The venerable Masters Tournament wants the young’uns to know it’s dope. Or whatever the expression is now that means it’s in step with the times. And they want the younger crowd to know that Augusta National Golf Club is where the action is, even if you’re just watching it on TV.
Last year, the five-man Internet sensation Dude Perfect hosted one of their famed “all-sports” battles at the Amen Corner and even more notably, did not get thrown out. Seriously, check out the video with Bryson DeChambeau.
This year, Augusta isn’t just pushing the envelope; it’s licking the stamp, offering an esports tournament. Golf Digest said it best:
The club announced its latest "How do you do, fellow kids?" move on Monday, revealing it would be hosting the Road to the Masters Invitational inside of the Press Building on Sunday, April 2, the eve of the 2023 Masters. It is a livestream, video game tournament that pits participants from the sports, entertainment and gaming worlds against one another in the new EA Sports PGA Tour: Road to the Masters video game.
Esports at Augusta? Cue the purists asking if they can just put a spit into the grave of golf’s forefather, Charles Blair MacDonald, so that he can rotate freely.
But the Masters has been working to woo that younger demographic. A commercial dropped in mid-March of this year, promoting the tournament as an opportunity to have parties and to enjoy rooting for (and against) players with friends, much the same way the Super Bowl is celebrated. As Golf Digest notes,
There is a caddie gnome in his white overalls. There is a diverse group of Gen Zers in their Sunday best, happily arriving at a house party. Baby shower? Engagement party? And if you saw just that part, with the sliders and the finger sandwiches and general merrymaking, you might think it was a Super Bowl beer commercial. There are bros hitting balls off backyard mats while the Masters plays on a television that looks old enough to have shown the premier of “Happy Days.”
But nope, it’s a party to watch the Masters. In other words, the message is: Golf is fun and has a party vibe. It’s not staid, conservative or buttoned up. That’s the message Augusta is working hard to relay.
And it comes at a good time. According to River’s Edge, “While in recent years the popularity of golf among younger people has grown, the majority of players are still of an older age. The median age of a golfer in the U.S. is 54, continuing to draw in an older crowd.”
The pandemic did bring more former players, as well as more new players out onto courses (many of whom were children playing with parents), something that bodes well for the future if those younger players find themselves in the game. Additionally, the National Golf Foundation also cites hopeful statistics.
But back to esports. Augusta is helping promote the EA SPORTS-produced PGA Tour Road to the Masters video game. A crew of four broadcasters, including CBS's Amanda Renner, will provide live analysis as eight celebrities (competing in four two-person teams) compete in an alternate-shot format round on the game, which is to be released nationally at the week's end. Following nine holes, the top two teams will advance to a three-hole, alternate-shot final round to be played on Amen Corner, holes 11-13 at Augusta. The whole competition will be livestreamed.
According to EA, “The Masters made its first-ever virtual appearance with EA SPORTS in 2011, and its return to video games has been highly requested by golf fans. EA SPORTS will also provide more details on additional live service content throughout the 2023 PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour seasons.”
EA views the game as a way to bring the sport to those who would like to visit some of the best-known courses virtually.
“We're bringing the premier PGA TOUR experience to players around the world with real-world golf data powering incredibly realistic gameplay with every shot, and some of the most iconic courses in the world rendered in painstaking detail,” said Cam Weber, EVP and GM, EA SPORTS. “From The Old Course at St Andrews Links to Pebble Beach Golf Links and more, we’re giving players the chance to tee off in bucket list golf experiences like never before in EA SPORTS PGA TOUR.”
The game hits the market at a great time, with other Olympic sports announcing their virtual counterparts. World Archery's game for the 2023 Olympic Esports Series, Tic Tac Bow and FIFA’s initiative, FAMEHERGAME, designed to increase female participation in esports, were announced within the last two weeks.
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