Fact or Fiction: The Masters Theme Song Is the Best in Sports

SI Golf’s writers and editors debate the late Dave Loggins masterpiece and whether some legal drops are making pro golf look silly.

Jason Day tees off during the 2024 Masters. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network

Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where we're settling in for the year's last major and rooting for some Scottish gales to make it fun.

Once again, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.

Robert MacIntyre won the Genesis Scottish Open, thanks in large part to an eagle at the 16th hole Sunday after he hit his drive in heavy rough but took relief from a sprinkler head and dropped in shorter grass. These sorts of rulings, though legal, make the pro game look bad. 

Bob Harig: FACT. But that doesn’t mean it was wrong. It looks bad because many simply don’t understand the rules. And MacIntyre was standing on a sprinkler head which allows for free relief. The problem was that sprinkler head was in the rough and it clearly allowed him a far better lie than he would have had otherwise. He admitted as much. It was a huge break and he took advantage. But where that ball was. No chance he is getting an eagle putt from there without the drop.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. Harig is right—the ruling is correct, but it’s the kind of quirk that’s tough for casual fans to get behind.

John Schwarb: FACT. Rough is a strategic element of golf courses and now I’m picturing every pro stomping around their next lie in the hay looking for a sprinkler or other relief-worthy ground condition. It cheapens the game, legal or not.

As Bob Harig noted in his (newly named!) Teed Up notebook, the U.S. is on a run of six straight major wins, a streak not seen in more than 40 years. That will be seven after another American wins this week at Royal Troon.

Bob Harig: FACT. I’m going with the numbers game here. Xander, Brooks, Bryson, Patrick Cantlay. All Americans who could easily win the Open. The streak continues.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. My pick to win in our preview was Collin Morikawa—I can’t abandon him on Wednesday! But there are also just too many Americans playing well right now to ignore. The streak is likely to continue.

John Schwarb: FICTION. I’m riding with Ludvig Aberg in the aforementioned preview and “fiction” here also gets me Rory, Fleetwood, Cam Smith and several more from outside America who know their way around links courses. 

The LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions had their fourth majors last week, with one more remaining in their seasons. Five official majors are one too many in golf.  

Bob Harig: FACT. It’s a long-ago lined used by former PGA Championship winner Jeff Sluman, but it still fits. “When you go to Denny’s and you order the “Grand Slam breakfast,’’ they don’t give you five things, do they?.’’ No they don’t. The Grand Slam is four events. Simple.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. Four is the right number. Five is muddled and whatever that fifth major happens to be gets watered down right out of the gate.

John Schwarb: FACT. The LPGA’s Evian Championship became a major in 2013—is it too late to put that toothpaste back in the tube? And there’s actually two too many majors in senior golf, as the Regions Tradition and Kaulig Companies Championship (formerly the Senior Players) are closed shops for PGA Tour Champions members. 

Dave Loggins, composer of the Masters theme song, died last week at age 76. “Augusta” (the song’s title) is the greatest theme song in sports.

Bob Harig: FACT. It’s hard to argue with the Masters, but I’d throw the old NBA theme song on NBC as a possible contender.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. Loggins’ tune is iconic, but it only ranks No. 2 on the list of theme songs for the Masters, let alone all of sports. The first time I hear this one after a long, cold winter I’m ready to run through a wall of pimento cheese.

John Schwarb: FACT. Like the Masters itself, the theme’s scarcity makes it the best. We get a few seconds of it early in the year as a tease, then during the tournament, then, sigh, it’s over.