Introducing Your Masters iPhone App

Two years ago, Augusta National announced plans to show one hour of Masters coverage on its web site prior to the telecast. It was a novel, technologically savvy move for the august bunch best known for green jackets, pimento sandwiches and and blue water in Rae's Creek every April.

The club decided to go online a year after masters.org received 3.7 million unique users and 3 million video streams of live action. And now, in this Tweet-tastic, news-on demand age, the Masters has an iPhone app. Seriously.

Via Waggle Room:

This year, though, they have increased their mobile and Internet presence. They have Masters Today and Tonight, hosted by Jim Huber, to talk about the tournament events of the day. They have three bloggers covering the tournament for the site. They also have live video of the par 3 contest and live player interviews will continue to be broadcast.

Even more, m.masters.com will give mobile users access to the leaderboard in real time and video highlights. Also, they have developed an iPhone app that will allow users to stream video of the tournament on their phone and get course flyovers.

I fully expect Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to convene a press conference to announce that this technology is killing the sport, and that the Masters should go back to televising only the back nine, preferably in black and white. Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts would want it that way.*

Actually, this is fantastic news, particularly for those of us who have iPhones (which, at last count, includes everybody but Shane Bacon). Of course, if you also have DirecTV -- and plan on sitting in front of your television for four straight days -- the mobile-device wonders won't matter. But it's always good to have a backup plan.

* joke