PGA Preview: 2014 Masters

[caption id="attachment_3053" align="alignright" width="300"] Hole 13 - Par-5 - Photo coursesy of HookedOnGolfBlog.com[/caption] This year’s Masters should prove to be exciting with a wide open field of many players who have the game to win. Tiger Woods is out after having back surgery, and some feel his absence opens the field up. I say perhaps not, as Woods was not playing well coming in to the tournament. Players to watch this week include favorites Rory McIlory, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Jason Day. Sergio Garcia has been playing well as of late and has surged to the top of the favorites list. More than any other tournament though, the golf course and the history of the event are a bigger story than the players. The course setup is unlike the other major championships in that it does allow for low scoring and hot streaks. That setup produces guaranteed excitement year after year. This is the 80th anniversary of the Masters Tournament. With the event taking place in the same venue every year, historic shots and happenings can be remembered from nearly every hole. Some of those include the Bubba Watson gap wedge hook shot on hole #10 in the playoff, Phil Mickelson’s 6-iron on the par-5 13th from the pine straw, and Tiger Woods’s chip-in on the 16th hole as the Nike swoosh appeared a split second prior to the ball dropping. Older shots include many putts from Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to seal the deal, and of course perhaps the greatest shot in Masters history, the “shot heard ‘round the world” by Gene Sarazen. That amazing shot was a double eagle on the par-5 15th hole in 1935. Masters Coverage Thursday April 10 ESPN 3-7:30 p.m. -- Live First Round Coverage 8 p.m. -- First Round Encore Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com 11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network) 2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins 12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live 11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes Friday April 11 ESPN/ESPN Deportes/WatchESPN 3-7:30 p.m. -- Live Second Round Coverage 8 p.m. -- Second Round Encore Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com 11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network) 2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins 12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live 11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes Saturday April 12 CBS 3-7 pm -- Live Third Round Coverage Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com 11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network) 2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins 12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live 11:45 a.m.-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes Sunday April 13 CBS 1-2 p.m. -- Jim Nantz Remembers Augusta: Nick Faldo At The Masters 2-7 p.m. -- Final Round Live Coverage Masters.com/Masters App/CBSSports.com 11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Masters On the Range (Also On CBS Sports Network) 2 p.m. -- Masters Radio coverage begins 12 p.m. - Completion Of Play -- Featured Groups 1 & 2 11:45 a.m.-6 p.m. -- Amen Corner Live 12:30-7 p.m. -- 15th & 16th holes