THE Masters tournament is a matter of tradition. There is the green jacket carried by the winners; Champions dinner; white combinations of caddies; The competition by 3 The day before the competition; The $ 1.50 pimento cheese sandwich; And again and again. Despite the veneer that nothing has changed at the Augusta National Golf Club since the inaugural tournament in 1934, the Masters have quietly become the most advantageous tournament of the four majors of golf.
It is a fascinating turn of events for a competition that announces its No phone strategy; This year, Masters have not only invited many influencers to attend, but also considerably increased the presence of the social media of the tournament. Scrolling through the content on various platforms offers fans and subscribers a rare overview behind the scenes of one of the most exclusive sporting events in the world, and this access is a pure catnip for social media.
“Everyone is trying to get there. Not everyone can get there. Not everyone can experience it unless you are there because there are no phones,” said Alayna Finau, married to the professional golfer Tony Finau. “This is what makes it special; no other tournament that gives you these sensations.”
Influencers have found creative ways to share content around the tournament without having their phone to record anything on the field. First of all, there is the literal which influences Augusta, because some customers walk on the brand course. For example, the golf team Morehouse College, sponsored by Golf Eastsidewore the clothes two days from the masters and were approached wherever they followed the route. “People always stopped us and said,” Oh, with what school are you all? ” What is this? What is this logo? Being able to have people so interested in us, especially in a place like Augusta National is quite special, ”explains coach Edgar Evans Jr. T & c.
A more traditional influencer content, including the “Ootd) and the features of Merch, filmed or before or after the tournament, is also prolific on Tiktok.
Unlike other major tournaments, the Masters has close control over its image and holds its diffusion rights. This means that its social media channels are some of the only places to get involved with what is happening during the competition. “Masters do an excellent job to make sure that fans get what they are registering,” said Noah Kortkamp, the host of the Anonymous golfers podcast,, said. “You just don’t really see this level of depth – in terms of access – with some of these other tournaments. Even the other majors are not in depth like that.”
Even before increasing the presence of the brand on social networks, masters innovated in the distribution space. As Sporty notesMasters have always been “an innovation home broadcast. It was one of the first tournaments to have microphones in the tee and green so that viewers could hear the sound of shooting swings and players conversations, while the first color show was in 1966. Finally, the broadcasting hours were extended, the cameras were placed on each hole, and the Masters was the first golf tournament to be extended in HD, 3D. This year, they add four additional hours of live coverage in the last two laps.
Scheffler on the third day of practice.
It is not only broadcast and social – the tournament has made improvements to their official masters’ application for fans most passionate to “follow” their favorite player, and for the first time this year, this data includes training sessions. In addition, there are live flows on Masters.com And the application, including “Amen Corner” (holes 11, 12 and 13), and other groups of players in features.
In addition, the long -standing sponsor of the Mercedes -Benz masters has launched an activation this week to integrate the key data from the tournament – think of scores, protruding facts, and even more – on multimedia screens in selected vehicles, so that their customers can make up for the latest activities during their parking. “We always want to innovate and do new things,” said Nicholas Emma, principal director of the Mercedes-Benz brand experience, said. “We have a big presence on television and with the accommodated customers that we have here. But we want to go bigger. To be able to go directly to our owners ‘car and bring them that, it testifies to our cars’ technology. ”
For many, the Masters is the official start of golf season. It is not only the first of the four majors, but the date of the tournament in early April aligns perfectly with the beginning of spring. Many golfers plan their first round of the year with Masters Weekend. The masters have achieved, then, it’s more than a simple tournament – it’s a brand of influence. “They really did a good job to strengthen the excitement, not only for the tournament,” says Kortkamp. “Their content makes you really excited for the golf season overall.”
Emily Burack (Elle / Elle) is the editor -in -chief of Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the Royals and a wide range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was an assistant editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.