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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 (TUESDAY EVENING)

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“He’s not only changing his own game. In the process, he’s about to – because this is only the tip of the iceberg – he’s about to change this game in a very dramatic way.” – Brandel Chamblee on Bryson DeChambeau

“It separates the field…When the golf course is firm and fast, you get penalized for your mistakes, and here at Augusta National, maybe more so than anywhere else.” – Justin Leonard on potential firm and fast course conditions this week

“What you want is a discerning test to where it differentiates between how solid a shot is struck…And when it’s soft…it doesn’t discern.” – Chamblee on the benefits of a firm course

Live From the Masters Begins Tomorrow Morning at 9 a.m. ET and Continues at 6 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 6, 2021 – NBC Sports continued its Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., today and in primetime tonight 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.

In advance of the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, NBC Sports Golf’s lead studio team of Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Justin Leonard held a media conference call last week to preview the tournament. Click here for the transcript.

On Bryson DeChambeau

Brandel Chamblee on DeChambeau’s swing: “It’s beautiful to see…He’s taking a great risk at great reward. This is remaking a golf swing, doing something that nobody’s ever done…He already was making a lot of money, he already was having success at the game of golf…Bryson DeChambeau said, ‘I’m going to remake myself. I’m going to take some risk. I’m going to do something crazy.’ … He’s not only changing his own game. In the process, he’s about to – because this is only the tip of the iceberg – he’s about to change this game in a very dramatic way.”

Justin Leonard: “I think he should use his power to his advantage, but maybe be a little more judicious about it than he was back in November.”

On Dustin Johnson

Chamblee on Johnson’s successful development of a fade: “You can see the progression every year with that fade. He got better and better and better…The high fades have certainly served the best golfers of all time well, but it’s another case in point of a decided before-and-after of a fella who wasn’t what he wanted to be, and then became everything that we thought he could be.”

Leonard on Johnson’s wedge game: “That was the second piece of the puzzle in my opinion…It’s a reason why Dustin Johnson has reached No. 1 in the world and I believe it’s a reason why he could stay there for a very long time.”

On Rory McIlroy

Shane Bacon on McIlroy’s major championship drought: “It’s been surprising the way he starts…When Augusta National is expected to play as tough as we can remember it playing this week – you keep hearing firm, you keep hearing fast – for Rory McIlroy, it’s not about going out on Thursday and shooting something silly…Shoot something around even par. Give yourself a chance to get into those final three rounds.”

Damon Hack: “He’s so thoughtful, he’s such a deep thinker that sometimes I think it works against him. I’d love to see him take a more laissez-faire attitude, maybe take a page out of world No. 1 Dustin Johnson going forward this week.”

On course conditions at the 2021 Masters

Todd Lewis: “This golf course is very, very difficult right now. I’ve talked to players and caddies and they said they have never seen Augusta National as fast and firm as it is right now this early in Masters week.”

Leonard on why players like firm and fast conditions: “It separates the field. It separates the players who understand the strategy of this golf course. It separates the difference between a really good shot ending up in a good place, and a mediocre shot ending up in a good place. When the golf course is firm and fast, you get penalized for your mistakes, and here at Augusta National, maybe more so than anywhere else.”

Chamblee on the firm conditions: “What you want is a discerning test to where it differentiates between how solid a shot is struck, how high it is struck, and the nature in which it’s struck. And when it’s soft…it doesn’t discern.”

–NBC SPORTS–

NOTES AND QUOTES – LIVE FROM THE MASTERS (MONDAY EVENING)

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“Jordan Spieth may not have the firepower of Tiger Woods, but in the last 25 years, he is the player that appears, to me, to have the brainpower of Tiger Woods.” – Brandel Chamblee

“Unquestionably the best major championship player of the last four years.” – Rich Lerner on Brooks Koepka

“When people doubt him, as I think we kind of are right now because of his health, that usually spells success for Brooks Koepka.” – Justin Leonard

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

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 5, 2021 – NBC Sports began its Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., today and in primetime tonight 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.

In advance of the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, NBC Sports Golf’s lead studio team of Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Justin Leonard held a media conference call last week to preview the tournament. Click here for the transcript.

On Jordan Spieth

Brandel Chamblee: “He was so often, over the last three years, getting stuck and missing all over the place — I think (it was) that little technical problem that he was trying to get over. But also when he said, ‘I took ownership’ that is, to me, to a golfer what the La Brea Tar Pits are to a paleontologist looking for a woolly mammoth.”

Chamblee: “Jordan Spieth may not have the firepower of Tiger Woods, but in the last 25 years, he is the player that appears, to me, to have the brainpower of Tiger Woods, and digging himself out of it, taking ownership of his game, is the larger piece of the puzzle here.”

Rich Lerner: “Jordan has a make-it-happen gear. A run-it-in, roll-it-in, chip-it-in gear, where he can just pile up the birdies and eagles in a way that kind of blows your mind.”

Chamblee: “This guy has the ability to make magic. And that’s what makes him so fun to watch.”

Lerner: “It’s a mistake to doubt the will of a great athlete, and he is a great athlete.”

On Brooks Koepka

Justin Leonard: “When people doubt him, as I think we kind of are right now because of his health, that usually spells success for Brooks Koepka. He loves proving people wrong; he’s not afraid to talk about it, and more times than not, he’s backed it up.”

Lerner: “Unquestionably the best major championship player of the last four years.”

Chamblee: “He has everything necessary that you need at this place, just capable of ridiculously big shots. In the last three, four years we’ve seen him at major championships, (he hits) jaw-dropping, laser bullets at the heat of the moment in major championships.”

On the 2021 Masters Tournament

Leonard: “Normally there’s a nine-month buildup to the Masters Tournament. Just four-and-a-half months ago (this year)…being that short between competitions of this event, you might think that would lend to a sense of compliancy by the players and patrons. But, after successful competitions and completions of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Drive, Chip and Putt, to me its very evident that there’s an excitement around this Masters Tournament that only the Masters can provide.”

Chamblee: “I can’t think of another place in sport that we go to year after year with elevated expectations, and then are surprised, year after year, after year. There’s just something about this place.”

–NBC SPORTS–

NBC SPORTS GOLF’S RICH LERNER, BRANDEL CHAMBLEE AND JUSTIN LEONARD PREVIEW 2021 MASTERS ON MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW, WED., MARCH 31 AT 5 P.M. ET

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Dial 800-367-2403 to Participate

Lead Studio Team to Discuss & Analyze 2021 Masters

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 30, 2021 – NBC Sports’ lead golf studio team of Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Justin Leonard will preview the upcoming 2021 Masters on a media conference call tomorrow, Wednesday, March 31, at 5 p.m. ET. Media interested in participating should call: 800-367-2403; Passcode: 3370032.

    • WHO: Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Justin Leonard
    • WHEN: Wednesday, March 31 at 5 p.m. ET
    • NUMBER: 800-367-2403
    • PASSCODE: 3370032

 

GOLF Channel’s Live From the Masters, featuring Lerner, Chamblee, Leonard and a comprehensive team of hosts, analysts and reporters, will begin daily live coverage next Monday, April 5 at 2 p.m. ET.

— NBC Sports —

ESPN Unveils New Creative Campaign for the Masters Tournament featuring Grammy-Nominated Duo Chloe x Halle’s Rendition of Iconic ‘Georgia On My Mind’

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ESPN unveiled a brand-new creative campaign for this year’s coverage of the Masters Tournament, featuring a rendition of the iconic “Georgia On My Mind” by Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records and Grammy-nominated duo Chloe x Halle. Chloe and Halle Bailey, who released their critically-acclaimed and Grammy nominated album Ungodly Hour this past summer, were born in Mableton, Ga., just 200 miles from Augusta National Golf Club.

The post ESPN Unveils New Creative Campaign for the Masters Tournament featuring Grammy-Nominated Duo Chloe x Halle’s Rendition of Iconic ‘Georgia On My Mind’ appeared first on ESPN Press Room U.S..

Notable Quotes: Golf Central Live From the Masters (Second Round)

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GOLF Channel Notable Quotes

Golf Central Live From the Masters – Second Round (In Progress)

Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.

Friday, Nov. 13

**Second Round play was suspended due to darkness and will resume Saturday morning**

On Dustin Johnson (9-under, T-1st)

Brandel Chamblee – “There’s nobody in the game that makes golf look simpler than Dustin Johnson and that was the case today…we talk all the time about how carefree he looks – well I guess it’s easy to be carefree when you know where it’s going, and he certainly knew where it was going today.”

Justin Leonard – “The one concern I have with DJ is the difference between the time it takes him to hit a driver or an iron shot or a chip around the green – the difference between that and his putting routine…part of it I think is the difficulty this week without the greens book…this is anything but a normal week at The Masters because they don’t allow those books. I’m sure he’s come up with some sort of system, but it isn’t what he’s used to.”

On Justin Thomas (9-under, T-1st)

Leonard – “He’s making the adjustment around the greens to suit the conditions of the golf course…just really fun to watch. It’s almost not fair when you’ve got that many tools to play with.”

On Jon Rahm (8-under thru 12, T-5th)

Chamblee – “It’s very likely that tomorrow when he finishes his (second) round, he will have a lead of one, two or maybe even three shots with so many gettable holes right in front of him.”

Leonard – “Two years ago, you could see the frustration…I’d be worried about it (but) I’m not worried about it anymore. He’s shown me enough determination and grit…Jon Rahm is a real student of the game and I think of any Major championship, the history and willingness to get into it pays off most at The Masters…I have no doubt that he will win here at some point in his career and I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s multiple times.”

On Tiger Woods (4-under thru 10, T-22nd)

Chamblee – “Numerous things have impressed me about Tiger Woods…when you see Tiger Woods working it in both directions, it certainly gives you hope for this weekend.”

Leonard – “He needs to get it to 6-under…the four or five shots back doesn’t concern me, but just the number of players and quality players at the top of the leaderboard. I think he’d feel great if he could get into the clubhouse at 6-under through two rounds. He’s got to hope the greens firm up, the pace comes up, and the course gets a little tougher because that’s when real experience pays off.”

On Bryson DeChambeau (1-over thru 12, T-61st)

Leonard – “He’s looked off.”

Chamblee – “I thought you were going to say awful.”

Leonard – “The driver’s been fun to watch. Where he hit it on No. 2, where he hit it on No. 5…but the iron game hasn’t been very good.”

Chamblee – “I think his play has been a reminder just how great a golf course this is and how there’s so much integrity to its design.”

On 2020 Masters Through Friday

Leonard – “A lot of surprises…surprising how soft and slow the golf course still is. A little surprised at how bunched up the leaderboard is. A little surprised that we’ve got massive hitters and a couple shorter hitters (at the top of the leaderboard)…I thought somebody would break out because the scoring is so good.”

Chamblee – “I can’t remember the last time I saw this many great iron shots the first two days at The Masters. Ordinarily these greens are about as hard to hit as a Gaylord Perry spitball. They’ve been more like slow-pitch softball.”

-NBC Sports Group-

Notable Quotes: Golf Central Live From the Masters (First Round)

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GOLF Channel Notable Quotes

Golf Central Live From the Masters – First Round (In Progress)

Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.

Thursday, Nov. 12

**First Round play was suspended due to darkness and will resume Friday morning**

On Paul Casey (7-under, leader)

Brandel Chamblee – “It was an extraordinary day of golf…he’s one of those players that is good enough to get in that position, but whatever it takes to punch it through when he’s in position, hasn’t quite been there…when he has worked himself into a Top 5 position at The Masters, he has really struggled…he’s had eight first round leads in his career. He’s never broken 70 in the next round…I love Paul’s game, I really do. He’s just one of those players that struggles. So I would say, ‘Good round. Do it again.’”

Justin Leonard – “He’s got all the tools to be here. Maybe it’s a good thing this is in the first round. You wouldn’t think he would continue to build on a two-shot lead after the first round. If he does, it will be one of the great performances in Masters history. But he’s off to a great start, he hasn’t played well since the shutdown, coming back he’s already looking forward to 2021. Maybe that serves him well, he’s just enjoying the opportunity.”

On Tiger Woods (4-under, T-5th)

Chamblee – “He did what he needed to do in Round One, which is stay in touch with the leaders…a big part of the process today was that he didn’t have a single three putt and that has really plagued him the last three years…without having great distance…he’s got to do it a different way. He’s got to be just as precise as he was today. It was a thing of beauty to watch.”

Leonard – “In the beginning of his career, he was Nolan Ryan. He could do things that nobody else could do with the golf ball. Now he’s more of a Greg Maddux. He’s got to mix his pitches, he’s got to paint the corners of the plate, he’s got to fool the hitters. I saw him today hit a lot of little knockdown shots…he has to do things differently. (Brandel Chamblee) spoke of it the last couple of days, the softer conditions bring the medium-length hitters back into the fold. Today it was certainly soft and Tiger Woods is certainly now a medium-length hitter.”

Leonard – “The round of golf he played today was Tiger-esque. There’s no other way to put it.”

On Justin Thomas (5-under thru 10, T-2nd)

Chamblee – “To whatever extent he has struggled at Augusta National, it is because of that short stick…he looks like a different man, a changed man. Through 10 holes, just 14 putts.”

Leonard – “He gets to play a lot of golf tomorrow and his game is in pretty good shape. With that ability off the tee…with the way he can chip it and now he’s putting good, if we could go back to last night, I might have picked Justin Thomas to win.”

On Bryson DeChambeau (2-under, T-21st)

Leonard – “Showed a lot of grit today, that’s a really tough start. 2-over through his first five holes, really brought it back nicely on the first nine…it’s a new golf course for Bryson because he’s hitting the ball 20, 30, 40 yards longer than when he played here in 2019.”

Chamblee – “On No. 5, he was able to go right over the bunker. He hit something in the neighborhood of 350 yards. Justin Thomas got up there and tattooed one, looked like to me, down the right side and it went over 300 yards. Justin Thomas had 202 in on No. 5. Bryson DeChambeau had 141. You cannot beat that. You cannot beat that. Nobody can beat that. If he drives it like he did at the U.S. Open, you cannot beat that.”

On Xander Schauffele (5-under, T-2nd)

Leonard – “I don’t know in what area he’s exceptional, other than the fact that there’s no way in which he’s deficient.”

Rich Lerner – “He’s the decathlete.”

Leonard – “He’s the five-tool player, he’s the decathlete, there’s no weakness in his game.”

On Webb Simpson (5-under, T-2nd)

Leonard – “He’s only 35. The beard makes him look 45. He’s 7th in the world…I know he’s won a U.S. Open and he won a PLAYERS’, but he won two times last year in big events, lost a third back in the fall in a playoff. He might be playing the best golf of his career.”

On low first round scores

Chamblee – “This was an historic day here. The lowest first round scoring average ever, prior to today, was 1992, when the scoring average was 72.06…as we speak right now, the scoring average right now is 71.77. They’re on pace to have the lowest-scoring average for Round One.”

-NBC Sports Group-