2010 Masters TV Schedule and Tournament Notes

HELLO, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME to the 2010 Masters. This is Jim Nan ... er, sorry. I guess I got carried away. It’s Masters week, golf fans! Magnolia Lane, azaleas, Amen Corner, pimento cheese sandwiches and Chuck Norris-style security.

MASTERS NEED TO KNOW

Purse: A lot
Winner’s share: A bundle, but they’re really playing for the Green Jacket
Defending champion: Angel Cabrera

Inside the field
Inside Augusta National
Augusta National aerial map
Tee times
2010 Masters statistics
Past Masters winners
Tournament news
Masters TV
Masters video
Photo gallery

2010 Masters Leaderboard

ARMCHAIR GOLF Masters Vault

Assorted past stories and content from yours truly.

Errie Ball: Last Man Standing from First Masters
Q&A: Walker Inman Jr.: First Augusta Native to Play in Masters
Masters Food: A Tradition Unlike Any Other
Q&A: SI’s Jim Gorant on the Masters
Tiger Woods Will Still Win the Grand Slam This Year
Trevor Immelman’s Idol

TV SCHEDULE

Between Golf Channel, ESPN and CBS, roughly a gazillion hours of TV coverage are set for the 2010 Masters. Just make sure your TV is on and you’re bound to catch it. (Without many commercials on the weekend, I might add.)

Thu, 4/8
ESPN 4 - 7:30 PM ET / 8 - 11 PM ET

Fri, 4/9
ESPN 4 - 7:30 PM ET / 8 - 11 PM ET

Sat, 4/10
CBS 3:30 - 7 PM ET

Sun, 4/11
CBS 2 - 7 PM ET

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: Keith Allison/Flickr)

Els on Masters Readiness: ‘Whole Package Is There’

ANYONE ELSE READY TO fit Ernie Els for a Green Jacket? He’s a popular pick this week after two impressive wins in Florida. When I first heard that Ernie had made a caddie change (from Ricci Roberts to Dan Quinn), I thought it was an April Fools’ joke. Then I learned more and it made sense.

I asked PGA Tour caddie Mark Huber what he thought about the change. “These guys have been off again on again throughout Ernie’s career,” Mark said in an email. “This was an arrangement agreed upon before the year and if I know Ricci he’s more than satisfied with the schedule. Augusta is the toughest walking major course and he would probably want to work Pebble and St. Andrews instead. Ricci will probably be at Augusta, but enjoying the nightlife instead of trudging the fairways.”

Ernie said in his weekly diary that Ricci and Dan are happy about it and so is he. “I've been to Augusta so many times that I don’t think anybody can tell me anything more about this golf course than I already know.”

The Big Easy also said he rolled down Magnolia Lane with more confidence and game.

“I honestly can’t wait to tee it up. This year I’m going in with a fair bit more confidence and momentum than I have had for a while. You know, I think the whole package is there. My mindset is a lot better. I’m hitting the ball well and the key thing is my short game and putting are both a lot sharper than they have been for a couple of years. Obviously that is the key ingredient to success at Augusta. You’ve got to chip and putt really well to compete here. I’m looking forward to it.”

This will be Ernie’s 17th start at the Masters, and there have been many Aprils that I thought he might break through. But he never has. It’s unfortunate, because I’ve always thought his game was tailor made for the place. Did you know Ernie hasn’t made a cut at Augusta since 2006?

Maybe this will be his year. Fingers crossed.

−The Armchair Golfer

(Image: scotchollie/Flickr)

Yani Tseng Smiles Her Way to Second Major

2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship Recap
Winner: Yani Tseng
Score: 13 under, 275 (69, 71, 67, 68)
Quote: “Stay focused. That’s what I wanted to do, and keep smiling.”
Fact: Favorite club is 8-iron.
Thought: Has tool set to be a dominant player.

ALL PLAYERS LOOK GOOD when they’re winning a golf tournament, because they’re obviously playing well during that particular week. The golf ball is generally going where the players want it to, and a considerable number of putts are usually falling into the cup. That was certainly the case for Yani Tseng at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the year’s first major on the LPGA Tour. Tseng fired 135 on the weekend to nip Suzann Pettersen by a shot. It’s the third win and second major title for the 21-year-old Taiwanese player. In her rookie season she won the 2008 LPGA Championship in a playoff with Maria Hjorth.

Tseng, however, strikes many onlookers as more than a good player who can put together an occasional win. She has talent galore and a bag full of shots. With experience and the right mental approach, she could win a lot more LPGA tournaments and several majors before she’s through. Evidently, she recently had a lengthy chat with a Hall of Famer that was quite helpful.

“I really want to thank Annika Sorenstam,” Yani said Sunday after taking the winner’s traditional jump into the pond beside the 18th green, “because she came to my house and we sit down and talk about two hours, and she helped me a lot about my game, about the mentals, and she told me go step by step.”

With the major victory, Tseng moved up to second in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Jiyai Shin dropped to third. Lorena Ochoa has held the top spot for 155 consecutive weeks, but with the likes of Tseng, Shin and others elevating their games, I wonder how long it will be before Ochoa is knocked off her pedestal.

−The Armchair Golfer