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As the Masters Tournament opened in Augusta, both CBS and ABC closed their newscast with a golf feature. ABC's Steve Osunsami (no link) reminded us that it is now ten years since Tiger Woods' first breakthrough win--which turns out to have been not so much of breakthrough after all for other golfers of color. The complexion of the professional circuit is now even whiter than it was when Woods first arrived. Why had he not been an inspiration for African-Americans? Osunsami suggested it was because Woods himself does not think of himself as black. "Caublanasian," was how he described his race on TV's Oprah.
CBS' Mark Phillips visited St Andrew's, the home of golf, where rocket scientist Steve Otto has a headless robot test flight patterns for new brands of balls and new designs of clubs. Actor Bill Murray happened to be playing in Scotland. Phillips called Murray a "golfing rebel," using a clip from Caddyshack of Murray blasting the blooms off flowers. What did he think of the new hi-tech gear? "We need psychological help more than technological help," Murray sneered. "I can hit the ball a mile. I am an athlete, gifted. I hit it a long ways but it does not mean I score. You have got to be able to hit the putt!"
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