The Masters' strange broadcasting rules including golf term pundits banned from using
You won't be hearing certain words typically associated with golf when watching the Masters this week as presenters and pundits are banned from using them.
Sporting events don't get more prestigious than the Masters. And the extensive list of rules at Augusta National extends to the broadcasters too. More than one famous face has fallen foul of these conservative guidelines over the years. For example, the club insist on calling their spectators “patrons”, which dates back to co-founder Clifford Roberts.
He wanted to set their visitors apart from fans visiting any other golf course because they were offering an experience, rather than merely something to watch. And former CBS and ABC sportscaster Jack Whitaker found out the hard way what happens when you don’t refer to them as such. Whitaker was still in his early years with CBS at the 1966 Masters when he was anchoring their coverage of an 18-hole play-off between Gary Brewer, Tommy Jacobs and Jack Nicklaus, who would go on to claim his third green jacket.
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As Nicklaus approached the 18th green for his decisive putt, the watching crowd rushed down the fairway - another banned act - to get a prime view.
Whitaker described what he was seeing as a “mob scene”, with Roberts later demanding he be removed from future coverage, telling him: “We don’t have mobs at Augusta.” He was subsequently banned for six years as a result.
Pundits and presenters also have to be wary of how they refer to the course itself. Another who was banished from Augusta was former pro Gary McCord, who in 1994 described the 17th green as being "bikini-waxed" due to its fast nature.
His outspoken nature, which also saw him joke that "body bags" were waiting for those who missed their approach shot, didn’t sit well with Augusta chiefs, who have never welcomed him back since. Those who are still allowed to attend must refer to the rough as the more professionally termed “second cut”.
And the broadcasters are limited to just four minutes of adverts every hour, a far cry from the usual coverage fans are accustomed to. You might be wondering, why do TV chiefs bend the knee and agree to follow these rules?
The answer is that Augusta chiefs have made it abundantly clear they’re not in need of their money, hence the shockingly low food and drink prices on offer. So it’s either take it or leave it, and in such an incredibly competitive market, there's only one option.
