CBS Sports commentator Jim Nantz has defended the network's coverage of the Masters after viewers criticised the broadcast of Rory McIlroy's winning putt. The Northern Irishman made history by becoming only the fourth golfer to retain his title at Augusta National, but the moment was marred by a camera angle that obscured the ball.
During the final round, as McIlroy stood over a tap-in putt to seal his victory, CBS chose to show the shot from behind the golfer, leaving fans unable to see the ball enter the hole. Viewers had to gauge McIlroy's reaction to determine if he had made the putt. The decision sparked widespread backlash on social media and among pundits.
Nantz, the veteran voice of the Masters on CBS, addressed the criticism on The Pat McAfee Show. 'It's live television. We all make mistakes,' he said. 'If he would have missed it, we would have had the all-time story in the history of golf. But I'm really proud of our crew. You're making so many decisions. Split-second decisions.' He praised the production team, calling them 'the best in the business.'
However, NBC's lead golf analyst Kevin Kisner was less forgiving. Speaking on the Foreplay podcast, he said: 'What are we doing? You have no commercials. Play live shots. Our production team at NBC prides themselves on playing every shot that they possibly can live.' Kisner also claimed that some shots during the tournament were shown seven to ten minutes behind real time, calling it 'unbelievable.'
CBS has broadcast the Masters since 1956, and its coverage is also used by Sky Sports in the UK. Despite the criticism, Nantz remains proud of the network's work, saying he walks away 'with warm memories and a lot of pride for what everybody did.'
