Apr 6, 2022; Augusta, Georgia, USA; A bird walks along the edge of the fairway on no. 16 during a practice round of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

If you’ve been watching the 2022 Masters Tournament this weekend, you’ve seen lots of Tiger. But you’ve also heard plenty of birds chirping as well. So much so that some viewers are wondering if there’s more to all that bird chirping than meets the ears.

While the smack of the golf ball and the cheers of the crowds are sounds that golf fans think of when they think of watching the Masters, the incessant chirping of birds (during this outdoor sporting event surrounded by trees) is too much for some to accept.

This theory has been floated enough times that Shane Ryan of Golf Digest actually dove into it to find out where the truth lay. Ryan noted that there is some credence to these claims as CBS has actually piped in fake birdsong before, though that was at the PGA Championship in 2000. Since then, CBS has publicly reiterated that they don’t add fake bird chirps to the Masters on multiple occasions.

Eventually, Ryan’s findings proved that there are plenty of birds around Augusta when the tournament is being played and while they tend to stay out of sight due to the large crowds, they are up in those trees making their calls. Though, he did note that the book is not officially closed on the conspiracy.

Fake or not, those bird calls are certainly being noticed by viewers.

Let the conspiracies continue.

[Golf Digest]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.