‘Thought he missed’ – Masters broadcasters slammed over choice of Rory McIlroy’s winning moment

Masters viewers were left incensed during the closing stages of Rory McIlroy’s dramatic win, as cameras struggled to capture two key moments.

The Northern Irishman became just the fourth player in history to claim back-to-back green jackets at Augusta National, behind only Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo on Sunday.

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Another roller-coaster weekend, which saw McIlroy build and then surrender a six-shot lead, ended with the Grand Slam champion putting from close range on the 18th green to secure victory.

But for some watching at home, it initially looked as if the 36-year-old had missed that crucial shot.

Masters viewers stunned by ‘terrible’ camera angle

As McIlroy lined up for his tap-in bogey, CBS viewers were left to trust that he’d made the putt, as they couldn’t see if his ball actually went in the hole due to the angle used on the broadcast.

There were no doubt countless cameras at Augusta on Sunday, and TV crews had plenty of time between shots to get one into the perfect position.

But in the end, fans watching at home were stuck with a view that failed to capture a historic Masters moment, as McIlroy became a rare back-to-back champion — and banked record prize money.

Plenty of outraged viewers soon took to social media to share their disappointment with the coverage.

“Seriously, this is the shot you go with??? Can’t even see the ball go in,” one wrote on X.

“Holy c***. No way that CBS didn’t get an angle of the winning putt going in. Terrible producing/directing in the truck,” another said.

“I legit thought he missed it, especially from Rory’s reaction too. The broadcast learned a lot from the final hole, especially when we couldn’t see the ball from Rory,” a third wrote.

“Would have been incredible to actually see it happen on TV, but I guess that’s too much to ask,” a fourth said of McIlroy’s winning moment.

The camera angle on the 18th wasn’t the only issue with the broadcast, either.

Key Rory McIlroy moment ‘ruined’ by TV broadcast

McIlroy held a two-stroke advantage over Scottie Scheffler heading to the final hole, but gave himself plenty of work to do with a wayward shot off the tee.

He then struck his second shot from the pine straw towards the green, but the TV broadcast failed to track the ball as it flew through the air.

Cameras switched to a wide shot of the 18th, but McIlroy’s white ball was nowhere to be seen, and viewers were left uncertain of its location.

It later transpired that it had landed in the greenside bunker, and even the announcers appeared unsure as the defending champion made his way to the pin.

They were heard urging McIlory to double-check he was about to play the right ball, after Cameron Young’s also got lost.

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He eventually chipped his third shot out of the bunker, to set up a fairly straightforward route to victory following all the drama — even if those at home struggled to watch it unfold.

“Coverage on that 18th was probably the worst coverage of any big sports event I’ve ever seen,” one concluded of the Masters broadcast.

“Some of the worst camera work the Masters has ever had. Am I the only one thinking this? The broadcast didn’t even know where his second shot on 18 went a whole minute afterwards,” another said.

“That camera guy on 18 was atrocious. Saw 0 of the 2 approach shots. Embarrassing,” a third claimed.

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“Still laughing about CBS having a billion cameras on the 18th hole at the Masters and somehow still missed having any idea where both approach shots went, and had a camera shot where you couldn’t see the hole for Rory’s winning putt,” a fourth said.

McIlroy’s victory at the Masters will go down in history, but for many, a couple of massive moments on the 18th were ruined by sub-par TV coverage.

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