Eagle-eyed Masters viewers have slammed ESPN after the network appeared to miss Rory McIlroy’s remarkable chip-in during his second round.
The reigning champion extended his lead to six shots on Friday after a superb round that saw him strengthen his grip on another green jacket.
Among the many highlights for McIlroy was a stunning hole out on the 17th, which saw him gain a stroke from nowhere after a wayward tee shot.
But as the Northern Irishman produced his moment of genius, ESPN’s cameras were focused on Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland walking along the course instead.
The Ryder Cup star wasn’t even hitting a shot at that moment and then the wild cheers from fans watching McIlroy could be heard in the background.
ESPN eventually showed McIlroy’s shot but seemed to hide the fact it was on a delay from their viewers.
Some of those watching hit out at ESPN for missing the moment, especially when Hovland isn’t even in contention to win at Augusta.
Golf fans have blasted ESPN after they missed Rory McIlroy’s sensational chip-in on Friday
McIlroy extended his lead at Augusta to six shots by the time his second round finished
One fan captured the moment and posted a clip of it to X. Their caption read: ‘Here’s the moment ESPN misses Rory’s stunning chip-in on 17 in favor of Viktor Hovland walking, killing any drama.
‘As the crowd roars a flustered Scott Van Pelt coughs and stammers. They then fake the replay as “live” without the customary “a moment ago at 17” qualifier.’
Fans commented that they noticed the same thing and expressed their fury.
One wrote: ‘I couldn’t believe they botched that. How hard is it to keep an eye on the leader and make sure he’s on screen when he’s ready to hit? When I heard that sustained roar as they yammered, I figured someone holed out at 16 – surely it wasn’t Rory’s chip!’
Another posted: ‘I knew exactly what happened when they switched to Rory. What a joke’.
A third commented: ‘I agree. They knew they missed it. At that moment, I’m really shocked the director didn’t go there immediately. I hate ESPN but this one actually surprised me. It was awful.’
‘Honestly, the worst thing about major weeks is having to watch ESPN’s golf coverage,’ another claimed.
Another unhappy viewer added: ‘ESPN’s coverage has been atrocious this year. Bad camera work, bad announcing, misplaced segments, mistimed shot views… it’s been hard to watch.’
‘ESPN has fumbled the entire broadcast,’ another posted. ‘They continue to show 4-5 guys and only show people putting. Super frustrating and boring.’
After his sensational second round, McIlroy revealed the secret behind his dominant form at the 2026 Masters.
The defending champion has been making use of his $50million private jet to fly back and forth to Augusta National for extra practice sessions on the course.
While most golfers hunker down in Georgia for the week, McIlroy is opting to fly back to his Florida mansion every evening to maintain his routine.
The Northern Irishman revealed that the strategy allows him to stay connected to his family, specifically his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy.
He said: ‘I honestly just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event. I’d rather come up here. I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school.
‘Then flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her or had dinner with Erica.’
Daily Mail has contacted ESPN for comment.
