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The Old-School Scoreboards at the Masters Create Moments Like Nowhere Else in Sports

Augusta National’s commitment to tradition gave fans a unique experience on Sunday.

Tyler Lauletta

Rory McIlroy walks up the 18th fairway at Augusta National.
Rory McIlroy walks up the 18th fairway at Augusta National. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Rory McIlroy’s win at Augusta National on Sunday came with plenty of drama.

From a double-bogey on his first hole of the day, to a missed par putt on the 72nd hole of the tournament that pushed things to a playoff, McIlroy’s journey to finally getting fitted for a green jacket was anything but smooth.

For viewers watching at home, the drama was intense, as they were able to see every shot McIlroy made, for better or worse, and his reactions. But for fans at Augusta National, the experience of tracking McIlroy came with a different kind of stress.

While some fans undoubtedly did their best to walk with Rory every shot of his final round, others chose to set up camp at a prime location on the course and watch the tournament field play through. Because of Augusta National’s rule banning patrons from having phones on the course, information at the Masters travels through two primary means: the traditional scoreboards set up across the grounds, and word of mouth.

This combination led to some extremely dramatic moments for fans who weren’t following the leaders, as they would eagerly await updates from the scoreboard that would inform them of what was happening elsewhere on the course.

The results were magical—when McIlroy took his lead back to two strokes over Bryson DeChambeau on the fourth hole just minutes after his double-bogey on the first, patrons cheered as the scores went up.

The buzz such an update creates is palpable. Whlie at any other tournament, fans would be able to track the scores of players across the course on their phones, and watch their best shots of the day moments after they happened, at Augusta National, patrons need to wait as information makes its way to them. It creates a unique vibe on the course and great theatre for fans watching from home.

Just another reason that the Masters is truly a tradition unlike any other.

More Masters Coverage on Sports Illustrated

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Tyler Lauletta
TYLER LAULETTA

Tyler Lauletta is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News Team/team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI, he covered sports for nearly a decade at Business Insider, and helped design and launch the OffBall newsletter. He is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, and remains an Eagles and Phillies sicko. When not watching or blogging about sports, Tyler can be found scratching his dog behind the ears.

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