On Thursday, fans were treated to not just Rory McIlroy mic'd up at Augusta National, but also Max Homa, with the American giving live commentary as he played up the par 4 14th during The Masters.
Earlier in the broadcast, McIlroy's appearance had divided opinion, with the four-time Major winner making his way up the par 4 ninth. This time around Homa, who at the time was one-over-par for the day, was asked questions as he made his way up the 14th fairway, a 445-yard par 4 which had delivered all manner of scores throughout the day.
A live stroll and conversation up No. 14 with Max Homa. #themasters pic.twitter.com/U7z0uso62EApril 6, 2023
In typical Homa fashion, there was a mix of informative information with a side of humour, as the six-time PGA Tour winner instantly stated "I'm really happy I made my first birdie before I had to talk to you guys. That was a big moment!" He added "the day has been pretty frustrating. I've driven it good but I made a sloppy bogey on eight and my distance control hasn't been awesome and that's where this place exposes you."
Along with discussing his round, Homa also delivered a great line about his self-confidence with the air pods in, with the American quipping: "I've just realised that people can see me talking to myself" before going on to comment about the 14th green and how "it has three insane sections".
Perhaps what fascinated me most was how quickly Homa was able to snap from the humorous chat between him and the broadcast crew to going into his approach shot, with the 32-year-old chatting to his caddie, Joe Greiner, about the cover and yardages to the flag.
Taking out the air pod for his second shot, he found the fringe on the left side with Homa explaining how the "hanging lies" (undulating lies) have such an effect on where the golf ball goes. In the end, he managed to two-putt from the edge of the green to secure his par going on to eagle the next hole to move from one-over to one-under.
Again, there was a lot of praise for the American for doing the commentary, with one user commenting "I love this feature of tv coverage. Insightful. Great to hear from the player in the moment," whilst another said "loving the live interviews on the course with a handful of players, great insight into the mindset of professional golfers."
It's not the first time that Homa has given live commentary on the golf course. Back in January, he was mic'd up during the Farmers Insurance Open, an event he actually won, with Homa one of the first players on the PGA Tour to use this initiative.
