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GOLF CHANNEL’S LIVE FROM THE MASTERS COVERAGE WAS MOST-WATCHED DAILY PREVIEW SHOW ON ANY NETWORK DURING MASTERS WEEK

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Live From… Viewership for Full Masters Week UP 46% from 2020 and On Par with 2019, Which Featured Tiger Woods’ Historic Victory

Live From… Shows Ahead of Thursday’s Opening Round and Sunday’s Final Round Rank as GOLF Channel’s Most Watched on Respective Days Since 2018

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 13, 2021 – NBC Sports’ Live From the Masters coverage on GOLF Channel was the most-watched daily Masters preview programming on any network from Monday, April 5 through Sunday, April 11, according to official national data provided by Nielsen.

Live From the Masters daily preview coverage averaged 437,000 viewers for the full Masters week from Monday through Sunday*. For Thursday through Sunday coverage before each Masters round, Live From averaged 633,000 viewers, outperforming the closest competition by 67%.

Live From’s full-week average of 437,000 viewers topped by 46% the show’s average during November’s 2020 Masters (299,000) and was on par with the 2019 Masters (442,000), when Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket and first major in more than a decade.

Additional viewership highlights from GOLF Channel’s Masters week coverage:

    • GOLF Channel’s average viewership for Masters week programming from Monday-Sunday (6 a.m.-3 a.m. ET) was up 50% vs. November 2020.
    • Extended Live From the Masters coverage on Thursday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. ET averaged 463,000 viewers – marking the largest audience for the show ahead of a Masters opening round since 2018.
    • Live From the Masters on Sunday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET delivered an average of 697,000 viewers – ranking as the best figure ahead of a Masters final round since 2018.

In total, NBC Sports presented more than 55 hours of Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club last week as Hideki Matsuyama finished 10-under to secure his first Masters championship, marking his first major title and becoming the first Japanese man to win a major championship.

*Based upon regularly scheduled Live From… windows (Monday, 2-5 p.m. ET, Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. ET, Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. ET, Sunday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET)

-NBC SPORTS-

NOTES AND QUOTES – LIVE FROM THE MASTERS ON GOLF CHANNEL (FINAL ROUND)

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“It’s been an incredible eight days, not just for golf in general, but more specifically golf in Japan.” – Brandel Chamblee

“He’s going to be a popular commodity come August when we’re there for the Olympics.” – Justin Leonard on Hideki Matsuyama

“They’ve come tantalizingly close to having major championship wins…Now finally, we’ve seen someone climb the highest mountain in golf.” – Chamblee on a Japanese Men’s Golfer Winning the Masters

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 11, 2021 – NBC Sports presented final round Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., today and in primetime tonight on GOLF Channel. Hideki Matsuyama won his first Masters championship, marking his first major title, and becoming the first Japanese man to win a major championship.

The Masters – Final Leaderboard

Player Total
Hideki Matsuyama -10
Will Zalatoris -9
Jordan Spieth -7
Xander Schauffele -7


On Hideki Matsuyama (10-under, 2021 Masters champion)

Justin Leonard: “He earned it. He earned it with his play yesterday afternoon, he earned it with superior ball-striking, an incredible short game…Can’t imagine, as golf crazy as the nation of Japan is, they’ve had a pretty good eight days…To have Hideki Matsuyama win the Masters, of all the majors, he’s going to be a popular commodity come August when we’re there for the Olympics.”

Brandel Chamblee: “It’s been an incredible eight days, not just for golf in general, but more specifically golf in Japan — to see Tsubasa Kajitani win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur as a 17-year-old, and to see Hideki Matsuyama become the first player from Japan to win a major championship and win the Masters.”

Leonard on Matsuyama’s iron play: “It’s elite and has been consistently elite for a number of years…The level of consistency is hard to fathom he’s been that good for that long.”

Chamblee: “In general, the scrambling of Hideki Matsuyama was top-notch…Sort of quietly, he’s been one of the best scramblers on the PGA TOUR over the last three years, but this particular week, only one player in the field managed to get it up and down more often than he did.”

Rich Lerner: “It’s been said that through the years, the Masters doesn’t start until the second nine on Sunday. I think he won the Masters with what he did on the second nine on Saturday…That bought him margin for error and he needed every bit of it coming down the stretch today.”

Lerner: “What this Masters may have lacked in raw, white-knuckle, birdie-eagle excitement, it made up for in significance — Hideki Matsuyama becoming the first male player from Japan to win a major championship.”

On the importance of a Japanese golfer winning the Masters

Chamblee: “They’ve come tantalizingly close to having major championship wins…Golf in Japan is a frenzied activity…They love their sport…Men on a big stage winning one of the biggest events, they’ve been teased and now finally, we’ve seen someone climb the highest mountain in golf.”

Rex Kuramoto: “Men’s golf has been behind ladies golf because (Hinako) Shibuno won the (Women’s) British Open two years ago, and since that time, golf in Japan, the ladies have come first…But Matsuyama winning this Masters changes everything — Matsuyama will be the guy.”

On Will Zalatoris (9-under, 2nd)

Leonard on what’s most impressive about Zalatoris: “He’s got an impressive golf game, obviously. Great ball-striker. The distance that he hits the ball for not being a big guy with long arms or anything, it’s quite remarkable, but also kind of his mental outlook. He wasn’t shocked or surprised or overwhelmed to be here. He looked very comfortable out there yesterday, he looked comfortable again today.”

Chamblee: “It’s not often you see a rookie come along with a talent this luminous from a ball-striking standpoint, but that alone is not unique, right? It happens…In general, I’d say it’s his ability to treat every round as if it’s the same, and be the same every single round…His strategy, his ability to think properly under pressure at such a young age, those two are extraordinary.”

On Xander Schauffele (7-under, T-3rd)

Leonard: “The lessons he’s learning because he’s in the thick of the battle and in contention, they’re hard ones…He seems to hit a poor shot or (make a) bad decision at the wrong time…I think he’s becoming tougher through this process and that will serve him well down the road.”

–NBC SPORTS–

NOTES AND QUOTES – LIVE FROM THE MASTERS ON GOLF CHANNEL (THIRD ROUND)

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“If Hideki Matsuyama goes on to win, this will be one of the more famous 30s ever shot here…Tomorrow has a chance to be the biggest day in the history of Japanese golf.” – Brandel Chamblee

“With the Olympics coming up in Tokyo this summer, he’s already a rock star, but this would put him in a stratosphere I don’t think anyone can imagine or put into words.” – Justin Leonard on Matsuyama’s importance to Japan if he wins the Masters

“I would say that this felt like a Sunday to me with all the sublime ball-striking.” – Chamblee on the third round

Live From the Masters Final Round Coverage Begins Tomorrow Morning at 9 a.m. ET and Continues in Primetime at 7 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 10, 2021 – NBC Sports presented third round Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., today and in primetime tonight on GOLF Channel, as Hideki Matsuyama holds a four-shot lead after third round play.

Live From the Masters continues with final round coverage tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET and in primetime at 7 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel.

Throughout the week, GOLF Channel’s daily live coverage features more than 55 hours and includes pre-and post-tournament coverage through the final round on Sunday, April 11.

The Masters – Third Round Leaderboard

Player Total
Hideki Matsuyama -11
Xander Schauffele -7
Justin Rose -7
Marc Leishman -7
Will Zalatoris -7

 

On Hideki Matsuyama

Rich Lerner on Matsuyama’s play after the weather delay: “Really the only player who sort of adjusted his strategy. He went pin hunting…Matsuyama with a day to remember.”

Brandel Chamblee on Matsuyama’s back nine: “If Hideki Matsuyama goes on to win, this will be one of the more famous 30s ever shot here and it will certainly go down into Japanese lore as one of the greatest weeks in the history of that game…Tomorrow has a chance to be the biggest day in the history of Japanese golf.”

Justin Leonard on Matsuyama’s round: “It was something else…It’s hard to understand or put into words the amount of pressure that a professional golfer from Japan faces from the media in Japan…They’re just put on a pedestal that we can’t comprehend in the United States. Every time they tee it up, it’s like The Rolling Stones playing at Madison Square Garden…With the Olympics coming up in Tokyo this summer, he’s already a rock star, but this would put him in a stratosphere I don’t think anyone can imagine or put into words.”

On Justin Rose

Leonard: “I think he’s got to feel pretty good about his position…It’s time he can play a little more aggressively, and he’ll need to from the get-go tomorrow. He got off to a great start, so nerves aren’t an issue.”

Chamblee: “I’ve probably been more surprised watching Justin Rose play this week than I have pretty much anybody else because he came in here without any form…It’s almost like he’s turned himself inside out…From five to ten feet, where he’s had a career now of misses, he’s just looked beautiful…I think he’s going to have to draw on psychological reserves tomorrow.”

Leonard: “He still feels like he got it, like he could come away from here with a green jacket, and with the amount of pressure that’s on Hideki Matsuyama, he just may very well do that.”

Lerner: “He’s had a solid career, there’s no doubt…With a win tomorrow, it likely puts him in the Hall of Fame, and it goes from a really good career to a great career.”

On Will Zalatoris

Chamblee: “This guy has never played in the Masters and experience is supposed to get the better of you…and yet he hits a shot like that at the last (hole). You think about all the players that are here, these are the best in the world with enormous amount of experience here, and yet nobody in the entire field managed to hit more greens today than that man.”

Leonard on Zalatoris’ potential: “His poise, the way he’s handled the situations…To watch his game, to see how quickly he’s matured and this meteoric rise he’s made over the past two years, but I feel like he’s not getting ahead of himself.”

On Xander Schauffele

Leonard on Schauffele’s experience contending in past majors: “You get more comfortable, and that’s the hardest thing to do. I wouldn’t say you get completely comfortable, but you edge toward that line. I think for Xander Schauffele, he understands that being uncomfortable is a good spot, because it means it means something…I think there are a lot of players who can kind of take it or leave it, but Xander seems to kind of thrive off of it.”

On the Third Round

Chamblee: “I would say that this felt like a Sunday to me with all the sublime ball-striking…Just from the quality of play and the fact that it was the contrast of the forecast.”

Leonard: “It looked like it was going to be a test of survival today. Then, all of a sudden, with a little bit of break, a little bit of moisture, the wind dies down. All of a sudden, guys went flag hunting.”

–NBC SPORTS–

NOTES AND QUOTES – LIVE FROM THE MASTERS ON GOLF CHANNEL (SECOND ROUND)

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“Yesterday’s round was a confidence builder. Today’s round was a character builder… today’s round was more important to him and his outlook for the rest of the weekend than yesterday was.” – Justin Leonard on Justin Rose

“Looking at the leaderboard, you almost have to consider Jordan Spieth the favorite.” – Leonard

“There’s just no shot out here that he cannot create.” – Brandel Chamblee on Justin Thomas

Live From the Masters Third Round Coverage Begins Tomorrow Morning at 9 a.m. ET and Continues in Primetime at 7 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 9, 2021 – NBC Sports presented second round Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., today and in primetime tonight on GOLF Channel, as Justin Rose holds a one-shot lead after second round play.

Live From the Masters continues with third round coverage tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. ET and in primetime at 7 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel.

Throughout the week, GOLF Channel’s daily live coverage features more than 55 hours and includes pre-and post-tournament coverage through the final round on Sunday, April 11.

The Masters – Second Round Leaderboard

Player Total
Justin Rose -7
Will Zalatoris -6
Brian Harman -6
Jordan Spieth -5
Marc Leishman -5

On Justin Rose

Justin Leonard: “Yesterday’s round was a confidence builder. Today’s round was a character builder…to be able to get off to the start he did and right the ship…today’s round was more important to him and his outlook for the rest of the weekend than yesterday was.”

Brandel Chamblee: “When I talk about making mistakes at the Masters, it’s not just the technical mistakes, it’s keeping your wits about you when you get into trouble…that’s what he did early that allowed him to play well late and kept him on top of the leaderboard.”

On Jordan Spieth

Leonard: “There’s no guide to what he’s doing, especially off the tee, he’s free-swinging, shaping the ball both directions…the putting and chipping is marvelous. We thought we saw some signs, but this has been a rapid comeback — where looking at the leaderboard — you almost have to consider Jordan Spieth the favorite.”

Rich Lerner: “Three months ago, we had a hard time remembering when Jordan was great. He was in that deep of a hole. Now, I’m having a hard time remembering he was in a slump at all.”

Chamblee: “He has a scramblers sensibility with a tactician’s talent, he’s like part (Ben) Hogan, part Sevy (Seve Ballesteros).”

On Will Zalatoris

Leonard on Zalatoris’ rapid rise from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA TOUR: “Phenomenal talent…a year ago, Will Zalatoris was thinking about his next Korn Ferry start and tomorrow he’s playing in the last group in the Masters. What a meteoric rise.”

Chamblee: “It’s belief that gets you to the reality…when you put it all together and start to look at what he’s done in this short span of playing these (PGA) TOUR events, the ball striking adds up.”

On Justin Thomas

Chamblee: “There’s just no shot out here that he cannot create.”

On Rory McIlroy

Leonard: “I’m surprised at the lack of form…I know he’s been putting a lot of work in, obviously some work there still left to do and it needs to happen quickly.”

On the Second Round

Chamblee: “Friday’s give us time to talk about not just the good, there was plenty of good, but the bad and unprecedented…start with the good, Justin Rose, like Dustin Johnson, going for a very deserving second major championship…Jordan Spieth doing what Phil Mickelson did in 2006, win back-to-back weeks on the PGA TOUR, making one of them a major, and the Masters…the bad is pretty simple too, watching Dustin Johnson struggle, watching Rory McIlroy hit it worse than I’ve probably ever seen him hit it…and then there’s the unprecedented, with Hideki Matsuyama (looking) to be the first player from Japan to win a Masters.”

–NBC SPORTS–

NOTES AND QUOTES – LIVE FROM THE MASTERS ON GOLF CHANNEL (FIRST ROUND)

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“He’s going to hit it right where it needs to be, and he’s going to find that sweet spot…Justin Rose can find these greens as good as Tiger Woods in his prime.” – Brandel Chamblee on Rose at Augusta National

“Sometimes coming in with little expectations, it frees a player up, and I think for Justin Rose, that’s probably what we saw today.” – Justin Leonard

“The way Bryson DeChambeau drove the ball today, he may pull an all-nighter…He has some work to figure out.” – Chamblee

Live From the Masters Second Round Coverage Begins Tomorrow Morning at 8 a.m. ET and Continues in Primetime at 7:30 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 8, 2021 – NBC Sports presented opening round Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., today and in primetime tonight on GOLF Channel, as Justin Rose shot a seven-under 65 to take the first round lead.

Live From the Masters continues with second round coverage tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. ET and in primetime at 7:30 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel.

Throughout the week, GOLF Channel’s daily live coverage features more than 55 hours and includes pre-and post-tournament coverage through the final round on Sunday, April 11.

The Masters – Opening Round Leaderboard

Player Total
Justin Rose -7
Brian Harman -3
Hideki Matsuyama -3
Patrick Reed -2
Webb Simpson -2
Will Zalatoris -2
Christiaan Bezuidenhout -2

 

On Justin Rose

Rich Lerner: “On a day when a number of big names struggled, Justin Rose served up a mind-boggling reminder that he too, not long ago, was one of those big names.”

Brandel Chamblee: “The way Justin Rose is playing, he looked like vintage Justin Rose here. This looked like the guy who won the U.S. Open in 2013, and it looked like he might win several other championships.”

Justin Leonard: “Justin Rose (is) really the only one to generate heat on a fiery golf course here opening day.”

Chamblee on how Rose’s game plays at Augusta National: “That’s the kind of accountant that I’d like to have. He’s not going to cut corners. He’s going to hit it right where it needs to be, and he’s going to find that sweet spot. That’s what he does. This is a thinking man’s golf course…Justin Rose can find these greens as good as Tiger Woods in his prime.”

Leonard on Rose’s turnaround today: “We saw no semblance of this. He didn’t even know where his game was for the last month coming in here, but he used his experience and kind of walking the tight rope very nicely today at Augusta National…Sometimes coming in with little expectations, it frees a player up, and I think for Justin Rose, that’s probably what we saw today.”

On Bryson DeChambeau

Chamblee: “The way Bryson DeChambeau drove the ball today, he may pull an all-nighter. He’s burning the midnight oil many, many times at major championships, but he may be there until the sun comes up. He has some work to figure out.”

Leonard: “Bryson DeChambeau is trying to figure out how hard he hits a pitching wedge because today it looked like he had no clue…Those are the kinds of mistakes that you cannot make at Augusta National and expect to play halfway decent.”

Lerner: “At least to this point, Augusta National is not Bryson’s golf course.”

Chamblee: “It’s a square peg in a round hole for him. He’s linear, this golf course is abstract. I’m going to borrow an analogy from the GEICO lizard, and say this golf course fits him about as well as a porcupine in a balloon factory. It’s just not a good fit for him.”

On Rory McIlroy

Chamblee: “I’ve never seen him swing like he did today. I’ve never seen him this unorganized, I’ve never seen him miss shots the way he missed them today. I’ve seen him miss plenty of shots, I’ve seen him hit bad shots and make bad swings, but I’ve never seen him make worse swings than he did today…From a purely empirical standpoint, I’ve never seen him hit the ball that bad.”

On Dustin Johnson

Leonard: “The defending champion with quite a bit of work to do, but we know that he’s capable.”

On Lee Elder, who broke the color barrier at the 1975 Masters and served as today’s honorary starter

Damon Hack: “The beauty of the morning, the dignity of the man, and the love that was showered upon Lee Elder. Life has come full circle for Lee Elder, who joined Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player (as) honorary starters in this 85th Masters, 46 years after he broke the color barrier at the 1975 Masters…Today was all about love and a soft heart, as he described it, and wanting to be an inspiration for the next generation and for all those who love this game.”

Chamblee: “When you see Lee Elder stand up on that tee today, he’s being honored for his significant role in helping change the game for the better. But he didn’t just get there because of his golf clubs. He got there, as Damon Hack just said, because of how he handled those indignities with grace. And that’s because of the content of his character.”

Leonard: “So today, by honoring Lee Elder, this was another step in the right direction for Augusta National and the Masters.”

On the first round

Leonard: “Wasn’t surprised that we had firm and fast greens…Wasn’t surprised we saw some eagles, and wasn’t surprised we saw some bogeys, some doubles, and even triples by one of our players that’s on the first page of the leaderboard. What was surprising was some of the struggles of a couple players in the Top 10 in the world.”

Chamblee on contenders: “It went from 88 in the field to about 10 or 12 having a chance to win this championship…This golf course requires such technical precision and such great strategy that it’s just very rare that you can couple those two. And after the first round, you are very clear at who has their technical skills and who has their wits about them.”

Leonard on the difficulty of Augusta National: “An inch here is like yards at another venue. An inch here makes all the difference – a difference between a seven and a three in Jordan Spieth’s case at 15 today.”

–NBC SPORTS–