AUGUSTA, GA.: Tiger Woods timed his comeback to coincide with the first-ever presentation of the Masters golf tournament in 3D, tourney officials said today. Woods will launch his 2010 season at the venerable tournament, which he’s won four times. The event will mark his first return to the sport he’s dominated for years since last Thanksgiving, when he crashed his vehicle in an apparent domestic dispute that revealed him as a indiscriminate philanderer.
“I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life,” Woods said in a statement. “When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play.”
The 3D coverage will comprise multicamera shoot, according to tourney officials, who say that “two hours of live afternoon 3D coverage will be available each day beginning during the Par-3 contest on April 7 and continuing through the four tournament rounds, April 8-11.”
Sony Electronics is providing the gear and sponsoring the telecast. Comcast will be involved in the production and distribution. Comcast and IBM, the tournament’s technology partner, will team up to offer the 3-D feed via www.masters.com.
“The production will primarily focus on the second nine of Augusta National and will be distributed live to those in the U.S. with television sets and computers that are 3-D capable,” the Masters Tourney announcement said.
CBS is the official broadcaster of the Masters, and broadcast it in hi-def for the first time in 2000. It was the first golf tourney done in HD. (Editor's Note: Television Broadcast originally reported that CBS was producing the 3D feed, though the effort actually is on the part of the Masters, Comcast and Sony.)
CBS recently announced it would do a 3D telecast of the Final Four, marking it’s entry into the field of 3D production. -- Deborah D. McAdams
TV MILESTONES
1956: First Masters Tournament television broadcast (holes 15-18)
1960: Interview of champion by Masters chairman begins
1966: First golf broadcast in color
1967: First overseas broadcast, when BBC televises Masters via satellite
1982: First- and second-round television coverage begins on USA
2000: First golf tournament broadcast in high-definition on network television
2002: 18-hole coverage on Sunday begins
2008: Par-3 Contest televised for first time
Source: Augusta National Golf Club
(Course image by Ken Van Dyne, Norris, Tenn. Shot of caddie Steve Williams and Woods by Andres Davis Tucker of the August National Golf Club)
