Tom Watson’s written letter noticed golf pundit sacked from Masters job after crass comment

The Masters broadcaster was reprimanded for his feedback by {golfing} icon Tom Watson

Tom Watson of the United States looks on

Tom Watson wrote a letter of grievance (Picture: Getty Photographs) This text incorporates affiliate hyperlinks, we are going to obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Study extra

The 2026 Masters obtained underway this week, with the esteemed occasion as soon as on the coronary heart of a significant falling-out between golf hero Tom Watson and broadcaster Gary McCord. Controversy ignited throughout CBS’s 1994 Masters protection when US commentator McCord cracked a joke about how speedy the greens had been at Augusta Nationwide. Whereas most viewers at house discovered it amusing, the remark did not go down properly with the Augusta Nationwide’s hierarchy, together with two-time Masters champion Tom Watson.

Such was Watson’s anger that he even despatched a letter demanding McCord be faraway from the published. Simply a number of months later, McCord’s Grasp’s position was over. The seemingly innocuous incident came about within the closing spherical of the 1994 Masters, as McCord offered commentary whereas Jose Maria Olazabal lined up a putt on the seventeenth inexperienced.

In a humorous try and articulate simply how fast the greens had been operating, McCord mentioned: “I do not suppose they mow these greens, I believe they bikini wax them.” Whereas the joke appeared to seize every thing viewers cherished about McCord, Augusta Nationwide didn’t see the humor within the remark.

Initially, McCord appeared to have escaped any repercussions. Neal Pilson, who was the chief of CBS Sports activities on the time, was seated immediately subsequent to McCord and appeared to understand the quip.

“I obtained extra publicity for doing this than something I ever did in golf,” he mentioned in a later interview. Nonetheless, the incident stays one of the crucial notorious episodes within the historical past of televised golf — a cautionary story about overstepping the mark with humour at Augusta.