More and more sports are embracing the mic'd up live athlete, and golf is joining in.
Rory McIlroy, one of the pre-tournament favorites to win the Masters this weekend, became one of the first golfers at Augusta National to be live during a round, much to the delight of golf fans.
LIVE: Updates, highlights from Round 1 of the Masters
Because golf is such an individual sport (no disrespect to caddies, of course), it can be fascinating to hear players' internal monologues. Hearing McIlroy throughout the weekend should be a treat for golf fans, particularly if he's as competitive as he's projected to be.
The early returns were promising, with people praising the instant feedback from McIlroy on his play.
McIlroy chatting through his round at the Masters on TV. Fascinating insight. Great for the viewers. Loved it 👏 #Masters
— Pete Snodden (@PeteSnodden) April 6, 2023
Rory McIlroy doing a walk and talk while playing #TheMasters is top tier broadcasting from Sky. A lot of pressure on his shoulders this weekend and calmly providing insight mid-round is mind blowing .
— Frankie Christou (@FrankieChristou) April 6, 2023
Watch Rory McIlroy getting interviewed going up 9 was simply brilliant. A great insight! #themasters
— Stuart Simpson (@Simmie271) April 6, 2023
But there were also those who were concerned about the new feature.
As cool as it is to have Rory McIlroy mic’d up I hope this doesn’t lead to an overkill of doing it. Awesome moment, and I wish it was done more in other tournaments, but not sure if now because Rory did it we need more guys mic’d up at the Masters and other Majors.
— Mike Uva (@Mike_Uva) April 6, 2023
This Rory McIlroy mic’d up thing is a bit weird
— Conor O’Toole (@kippaxireland) April 6, 2023
McIlroy wasn't the only golfer to go live in-round. Max Homa did an interview with ESPN as he played the 14th hole.
“Oh, it looks better than I thought. Ok, I’m a little bit less stressed out now.”
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) April 6, 2023
Max Homa walks up to the 14th green at Augusta and delivers a relatable thought.
This type of insight during a major championship, especially The Masters, is fascinating. pic.twitter.com/l7tI8Bsfxc
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McIlroy went hot on the mic after initially expressing reluctance.
"It would take a little bit of convincing for me [to wear a mic during a round] but I'd certainly be open to it," McIlroy said at the Players Championship.
Rory McIlroy two months ago: "It would take a little bit of convincing for me [to wear a mic during a round] but I'd certainly be open to it."
— Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) April 6, 2023
Rory McIlroy on Thursday of the only major he's never won: LEEROOYYYY JENNNNKINNNNNS pic.twitter.com/1owUEGzFTn
The feature has provided interesting context to McIlroy's game.
Watching Rory McIlroy hit a shot and then getting instant feedback from him on it is just outstanding pic.twitter.com/J0cJhwU98h
— Jay Rigdon (@jayrigdon5) April 6, 2023
ESPN has made on-field interviews with mic'd-up MLB players part of its "Sunday Night Baseball" broadcast, so it isn't surprising to see the feature brought into another sport.
One thing to pay attention to: what, if any, effect the setup has on McIlroy's game as the weekend goes on. McIlroy was 1 over par through 13 holes Thursday, eight strokes behind co-leaders Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.
