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The Masters: Augusta National Wise to Broadcast Past Tournaments

By Tim Letcher

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: The gates are locked at the entrance of Magnolia Lane that leads to the clubhouse of Augusta National as the coronavirus pandemic causes closures of venues and nonessential businesses on March 30, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: The gates are locked at the entrance of Magnolia Lane that leads to the clubhouse of Augusta National as the coronavirus pandemic causes closures of venues and nonessential businesses on March 30, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The Augusta National Golf Club will broadcast great final rounds from The Masters this week. This is a great idea, and here’s why.

As everyone knows, the Masters at Augusta National has been postponed due to the effects of the coronavirus. This postponement hurts those (like me) for whom the Masters is an April tradition.

It’s hard to deal with the second week of April without azaleas, plush green fairways and roars from the patrons. But that’s where we are at this point.

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The Masters will be played this season, providing that the virus and its effects have subsided by November. But it remains to be seen how the Masters in November is received, especially when it’s competing with college football and the NFL for viewership.

The Augusta National Golf Club has not always been the most modern in their thinking, although they have come around in recent years. But they, along with their broadcast partners, have come up with a great strategy for those of us who are really missing the Masters this week.

ESPN and CBS have agreed to broadcast some all-time classic Masters rounds in what they are calling the Masters rewind. It’s a chance to go back and watch some of the great final rounds in Masters history, since such a round in 2020 won’t come until November.

It starts on Wednesday at 3:30 ET with the broadcast of the 1986 final round, one of the most memorable in Masters history, on ESPN. For those who don’t, or are not old enough to remember, 1986 was the year that 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus rallied on the back nine to win his record sixth green jacket.

On Thursday, ESPN will show the 1997 final round at 7:30 ET. That round was the day Tiger Woods became a major champion, blowing away the field by 12 shots.

Friday at 6:00 ET, ESPN will carry the 2005 Masters final round. On that day, Tiger Woods outdueled Chris DiMarco, including a miraculous chip-in on the 16th hole.

On Saturday at 2:30 ET, CBS will air the 2004 Masters, in which Phil Mickelson holed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win his first major championship.

Finally, on Sunday, CBS will air the 2019 final round at 12:30 ET. The storyline from this round was the triumphant return of Tiger Woods.

Next. Welcome to the Virtual Masters. dark

While there’s no actual Masters to watch this week, the Augusta National Golf Club and its broadcast partners deserve credit for keeping their event in the forefront of viewers’ minds this week.

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