It's no secret that the Masters Tournament is one of golf's biggest. What was a secret to viewers, however, was where Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young were playing from on Sunday.
On the final hole of McIlroy's chase for the first back-to-back Augusta wins since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002, the camera was unable to show where the duo's balls had landed after their first shots. Along with this, the viewers didn't have a clear shot of McIlroy's eventual winning putt.
The network's faulty coverage drew reactions far and wide across social media. Because of this, Pat McAfee invited longtime commentator Jim Nantz to speak on his show about his time at this year's tournament, along with his thoughts on the coverage.
Here's what Nantz had to say about the network's coverage from Augusta, and a look at how long he has hosted the Masters.
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Jim Nantz responds to criticism of CBS Masters coverage
On his Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Nantz was asked about his thoughts on CBS's Masters coverage and the criticisms the network received.
McAfee brought up the point that viewers were unable to see the entirety of McIlroy's jacket-clinching putt on hole No. 18. According to the legendary announcer, "It's live television. We all make mistakes."
Nantz went on to give the CBS crew their praises, saying, "If he [McIlroy] would have missed it, we would have had the all-time story in the history of golf. But I'm really proud of our crew. You're making … so many decisions, split-second decisions. ... I can't speak to the difficulty and some of the decision-making and some of the things that people are responsible for. I just know that our crew is the best in the business."
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Why did people criticize CBS masters coverage?
Many Masters viewers watching on CBS were quick to jump on the network's back for subpar coverage. During the last shot of the tournament, viewers were not happy that they were unable to see McIlroy's winning putt from inside the cup.
Prior to this, viewers were unsure where specifically McIlroy's tee shot on hole No. 18 had definitively landed. They opted to cut to his playing partner, Cameron Young's incoming shot, prior to locating McIlroy's. For over a minute, the network went on to wait before mentioning to viewers where the leader's shot landed, and just as importantly, what McIlroy was up against.
After their golf balls were located for their second shots, the cameras were unable to pick up where they had landed again. Golf fans' patience was drawing thin, especially in a moment where McIlroy's tournament was on the line, and a playoff battle between the World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was not off the table.
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How many Masters has Jim Nantz covered?
Nantz has been in the booth for the Masters for 41 years, according to USA Today, since 1986. He has hosted the prestigious tournament since 1989, leading commentary for 38 weekends.
Throughout his time covering at Augusta National, he has seen two back-to-back winners in Tiger Woods (2001–2002) and, most recently, Rory McIlroy (2024–2025). The two calls were 24 years apart, but both moments remain timeless.
