Masters 2020: Beautiful Views, Alarming Quiet, Bryson’s Blasts

Nobody expected the 2020 Masters to be in November,  or that it would be spectator-less or that it might feature a tropical storm as a patron, but what we do anticipate now are surprising vistas never before seen.

CBS Sports, in previewing their coverage, promises to deliver another Masters like no other.

“The course is going to look very different. We’re used to seeing patrons around the greens and in the stands,” Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports explained about the telecast and tournament.  “There will be very few people on the golf course.”

There are no stands and bleachers obstructing views of the property, either.  That means there will be new views of the course, McManus noted. In addition, there are some live drones that they hope to be able to use, providing another camera angle or two.

“It’s going to be a terrific broadcast as the Masters always is,” he insisted. They keep winning Emmys for it, so they are doing something right.

One reason for the new views is that, without the thousands of fans, it’s easier to get an appreciation for the expanse of the golf course, although whether television will be able to capture the vastness of the property remains to be seen. For instance, standing at the 9th or 18th green, it’s possible to look down the hill to perhaps see a sliver of the 10th fairway and 18th fairway on the left, the 9th fairway in the middle and some of the first fairway on the right. Looking forward, It’s possible to see the 2nd green, the 7th green and the 8th tee. Beyond that, there’s maybe, a peek-a-boo view of the 15th fairway. It is a big expanse of lush, rolling, green lawn, the mostly perfectly manicured most people have ever seen. It makes you want to swing a club.

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Jim Nantz, CBS Sports Anchor, is celebrating his 35th drive down Magnolia Lane as a part of the CBS Sports crew.  He hopes to experience another 15 of them, which would give him 50 Masters tournaments before he retires.

“I don’t want to let go of it, “ he admitted, suggesting that he hoped maybe there would be more than 15 seasons.

Nantz has a personal tradition at Augusta National. On Wednesday afternoon, while the Par 3 tournament is taking place, he likes to walk down to 13 tee.  Nantz walks across the Hogan and Nelson bridges at the 12th and 13th holes and remembers all the people who helped him get where he is today. Of course, this year, there is no Par 3.

“It was always a boyhood dream,” he said about being a part of the television announce crew at the Masters.

There may be some who do not know that Nantz was in college with Fred Couples, sharing the same suite with Blaine McCallister and John Horne.  Couples always wanted to win the Masters, and Nantz always wanted to interview the Masters winner.  They would practice, Nantz with a pretend microphone, interviewing Couples.  Amazingly, it came true for both of them.

The absence of galleries is sure to affect some players more than others.  However,  Sir Nick Faldo said that even though there will not be fans lining the holes, the feelings of the players and caddies on the final nine on Sunday will still be intense.

“Just you and your caddie, as I’ve described through the years, I think you’re going to hear your own heart beat,” he said.  As a three-time Masters champ, he should know.

Dottie Pepper walked the course on Monday thinking about how Bryson DeChambeau might play it.  She said she thought about the angles, where he could cut the corners, and perhaps where he might not be able to.

“There is a gap at 13 that he could take it up high and left that’s not in the trees and pushing the 14th fairway.  It can be done,” she said. “ Same thing at eight.”

However, Pepper noted that it’s about making a score, and added that Augusta National is completely different than Winged Foot.

“Getting it around Augusta National well, is about leaving yourself the optimum angles,” she said. “You can’t just blast away to get at some of these hole locations.”

Faldo is admittedly a DeChambeau fan.

“He’s done it physically, matching up the ball and shaft,” Faldo noted. “I cannot believe a medium distance guy can find a way to beat 10 long distance guys.”

In other words, he would predict a long hitter if he were predicting.

On whether or not Tiger Woods has a chance to defend, Pepper said while the cold would not be a factor, the rain might be.

“If we do have a lot of rain, and rounds aren’t completed, and there are stops and starts,  that will not help him,” she said. “But if there’s anyplace he’s going to get it done, I would think it would be here.”

She added that Woods is one of a handful of players who feed off the crowds. Rory McIlroy has admitted to feeling flat on the golf course with no galleries. It may be more common among those who are used to a large following.

Lance Barrow, CBS Coordinating Producer, is working his 44th Masters.  He took the calm view of one who has seen nearly half a century of tournaments.

“It will be just like any other Masters,” Barrow assured. “It will be in November, not April, but covering the competition is what we’re here for.”