Overhead photo of Bubba's screaming hook that won the Masters

[Jay Flemma]

My friend sent me this pic:



Unbelievable.

BTW-> My friend says he also thinks CBS "botched" the coverage of that shot and says that he thinks they should have had more camera angles for what he calls "the greatest recovery shot in the history of major championship golf." Personally, I had no problem with the v camera angle, though it would have been nice to see the curving ball flight.

1) Did anyone else think CBS botched the coverage of that shot and

2) What is the greatest recovery shot in the history of major championship golf?  I still give the edge to Watson's chip a Pebble in '82...

[PThomas]

Watson's , agreed

[John_Conley]

Jay, I've seen this pic and another floating around the past few days.  What is the source?  It looks to me like a guy just took a blue line and bent it at a right angle.  Wasn't he further back?  Didn't the ball start out more toward the green and not chipping out laterally.  Did it really turn 90 degrees and fly straight for 50 yards.

Unbelievable is right.

[Brian_Sleeman]

I too have seen this photo making the rounds.

According to Bubba he had 155 yards.  That looks like much less than 100 to me (maybe 50-60 yards).  As big a hitter as he is, I doubt he got it down there level to the big bunker that fronted the old green.

Incredible shot though.

[Kalen Braley]

Agreed on the last two statements.

His caddy made that drawing using MSPaint.exe and based on where he thought they were, he should stick to his day job and leave the geography to the experts.

P.S.  How can CBS botch something when there is no alternative?  What exactly could CBS have done, from a technology perspective that currently exists, to better show those shots. Those pro tracers are special cameras set up in designated areas, and to work correctly the ball always need to be in frame.  To capture that shot, you would need at least 3 different cameras, all synched up....and I doubt they have the ability to telecast that live.

[Mark Steffey]

Brian, my first thought when seeing this during the week was the same..  I've NEVER seen the Mackensie bunker in play.  According to this, Bubba would have rolled in, which would have nearly been as amazing a shot as the one he pulled off!  

[Jay Flemma]

My source for the photo said he got it from the "Director of International Coverage" for the Masters, but I'm doing some independent conformation right now...I rate it only mildly reliable.  I'm pretty sure he has the guy's title wrong for openers.

If this is not accurate, of course please let me know. Bubba said he had 155, but I have no way of knowing base don that photo if that's where he is.

Nevertheless, was anyone else disappointed by the coverage f the shot (I wasn't)

Is this the "greatest recovery shot in the history of major championship golf?" Yes, it's pretty sick, but Watson's shot went in the hole and stole the US Open...

[Jay Flemma]

As I look at it closer, he has the bounce of the ball all wrong too, doesn't he?

[jeffwarne]

I too have seen this photo making the rounds.

According to Bubba he had 155 yards.  That looks like much less than 100 to me (maybe 50-60 yards).  As big a hitter as he is, I doubt he got it down there level to the big bunker that fronted the old green.

Incredible shot though.

Brian, Mark,
I was there on the left side of the fairway even with Bubba.
his ball was just even with the BEGINNING of the Mackenzie bunker.(further back than the posted photo shows)
It was the furthest I had ever seen a ball down there and the fact that he reached the Mackenzie bunker was the first thing I thought of when I saw where he was!
The most amazing thing about that shot was how much it kicked RIGHT into the right to left slope when it hit the green. Serious spin.

No way they get anymore cameras down there where Bubba was .There were a LOT of people on those 2 holes well in advance of the playoff.
You had to be nimble, fast, and tall to see the action-I found a great spot on high ground armed with binoculars over by the left scoreboard.

Tom Watson had no choice but to play what he did and the pin got in the way.
Bubba had options with Oosthuizen short in a tricky spot-well below the level of the green

[RJ_Daley]

I do think CBS may have had the ability to show the actual shot in replay better.  One would think they had the blimp cameras trained on the singular activity of the playoff pair.  Or even with the stock, canned flyovers they have of each hole, they ought to have had a sufficient view to stop the flyover at the key place, and use the white pen analysts (teleprompter?) to mark where Bubba was, and draw a white line as they often do for showing green slopes and such, or football plays.  They should have been able to show that within a few minutes after the shot, it seems to me.  I also don't think this blue line depicts the actual path of the actual shot.  But, I do believe the shot was incredible in its actual position and shape, and one of the best ever in toon-a-mint golf.  But, the shot may have been eclipsed by Louis' second shot double eagle that rival's Saracen's shot heard round the world.  That ball was flighted shaped and trajectory, wired with full consideration to the green contour and pin position, and was looking incredible from the moment it landed and made its historic roll to the pin.

[Kalen Braley]

RJ,

Except the Masters doesn't use blimp coverage in its telecast.  You'll never see a blimp shot during the telecast as apparently ANGC isn't a fan of using it.

You can add "Semi-Luddites" to their title along with "Male Chauvinists"

http://www.examiner.com/business-of-sports-in-national/gender-and-corporate-discrimination-alive-and-well-at-the-masters

[Carl Johnson]

My opinion is that the "photo" illustration is poorly faked.  I do think it would be possible put together a reasonal simulation of how the ball might have flown if you could start with adequate information, such as the exact starting point, location of trees, where the ball landed on the green, where it ended up, and a reasonable understanding of how much Bubba can reasonably curve a golf ball.

I think CBS did as good a job as they could under the circumstances.  A blimp shot would have helped, but, of course, there's no blimp coverage at the Masters.  Naturally, I was disappointed there was no blimp shot, but as the saying goes, "You can't have everything."

[RJ_Daley]

I didn't know that they don't allow blimp coverage.  I guess they just seem that way with the tall extended crane shots...  But, here is another way they could have shown the amazing dynamics of that shot.  After the shot was played and all the hoopla was over, if the ground walk-along camera man was on the ball, the director (where is Cherkanian when you need him) should have directed the walk-along cam to go back to the place Bubba hit it from, and walk the video shot out along the path.  Now that... I know they 'could' have done. 

[Bill_McBride]

Even with the "lousy" TV coverage you could see how that shot landed short and left of the pin and wound up behind and right of the pin.   Very serious spin indeed.

[jeffwarne]

RJ,

Except the Masters doesn't use blimp coverage in its telecast.  You'll never see a blimp shot during the telecast as apparently ANGC isn't a fan of using it.

You can add "Semi-Luddites" to their title along with "Male Chauvinists"

http://www.examiner.com/business-of-sports-in-national/gender-and-corporate-discrimination-alive-and-well-at-the-masters

The blimp shots suck. Kudos to ANGC for recognizing this.
However, for the sake of this thread, it would've been useful .
Recognizing an eyesore and a poor presentation of golf coverage isn't luddite, it's just good judgement.
Tell me again who had the first 3D golf coverage?

[Kalen Braley]

Jeff,

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.  I love the blimp shots/aerials and think they offer terrific views of the course.  As it is, I look at Google aerials of the place all the time...it never gets old.

I think ANGC doesn't use them because they are ashamed of their neighbors and it would tarnish their pristine image to the world, but that's just a personal conspiracy theory of mine.   

P.S.  I'm not a fan of HDTV 3D.  While its an interesting concept, it just doesn't work very well in actual practice.  My buddy has one and after the 1st month of owning it, he never uses the 3D anymore.

[jeffwarne]

Jeff,

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.  I love the blimp shots/aerials and think they offer terrific views of the course.  As it is, I look at Google aerials of the place all the time...it never gets old.

I think ANGC doesn't use them because they are ashamed of their neighbors and it would tarnish their pristine image to the world, but that's just a personal conspiracy theory of mine.   

P.S.  I'm not a fan of HDTV 3D.  While its an interesting concept, it just doesn't work very well in actual practice.  My buddy has one and after the 1st month of owning it, he never uses the 3D anymore.

I've never seen 3D TV.
I hate blimp shots.
pretty sure ANGC isn't ashamed of Augusta CC (bordering on one side) and they bought all their other neighbors

[Jay Flemma]

I'm with Jeff Warne on this one...the Masters is the Gold standard of how sporting events should be run. Three words...two...dollar...sandwiches! I'm sure some will reply with "Two...dollar...beers!"

[Kalen Braley]

Jeff,

The fact that they have bought and continue to buy thier neighbors properties only confirms the conspiracy theory in my mind!!   

You should try out 3D TV sometime.  At 1st its like this is kinda cool, but it wears off quick, and then you realize its a pain wearing the headset, the batteries wear out quick, your eyes starting tweaking out, etc.  Good idea, but I'm still waiting to see what else they invent in the future.

[RJ_Daley]

Jay, don't you think when they did their post-production debriefing, CBS and the new director may have thought of what they missed in demonstrating that 'Bubbashot"?  I simply don't believe that Chirkanian would have overlooked that.  Again, we know they have stock flyover footage of every hole.  I think they could have played with that one on #10 and probably the flyover would have had the area Bubba was in, and freeze framed it, then added the line of flight with the magic pen.  It is no big deal, just a feature that would enhance the coverage and give the viewer appreciation of the true nature of the accomplishment by Bubba.  

On the 3D coverage, I have the new LG set that has 2D-3D conversion and passive glasses.  The perspective enhancement of depicting the golf course is marginal, but an enhancement nevertheless.  But, I can't say whether the actual 3D broadcast is better because I don't have the ESPN 3D channel subscription.  I can say that there is a difference in actual 3D broadcasts and 3D blu-ray that is more pronounced than the conversion feature.  But, how that looked on the ANGC broadcast, I can't say.  

[jeffwarne]

Jay, don't you think when they did their post-production debriefing, CBS and the new director may have thought of what they missed in demonstrating that 'Bubbashot"?  I simply don't believe that Chirkanian would have overlooked that.  Again, we know they have stock flyover footage of every hole.  I think they could have played with that one on #10 and probably the flyover would have had the area Bubba was in, and freeze framed it, then added the line of flight with the magic pen.  It is no big deal, just a feature that would enhance the coverage and give the viewer appreciation of the true nature of the accomplishment by Bubba.  

On the 3D coverage, I have the new LG set that has 2D-3D conversion and passive glasses.  The perspective enhancement of depicting the golf course is marginal, but an enhancement nevertheless.  But, I can't say whether the actual 3D broadcast is better because I don't have the ESPN 3D channel subscription.  I can say that there is a difference in actual 3D broadcasts and 3D blu-ray that is more pronounced than the conversion feature.  But, how that looked on the ANGC broadcast, I can't say.  

CBS would do well to have microphones on the Observation stands at many of the key holes.
If you're there live, there is no substitute for the roars and murmering you get not only for the action, but when scores are posted.
If you've been to enough Masters you can tell not only what a roar means, but who it's for.
It's a significant part of why I left the telecast this year just to watch/hear it live.
I could tell by the moans on #12 when Hansen shanked it where to look for his ball as it wasn't a water groan, but a shocked one.

Oosthuizen was at the top of his backswing on #15 when they posted Kuchar's eagle on 15  which caused quite a roar on 17 area and clearly put him off his shot (he went on to birdie with a great recovery anyway)

[Ronald Montesano]

Anthony Gray, errr, Jeff "Oustenheizen" Warne   Oosthuizen might be closer.

Remember that Bubba's approach, with all the lefty-hook flight, was essentially coming in from the left side of the fairway. It moved similar to the end of the blue line, so that part of the photo is correct, JF.

Blimp would mean Snoopy would be a sponsor, or whoever flies the blimp these days.

I thought the coverage was adequate, and I don't need more than adequate. You had the start and you had the finish. What else do you need, a road map/gps?

[Sean Leary]

Does someone have a screen grab from behind the shot they can post? Looking at it on youtube, he is aiming it at the front (closest to the green) of the MacK bunker. You cannot see the one limbless tree that this depicts that he went just left of.

I think he is a few yards off on the start point and the initial line starts a bit farther right than this shows...

[Jim Johnson]

According to my "trusty" Google Earth imagery, the straight-line distance between the front (toward the tee) of the Mackenzie bunker and the back of the 10th green is 136 yards.

[RJ_Daley]

So, it is not a stretch of the imagination at all to say as Jeff witnessed, that a ball a few yards in the bush, from the area where the bunker begins, is 155 on the curvy path we know it was.