Craig Humphreys & WWLS The Sports Animal continue the tradition of LIVE and exclusive coverage of The Masters from Augusta National beginning Saturday April 1st thru the final round on Sunday April 9th.
This year, Craig’s son Sam Humphreys, host of the 73rd Hole Radio Show and Podcast, will be joining the coverage beginning on Thursday April 6th. 2 generations of golf experience, passion and expertise delivers Oklahoma’s most intimate coverage of golf’s biggest event!
Listen for live updates throughout the week from Augusta National plus weekend preview and recap shows along with on-demand content, interviews and analysis.
Preview below from Craig Humphreys
The 2023 Masters will mark my 34th trip to Augusta National over the past 36 Masters Tournaments. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented me from attending the 2020 and 2021 Masters. My first Masters was in 1988, the year Sandy Lyle birdied the final hole with a 7-iron from the back fairway bunker on the left side of No. 18. My excitement and anticipation level as the Masters approached was off the charts in 1988! It has remained at that high level for the other 33 I have been blessed to attend since my first visit!
For anyone who loves golf, there is nothing to compare to Augusta National or the Masters Tournament! It is golf’s first Major of the year, played on the most picturesque course, with the dogwoods and azaleas perfectly timed to bloom that exact week! On second thought, you don’t even have to be a fan of golf to enjoy the beauty of Augusta National! The fact that it is the only Major played on the same course every year only adds to “a tradition unlike any other.” The Masters is all about tradition! The familiar Masters logo—a yellow silhouette of the continental United States with a flag atop a flagstick planted in Augusta, Ga. is a good place to start! The Champions Dinner on Tuesday night, the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday afternoon, the Honorary Starters on Thursday morning, and the Green Jacket, are just a few! Also, we know the familiar Amen Corner, Rae’s Creek, the Eisenhower Tree (now gone), and landmarks starting with Magnolia Lane, the Eisenhower and Butler Cabins, and the Hogan, Nelson, and Sarazen Bridges. Then you have the famous names associated with Augusta National and the Masters, like Bobby Jones, Clifford Roberts, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson.
The 2023 Masters is packed with storylines! Rory McIlroy needs a Green Jacket to complete the career Grand Slam! Rory is without a Major victory since the 2014 PGA. Scottie Scheffler is the Defending Champion, and has recent victories in Phoenix, and at The Players. Jon Rahm has already won 3 times this year, at the Tournament of Champions, in Palm Springs, and at Riviera in Los Angeles. Max Homa has two wins on the PGA Tour this season, including his win at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Oklahoma will be represented in Augusta by Talor Gooch and Taylor Moore, who were raised in Midwest City and Edmond, respectively. Gooch is one of the top players on LIV Golf, and Moore won recently in Tampa for his first PGA Tour win! The Masters will be Moore’s first Major! Also, OSU will be represented by Viktor Hovland and OU by Abe Ancer. Hovland has won 3 times on the PGA Tour and twice on the DP World Tour. Viktor is ranked No. 9 in the world this week ( March 20 ). Ancer has won once each on the PGA and DP World Tours. He has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the OWGR.
Finally, the PGA Tour vs LIV Golf storyline will receive a lot of attention during Masters week this year. This will be an opportunity for LIV players to gain World Ranking points, and possibly play their way into other Majors. Everything from pairings to tee times will be under a microscope! Oh, and I didn’t even mention Tiger and Phil among the storylines! Yes, my excitement and anticipation is still OFF THE CHARTS! I CAN’T WAIT!
Preview below from Sam Humphreys
The vibe at The 2023 Masters Tournament is going to be unlike anything we have ever seen before in professional golf. All of the top PGA Tour players will be competing against the top LIV Players for the first time this season. This is the most hyped up Major Championship since The 2019 Masters. It promises to be full of drama coming off The Open Championship, where LIV Golf’s Cam Smith took down the face of the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy, in an epic battle. Both of which are still looking for their first Green Jacket, and Rory is still looking for his first major since 2014.
You know that it’s a different landscape in golf when Tiger Woods is (unofficially) playing in the event, but he is not the top story. Tiger played his first competitive round on the PGA Tour (at this year’s Genesis Invitational in February) since the 2022 Open Championship. Tiger’s speed was still there, but the jury is still out on his short game, and most importantly his health. A successful week for Tiger will be to make the cut and finish 72 holes at this year’s Masters.
One of the things that I am most looking forward to watching live at Augusta this year is Oklahoma’s local flair that will be playing in The 2023 Masters. Let’s begin with Taylor Moore, who just earned a spot in The Masters after winning the Valspar Championship this past week on The PGA Tour. This will be the former Edmond Memorial Bulldog’s first Major Championship. Next, Talor Gooch, who qualified for the Masters by his OWGR ranking at the end of last year. Gooch is an up and coming star in professional golf. He won last season on The PGA Tour, and was a top 10 player on the 2022 FedEx Cup before he took his talents to the LIV Golf league in the middle of 2022. Gooch has 5 top 10’s on LIV. The former Carl Albert and OSU phenom is looking for his first Major Championship, and boy would it be a story in the game of golf if it came at The 2023 Masters.
The other players with Oklahoma ties are the former Sooner, Abe Ancer, and the former Cowboy Viktor Hovland. From rival schools to rival tours, but you wouldn’t know it considering the are two of the nicest guys in professional golf, both of which seem like it’s a matter of when not if they when their first Major Championship. Ancer is still ranked 39th in the world despite not receiving any OWGR points for any of his LIV events this year or last year. He did have a big win at the start of this calendar year at the Saudi International, which did have a handful of PGA Tour players in the field, most notably Cam Young. Abe is the pride of Mexico and has one of the best short games in pro golf and finished T13 here at Augusta in 2020. Hovland has been the most consistent player on the PGA Tour. The Norwegian hasn’t missed a cut since last years Scottish Open. However he is still looking for his first win in the continental United States, which is pretty shocking. Hovland won Tiger’s Hero World Challenge earlier this season, and is poised to top his best finish in a Major Championship, which is a T4 at the 2022 Open Championship.
Professional Golf is divided. The “golf media” is divided. The fans are divided. The OWGR ranking system is horrific. BUT at least for this year, The 2023 Masters is bringing the best golfers in the world together for a “tradition unlike any other”!
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