Title: Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Utilizes AI to Enhance Fan Experience
Whether it’s your 10th time playing or your first, the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club is a daunting task for every golfer. It’s the only major of the golfing season that’s continuously played at the same course, yet golfers sometimes take weeks off between tournaments just to prepare for it. And that preparation isn’t just dialing in the swing or working on nailing putts.
Like any sport, analytics factor into a golfer’s preparation, with statisticians used by almost everyone on Tour, helping them track previous rounds on any given course to figure out a game plan each week.
Thanks to Watsonx – IBM’s AI and data platform – and the Masters Tournament, the experience for golf fans around the world will have their own analytics they can use to further their understanding of the tournament in real time.
The Masters app and Masters.com have allowed fans to personalize their experience each year, whether it’s the introduction of “My Group” a few seasons ago, which allows fans to watch a broadcast featuring players they specifically want to follow, or the “Round in Three Minutes.”
Now, the generative AI capabilities of Watsonx allow fans to get data-driven projections and analysis for each hole at Augusta with Hole Insights.
IBM Hole Insights, which joins the “Track Shots” experience for Masters.com and mobile apps, brings in current and historical play data, breaking it down to the point where projections of a certain shot on the course can be quantified on any given hole.
“The generative AI power of watsonx is enabling IBM and the Augusta National Golf Club to co-create technology solutions that bring the magic of the Masters to life for millions of fans around the world,” said Jonathan Adashek, senior vice president of marketing and communications at IBM.
Fox News Digital saw a breakdown of how much data went into Hole Insights ahead of the 2024 Masters, where shots from the past eight years – more than 170,000 shots – were analyzed to show which holes are the hardest and easiest on the course.
Projections of how each hole on the course might play, which are based on past and current performance data that Watsonx brings in, allow fans to see how holes are shaping out for a certain player or the field as a whole. Overall, Hole Insights allows fans to see performance data in real time as the Masters is being played.
Not only that, but AI-enabled Spanish language narration is new this year, which is an expansion from the English language AI Narration that debuted in 2023. And for the first time this year, innovation by IBM and the Masters brings the app to Apple Vision Pro, offering unique features for users.
The Masters and IBM have been working together for more than 25 years as the digital age has transformed the way golf enthusiasts enjoy the major each year.
With the Masters Tournament set to begin, fans can now enjoy a more immersive and data-driven experience, enhancing their viewing pleasure as they follow their favorite players on the course.
