Masters Coverage Does Not Make Cut

There’s a rich tradition in this country of applauding those who take a stand for what they believe and act on principle in the face of those who would cut and run.

And then there are the officials of the Augusta National golf club in Georgia, who continue to run the Masters tournament as if they were approaching the 1900s, rather than the year 2000 and beyond.

Club officials stubbornly cling to outdated notions about how their precious tournament will be covered that would be laughable if they didn’t get in the way of letting qualified professionals do their jobs.

You would think after 42 years of taking CBS’ money and watching how the network labors mightily to present the Masters at its very best, that Augusta National representatives might ease up on the restrictions they place upon their telecast partner.

Instead, CBS operates under the most oppressive set of marching orders handed down from any rights holder to a telecaster, mostly because if they took a pass on the Masters, ABC, NBC or Fox would leap at the chance to carry the tournament.

After all, it’s not just any golf tournament that grabs an 11.2 average rating and 27 share for two days, with a whopping 14.1/31 for the final day as last year’s Tiger Woods triumph did.

Just the other day, Augusta National chairman J. T. Stephens defended the club’s policy against allowing CBS to present 18-hole coverage of the Masters, effectively keeping viewers from seeing the entire tournament.

“What we have to do is offset that with the same people around the world seeing a telecast that we think is of the highest quality,” said Stephens. “And we get letters from women who don’t play golf, but they say ‘I can devote 2 1/2 hours to watching your tournament. Now if people who don’t play golf watch our tournament and get interested in golf, that’s a big plus. If they’re turned off with a five-hour telecast, we lose them.”

Right. And while CBS officials have steadfastly denied it, it’s seems clear that analyst Gary McCord has more of a chance of showing up pictured on a milk carton at the local Piggly-Wiggly than he does calling action at the Masters, at the implicit request of Augusta representatives, all because he dared to say a few years ago that the greens on the course played like they had been bikini waxed.

At any rate, Jim Nantz will host the proceedings with third-round coverage Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and the final-round telecast Sunday at 4 p.m., as well as a highlight show Friday night at 11:35 p.m., all on CBS. USA will offer coverage Friday at 4 p.m.

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Turner has re-upped with NBA announcer Bob Neal through the 2001-2002 season to do regular- season and playoff telecasts. Neal has been with Turner for 14 years.

In a move that will no doubt save Turner a few pennies on microphones, the ultra-loud Kevin Harlan has been signed for NBA duty. Harlan, who can be heard from 1,000 miles away doing Minnesota Timberwolves games, will do the playoffs this year, then come aboard full-time for Turner next season through the 2001-2002 season. Harlan, who also did NFL games for Fox, will shift to CBS.

Finally, Don Criqui is apparently close to signing a deal to do NFL play-by-play for CBS this year, after a long stint with NBC.