly all the top players in 2018.
"“For me, as a golf fan, I love the fact that all the stars of the sport at in peak form, and Tiger has come back and performed close to a level that we saw back in the glory days,” Nantz said."
The exception, of course, is Jordan Spieth, who is still trying to find his game after a bout with mononucleosis. He’s even lost his edge in putting. He’s now 145th in putting average.
Can Tiger Woods rekindle Augusta magic for his 15th major win?
Just as there are questions about Spieth’s putting and his overall performance this season, there are many questions about Woods’ readiness for this particular tournament.
“Does he have the nerve?” Faldo asked about Woods’ upcoming attempt at a 15th major. “He’s certainly loving the opportunity. He’s definitely fit enough, healthy enough to be able to compete with the best of them. It’s amazing that he’s right in the mix.”
Faldo pointed out that it’s been 10 years since Woods’ last major victory.
“Majors are different to close. It will be unbelievable,” he added. He should know since he won six of them. “I think if Tiger does come back, it will be another show. Is this the greatest comeback in sport, let alone golf? For anybody, this would be phenomenal.”
After what Woods has been through the last decade, Faldo said a win at a major, whether it’s the Masters or not, would be his greatest achievement.
Even McManus agreed that would be special.
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"“It’s one of the great comeback stories of all time, if Tiger can actually continue, start to win some tournaments and maybe even win at the Masters or another major championship,” he said. “It’s one of the epic comebacks in sports history.”"
Nantz did not want to let the McIlroy attempt at a career grand slam go unnoticed. He mentioned that if McIlroy completes his career grand slam with a Masters victory, it would be the first completion anyone had seen on television at the Masters.
There are only five players who have won the modern grand slam, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Sarazen was the only one to complete his grand slam at Augusta National, which was when he won the tournament in 1935. However, at that time, the Masters was not considered a major. It was a prestige tournament hosted by the only man who won the golden era grand slam, Bobby Jones. At that time, the grand slam was defined as what Jones won in 1930, which was the US Open and Amateur and the British Open and Amateur. It was Arnold Palmer who created the modern-day grand slam in 1960 which we know today as the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA.
Next: Breaking down the Masters betting lines
“The idea that you’d be coming down the stretch, and we would get to watch a career grand slam completed at Augusta National,” Nantz began, “Now that it may not be as big a story as if Tiger comes back (and wins). That would trump all. But if that’s 1 then this would be 1a, and it could happen.”
All three agreed, there are many possibilities of what could unfold at this year’s Masters, and with Woods playing and McIlroy playing well, those two stories are at the top of everyone’s list.
New on TV: CBS will introduce tracer technology at the Masters this year, according to McManus. They will show it on five holes, 9, 10, 13, 15 and 18 during Saturday and Sunday coverage.