The Masters Tournament is one of the most important golf events on the calendar. Fans and players alike eagerly await the competition, which begins typically in the first week of April. Despite its connection with the age-old traditions of the game, the tournament has witnessed gradual changes over time. Recently, a technological update, which is brought by one of the tournament’s long-standing sponsors, hasn’t left the fans pleased.

IBM has been a loyal sponsor of the Masters Tournament. Having been associated with the major championship for over 25 years, the company has sought to bring the latest technological advancements to the age-old game.

In a recent announcement, the multinational corporation spoke about enhancing The Masters digital experience for its viewers. The company has decided upon “keeping them more informed about golfers they admire with Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated spoken commentary and hole-by-hole predictions on the Masters app and Masters.com.”

This is not the only way this year’s Masters will be different from other editions.

How will this year’s Masters be different from other editions?

Set aside technological differences, the Masters Tournament packs a punch this season. While the fervor for the event is always sky-high, this year’s inaugural major championship will be hotly contested, thanks to Augusta National’s ruling to allow LIV golfers to participate. This year’s Masters will mark the first high-profile event where both the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf players will take the same field. In the previous events that featured a handful of players from the opposite faction, major stirs, and heated arguments became a common norm.

If history is to be repeated, the event will grab a number of eyeballs. However, that may happen come April 6 once the players tee off. As netizens await the action to unfold on the Augusta National Golf Course, they were quick to comment on the technological change.

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AI technology in the Masters Tournament leaves fans livid

The statement from IBM comes merely days before the esteemed tournament begins. While the tech advancement will provide a distinct experience, many were critical of the change. Several netizens believed the use of AI took away the human aspect during live coverage, which has formed part of fans’ viewing. Fans were quick to make their reactions known through social media. Here’s a selection of those tweets:

The general theme of the reactions had fans wondering who had asked for this and whether they were missing something. Other users wondered how the change would be good and provided their opinions on the same.

A few users went after the AI commentary, with one even calling for human commentary. Another user amusingly shared attributed a description of a missed putt with a robotic line and a computer voice.

Despite what the fans think, the change will go through and audiences will get to be more informed about the golfers they admire with hole-by-hole predictions.

April 6 could mark the dawn of a new era in the sport. What do you make of these changes? Are you excited about the event? Who’s your pick to win this year? Let us know in the comments down below.

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