While I don't consider myself a "golf hater," I certainly wouldn't consider myself a fan of the sport. I don't play - in fact, I've never been on a golf course and have only been to a driving range two or three times in my life - so I find it tough to watch it on TV and appreciate all of the subtle intricacies of the game. To me, the only elements to consider prior to hitting a golf ball seem to be distance and maybe wind, even though I know that in reality that's hardly the case. At the same time, I respect the people that love golf. Just as I love baseball and will argue to the death that it's not boring, golf fans understand the strategy that apparently makes their game so sophisticated and complex (said with only a hint of passive aggressiveness).
In an effort to be an even more well-rounded sports fan, I tried watching some of the Masters this weekend. I caught some of the Thursday and Friday action on ESPN at the gym, watched a bit more on Saturday afternoon while at a BBQ, and actually sat down in my living room to watch the final hour or so of Day 4, plus the two playoff holes, on Sunday. For the most part, I enjoyed what I saw. As people always point out, golf is beautiful to watch in HD, especially when the course is as well-manicured and interesting as Augusta's. Because so many players are going at once, the TV broadcast keeps the action moving constantly by switching back and forth between the relevant participants. I would think a tournament would be mind-numbingly boring to watch in person (not to mention the fact that I'd be incredibly sunburned after a full day with limited shade), but on TV it's not half bad.
That being said, I never really got into the action despite the drama that unfolded towards the end. First off, golf is the only sport I can think of where overtime is actually less exciting than regulation. Because only two golfers were part of the playoff, the action moved much slower after Watson and Oosthuizen finished on 18. Additionally, while even I could appreciate how impressive Watson's improbable shot out of the woods and onto the green was on the second playoff hole, the moment was somewhat lost in the fact that he still needed to two-putt to win the green jacket. While other sports give us a game-winning hit, basket or goal to hold onto long after the contest ends, the 2012 Masters concluded with a simple six-inch putt that an amateur could have made. Unlike other sports, golf rarely saves its best for last, which for an outsider is somewhat unfortunate and disappointing.
All in all, I would give televised golf another shot. Perhaps later this summer I'll play closer attention to the U.S. Open and see what all of the fuss is about from beginning to end. While, for me, watching the final round of a golf tournament doesn't come close to comparing with fall's NFL football or a summer afternoon baseball matinee, it is a relaxing way to spend part of a weekend afternoon. To the extent that you have something to multitask with or another channel to flip to during the tournament's many blocks of down time, all the better. For me, "300" on TNT helped get the job done.
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