GARY WOODLAND ISN’T exactly a household name, but his first career PGA Tour victory came this weekend at the Transitions Championship in just his 33rd start.

It wasn’t a bad field either.  World number one Martin Kaymer was playing, not to mention the likes of Paul Casey, Nick Watney and Jim Furyk. The list goes on.

In Europe, the Sicilian Open was played for the first time and won on Monday morning by Raphael Jacquelin after dangerous weather conditions suspended play on Sunday.

What stood this weekend though, for those watching the golf on TV, was that Sky Sports’ promotions of the US Masters were a dime a dozen, the broadcaster having secured rights for the first time to broadcast this year from the sacred Augusta National course.

This is a pretty big development in the world of golf. Augusta National Golf Club is traditionally known for being conservative when it comes to media access. In the past, they have tended to reserve access to broadcasters and journalists with whom they have built a relationship over a number of years or who they know are working for reputable media organisations.

The fact that Sky has now got a foot in the door means they will surely do everything in their power to keep it there, if not to prise it open even more.

The Masters is a special event in the golfing calendar and the financial benefits to Sky of having rights to broadcast are likely to substantial.

What’s more, the Sky Sports package in itself suddenly becomes far more appealing to the consumer now that they will be showing three of the year’s four Major Championships, the US Masters being by far the most popular and commanding the highest TV ratings.

Sky is also offering the US Masters in 3D. Anyone who has been to Augusta speaks of how the undulations and the severity of the slopes and hills on the course just isn’t replicated on the television screen. Will watching it in 3D change that?

The general idea of watching golf in 3D is intriguing in itself. Various technological advancements in cameras and other broadcasting equipment have already significantly enhanced the way we watch golf on television. I’m thinking of the super slow-motion cameras and also the ball-flight tracers. 3D coverage of soccer has proven to be more of a novelty than a significantly improved viewing experience, but maybe it will be different in the case of golf.

Some of you will be wondering how I have managed to get this far in a column about TV coverage of the US Masters without mentioning the BBC. Well this year it seems to be a case of Sky’s gain being the BBC’s loss.

The relationship between the BBC and the US Masters goes back decades and the dulcet tones of commentator Peter Allis are often savoured just as much as the golf itself. And then there’s the institution that ‘Ken on the course’ has become.

In many ways the BBC and the US Masters have been joined at the hip, but this year only days three and four will be broadcast live on BBC television. For many, this will take away from some of the mystique and aura surrounding the event. The BBC has always invested significant resources in its coverage and done its best to respect the unique and private nature of Augusta National and the US Masters itself.

Signs of a fissure in that relationship, however, appeared last year as it was reported that some BBC reports and pieces to camera were being filed from a different golf course over one mile away from Augusta National. The story could be interpreted in many ways, but it is evident that this was a break from tradition and not an ideal situation for the BBC.

Just as we are seeing a changing of the guard at the summit of world golf with Martin Kaymer et al. taking over from the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, so too are we seeing a change of approach in the broadcasting of the US Masters. But whatever way you decide to consume the US Masters this year, there’ll be no taking away from the fact that it is an intriguing and special event on the sporting calendar.

The build-up has already begun, and the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill will be a serious test of form and a good barometer of what we can expect to enjoy, by whatever means you choose, once the US Masters gets underway.