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Viewers are furious that CBS cut away from Brooks Koepka's most critical shot of the PGA Championship

May 20, 2019
2019 PGA Championship

J.D. Cuban

Golf has been blessed with tremendous theater on its biggest stages so far in 2019. Unfortunately, viewers have missed some of its most critical scenes.

At the Masters, CBS drew heat for failing to show what proved to be one of the decisive shots of the tournament. Despite his double at the 12th, Francesco Molinari stood at Augusta National's 15th tee box in a tied for the lead. However, the telecast missed the Open champ's approach, leaving some confused at his position in the pines with his third shot. Molinari's approach was shown live, his shot catching a pine tree and dropping into the pond guarding the green. Molinari would make double to Tiger Woods' birdie, giving Woods a lead he would not relinquish.

Keeping that mistake in mind, one had to believe the same errors would not occur at Bethpage Black, right?

About that.

The PGA Championship's final round turned out to be more dramatic than imagined, Brooks Koepka's back nine stumbles bringing Dustin Johnson back into the picture. Nevertheless, despite an exciting hour sequence, Johnson bogeyed the 16th and 17th and failed to birdie the 18th, Koepka, even with a bogey at the 17th, maintained a two-shot lead on the final hole.

But the issue briefly came into doubt again after Koepka's drive soared left, coming to rest in an awkward position among the bunkers. Koepka needed to just punch out and put his approach on from 60 yards or so on and the victory would be sealed. Conversely, Koepka had been leaking oil for the past 90 minutes, and final holes at majors having seen crazier chain of events.

Yet, as Koepka set to take his second at the 18th, the cameras briefly cut to an interview with Johnson, going with a split-screen view of Koepka. A move that did not sit well with those at home.

You get the idea. Though the shot was still shown, it was a curious decision to say the least. Coupled with the aerial tracer's poorly-received debut this week, it's probably best that CBS is done with major golf this season.