Coverage Plans for Masters 2011, Now Hits The Market

For the 2011 Masters Tournament, which is scheduled on April 4-10, golf aficionados will have to do with, well, latest gadgets and expanded coverage in lieu of the Tournament’s official website, including the iPad, mobile gadgets, and the television broadcast. Well, you’ll have to do with it, as a matter of fact, techie.

"We have always been intent on conveying the beauty and excitement of the Masters in an innovative and enriching manner through the many ways people choose to experience the Tournament," that’s according to Billy Payne, the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. "Each year, we continue to improve these offerings by balancing our high standards for production with the latest advances in technology, all in an effort to reach more people in more entertaining ways."

A remake of Masters.com can now be accessed and is regularly updated with blogs, photos, and videos by popular demands. For the big Masters Week, the site will also feature these babies:

• Eight live video channels, all available in HD-quality

• DVR functionality that allows users to rewind to key moments during live action

• Exclusive live scoring with integrated leader board highlights

• The Internet's only live, 3D video stream for users with 3D-capable computers

• Comprehensive news coverage, highlights, scores, statistics and player information

For those who have the despicable yet sleek iPad, the Masters crashed the market with its first application within the App Store which is made to complement the television broadcast and follow Masters Tournament wherever you go.

The Masters also have applications available for use in the iPhone and Android-based phones, featuring exclusive live scoring, Masters Radio, pairings news, video highlights, and interviews.

And for the final dash of bliss, released previously last September, the television coverage of the live Masters tournament includes one more hour on Thursday and Friday. For the US, Masters will air on ESPN 3-7:30 pm, with 3D programming on ESPN 3D; plus two hours from Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest and all four rounds of Tournament action. Would you ask for more? This is better than ever!

Meet the Founders of Golf Masters Tournament

The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters, is recognized to be one of the four major championships in professional golf. This is an invitational event wherein the field of players is smaller than those of the other major championships. Unlike any other major championships, the Masters is held each year at the same location, the Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in the city of Augusta, Georgia, USA. Try to watch Golf Masters 2011 Live Online for you to experience the fun in this kind of sports.

The Augusta National Golf Club has been founded by the legendary amateur champion Bobby Jones together with an astute investment banker in New York named Clifford Roberts. Jones was the one responsible for the design of the golf course along with the help of the esteemed British Architect Dr. Alister Mackenzie. Being popular in this kind of game, Jones was able to magnetize golf’s biggest stars to the Masters, thus beginning the inaugural event in 1934. Meanwhile, Clifford Roberts oversaw countless information of the Tournament and he untiringly sought to improve the Masters experience for the patrons and competitors and the wider world of golf.

Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones Jr. was born on March 17, 1902, St. Patrick’s Day, in Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, he lived as an amateur golfer who dominated the game from the early 1920s up to 1930s. Over a seven-year span of playing golf, he won 13 of 21 major championships that he joined in.

Clifford Roberts, on the other hand, was born on a farm in Morning Sun, Iowa, in 1894. Though Roberts was not known for being a great golfer, he had made his mark on Wall Street as a Partner with Reynolds and Company and an astute investment banker in New York. He was the co-founder with Bobby Jones of Augusta National Golf Club where he served as Chairman from 1931 through 1976 and was named “Chairman in Memoriam” after he died in 1977.

Martin Laird Itches Back to Battle

The star-studded list of European players who will join in on Augusta National Golf Club next week in pursuit of a Green Jacket is topped off once more, adding Martin Laird’s name on it. Laird started a bit slow on Sunday, but composed himself in order to rally for victory at the prestigious Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. His play and style wasn’t always that pretty, as Laird shot a final-round-75 and never alone. More than a dozen golfers had a chance to win, but most of them got pissed off with the windy condition and demanded course reset. Laird played in the final group, two-putted the 18th hole from nearly 90 feet to win by one stroke over Steve Marino. Watch Golf Masters 2011 and witness every game full force, hook, line, and sinker.

"That was a tough fight out there," Laird said after his victory at Bay Hill. "To be honest, I didn't feel like I had my swing really all day. Pretty much hit it everywhere until about the last four holes. The two clubs that have been good for me, my driver and my putter, held me in all week and they really came through strong. I couldn't be any happier."

For the record, Laird was already in the Masters filed thanks to his performance last season on the PGA Tour. Ranking 50th, he qualified for the Tour Championship and finished in the top 50 – in the year-end world ranking. There’s more to come so watch Golf Masters 2011.

Twenty-eight-year-old Lard made a brief trip about two weeks ago t get a Sneak Peek at Augusta National.

"Never been there before," he said. "Loved the golf course. I feel like it really does set up pretty good for me with hitting it high. And I know those greens will get real firm like (Bay Hill), and obviously putting is probably the strongest part of my game right now and that's really what it all comes down to coming down the stretch at Augusta. I can't wait to get there."

To recall what he’d been through, Laird arrived from his native Scotland at Colorado to play college golf, at that time he was a low-ball hitter just like the others because of the windy weather.

"I hit it really low," he said. "I just hit a low draw, kind of a low, trap draw that a lot of guys from Scotland play. I think going to school in Colorado--a lot of the guys on our team were from Colorado and all hit it into orbit, because you want to do that there so the ball goes farther--I think that helped me. I gradually started hitting it higher and higher.

"Now I've gone from hitting it really low to one of the highest ball flights on tour. When you are playing a golf course like this with greens this firm, you need to hit it as high as you can. You just can't hold greens if you can't hit it way up in the air. It's definitely what you need to have over here to play majors and tough golf courses like this, which is really set up like a major."

21-Year Old Champion Chung Trekked Augusta

21-year old champion David Chung got an invitation to the 2011 Masters, with reference to his being a runner-up in the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship. A native of North Carolina, Chung is a junior Communications major at Stanford University where he became an All-American choice last season. He also won the Porter Cup and western Amateur in 2010. Chung shares his thoughts on his Masters Debut experience through Masters.com reporter Tom Spousta.

He said that he can’t believe he’ll be at Augusta National this week, which came out as surprise from his parents. After Chung got his hands full with finals week, he almost forgot to make plans for spring break. When he went home to North Carolina, his parents declared, 'You're only going to be home for a couple days because we made a couple tee times for you.'

Chung stayed on Tuesday thru Thursday and he was with his mom, Elise. With the perfect weather, and the verdant and charming course, Chung hit some balls, and ten minutes later, he related that the balls were off the range. He played 18 holes, just dropping balls, chipping from different locations, like a normal practice round. He reportedly saw Alex Cejka, Jason Day, Paul Casey, and Stewart Cink. He actually met Day and shared a chat with him.

They also had a chance to have a group play through with former Vice President Dan Quayle and Coach Lou Holtz.

“I'm going right from here to play with my team in a college event, the Linger Longer Invitational just down the road at Reynolds Plantation. That's from March 27-29, and then I'm coming right back to Augusta. I've been lucky enough to play some pretty great courses, but there's really nothing that can match Augusta National. For me, it's transforming right before my eyes. You can smell the flowers blooming, see the observation stands going up and everything getting ready for the Tournament. It's getting my blood pumping that it's getting closer and closer to the Masters”. Lastly, Chung beamed at the thought about having the chance of a lifetime to be with the Masters.