TV Timeout: Masters takes the spotlight
“What an incredible Cinderella story, this unknown comes outta nowhere to lead the pack, at Augusta. He’s on his final hole. He’s about 455 yards away. He’s gonna hit about a 2-iron, I think. Oh, he got all of that! The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta, the normally reserved Augusta crowd, going wild, for this young Cinderella. He’s come outta nowhere. He’s got about 350 yards left. He’s gonna hit about a 5-iron, I expect, don’t you think? He’s got a beautiful backswing — that’s — oh, he got all of that one! He’s gotta be pleased with that. The crowd is just on its feet here. He’s the Cinderella boy — tears in his eyes I guess, as he lines up this last shot, he’s got about 195 yards left. And he’s got about a — it looks like he’s got about an 8-iron. This crowd has gone deadly silent, the Cinderella story, outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper and now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac … it’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!”
In case you haven’t watched “Caddyshack” countless times as we have, that was the classic speech from the movie made by assistant greenskeeper Carl Spackler (Bill Murray), who was pretending to be an announcer and a golfer at the Masters, which again takes center stage this weekend.
While we would love to listen to Murray call the action at Augusta National, we’ll gladly settle for hearing Jim Nantz speak in hushed, reverential tones while calling the Masters “a tradition unlike any other” about 82 times — or about the number of strokes Tiger Woods might shoot today.
It’s been said that the Masters doesn’t truly start until the back nine on Sunday, but you can warm up for the stretch run by putting on your favorite green jacket — does anyone even actually own one of those outside of Augusta? — and watching the second round today at noon on ESPN (30) and the third round Saturday at noon on CBS (8). The final round of arguably golf’s most prestigious major will be shown starting at 11 a.m. Sunday on CBS (8).
ALSO ALL WEEKEND
A rivalry unlike any other is the one between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, who have combined to win eight of the last 19 World Series titles but are coming off a season in which they both missed the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. The American League East foes will renew their rivalry in a nationally televised three-game series at Yankee Stadium today (4 p.m., MLB (314)), Saturday (10 a.m., FS1 (329)) and Sunday (5 p.m., ESPN (30)) that should only take about 15 hours to complete.
FRIDAY
BEST OF REST — MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks (6:30 p.m., Prime (50)), Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels (7 p.m. FSW (49)); NHL: New York Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins (4 p.m., NHL (316)); NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets (5 p.m., NBA (318)).
SATURDAY
BEST OF REST — MLB: Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels (6 p.m. FS1 (329); NBA: Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers (7 p.m., Prime (50), NBA (318)); AFL: Las Vegas Outlaws at Los Angeles Kiss (7 p.m., ESPN2 (31)); HOCKEY: NCAA Tournament, championship game, TBD (4:30 p.m., ESPN (30)), NHL, Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning (4:30 p.m., NBCSP (38)); NASCAR: Sprint Cup Series, Duck Commander 500 (4 p.m., Fox (5)); SOCCER: Premier League, Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur (7 a.m., NBCSP (38)), Arsenal at Burnley (9:30 a.m., NBC (3)).
SUNDAY
BEST OF REST — MLB: Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels (12:30 p.m., FSW (49)), Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks (1 p.m., Prime (50)); NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards (3 p.m., NBA (318)); SOCCER: Premier League, Chelsea at Queens Park Rangers (5:30 a.m., NBCSP (38)), Manchester City at Manchester United (8 a.m., NBCSP (38)).
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.
