Why is this Masters commercial causing old heads to scream at the clouds?

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There are so few traditions left in this world, most of them dying for one of two reasons: 1. it was time to die, or 2. the tradition itself was deemed problematic by a vocal minority and thus had to be discontinued. One tradition that continues to persist, however, is the Masters, a tradition unlike any other.

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Among the many great Masters traditions is the way-too-early wintertime commercials. You know the ones. It’s pitch black and cold outside. Maybe there’s even some snow on the ground and WHAM, smack in the middle of a NFL playoff game CBS hits you with the unbelievably vibrant sights of Augusta National. Magnolia Lane, Amen Corner, Azaleas, etc. It makes spring feel so much closer than it is. It “hits different” every single time.   

Historically, the song “Georgia on My Mind” by the legendary Ray Charles plays throughout the advertisement. A pitch-perfect choice, some would say. Viewers have come to expect exactly that every time the Masters ad hits, which is why this song switchup on Sunday during the AFC Championship Game caused chaos in the Golf Twitter streets:

When you’re expecting “Georgia on My Mind,” you can see how Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” might have caused more than a few folks to fall off the couch. Perhaps some even shook their first in the air and yelled at the clouds. 

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Personally? I thought this banged. Not everyone agreed:

I get it, people don’t like change, especially when it comes to the Masters and Augusta National, which is sort of ironic considering Augusta National makes subtle changes to the golf course every year. But I digress. Also, not everyone hated it:

https://twitter.com/Siobhaneeee/status/1751739048245227889

People hate it, people love it. Also known as a very successful advertisement. Honestly, you could play “Cotton Eye Joe” over images of Augusta National and it would work. If anyone at CBS or Augusta National sees this can you please do that, actually? Golf Twitter would burn to the ground. 

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com