Ban on phones made it a truly magic Masters

ONE of the many things that make the Masters such a wonderful event to cover is the Augusta National’s refusal to allow mobile phones and cameras on to the course during the tournament.

Some see it as an anachronism in this age of instant news. For the rest of us, it adds to the magic of the occasion.

Take this example: I was sitting in the huge gallery beside the 18th green late on Sunday when Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose were playing the 17th. Rose, who was on 10 under, had a one-shot lead on the 17th tee but there were no phones and no giant screens to tell us what was happening thereafter.

So we did that thing sporting crowds never do any more, we sat and we waited. We stared at the giant scoreboard and listened for cheers that might give us a clue who had done what. None came.

And then the operators started to change the scoreboard. Manually, of course. First of all, it showed Garcia still on nine under. There was a groan because, by then, the patrons had swung firmly behind the Spaniard and they assumed he was still at least a shot back. Then Rose’s score changed. He had dropped a shot. He was on nine under too. There was a huge cheer.

It was a reminder that, sometimes, a bit of mystery is a prime ingredient of drama. When you do not see everything, your imagination takes over. Modern sport does not allow us thinking time any more. It fills it with blaring music or live footage. The Masters is one of the last places where it is different.

One last point: a colleague noted that the pictures of Garcia sinking the winning putt also showed the spectators watching the action. So many of our experiences now are refracted through our mobile phones that we do not let ourselves watch. We are so busy trying to record something so we can share it that we do not let ourselves enjoy it. At the Masters, sport lets you breathe again.