Just a few bits for you today, as we traverse the post-Masters, pre-PGA lull.
Appointment TV - What a strange evolution in the professional golf world. The players are the recipients of untold riches, which only has the odd effect of angering them. Whereas the fans are told this is all for their benefit, yet said benefits are difficult to discern. For instance, this piece's header buries the lede:
Uncertainty with NBC’s golf broadcast team raises question: Who’ll be the lead analyst at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst?
That's a fair question, though it obscures the more relevant bits involved:
Sometime in early March, Sam Flood, the executive producer and president of production at NBC Sports, told a few colleagues he needed to shake up the network’s golf coverage. Undoubtedly, eyes must have been rolling. Because the last thing NBC’s golf production needed was for Flood to shake things up further.The duration of an earthquake can range from a few seconds to several minutes, but the tremors and aftershocks that have been rattling Peacock golf have lasted a few years now. And the foundation is weakening to the point where the network, gearing up for the Olympic Games this summer, does not appear ready for one of its premier golf events, the 124th U.S. Open in June at Pinehurst.Cost-cutting moves in sports production aren’t always noticeable. One fewer graphic here or the loss of a speed camera or editing machine there aren’t necessarily going to diminish coverage appreciably in the eyes of most home viewers. The production team knows the difference, however, and many of them at NBC and Golf Channel (which operate jointly under the Comcast banner) can’t believe what little has been left at the disposal of the brilliant long-time golf producer Tommy Roy. Every week during NBC’s recent run of events in Florida and Texas something else was being hacked as golf ratings flagged. The penny pinching shouldn't be surprising when the outlet opted to produce coverage of the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome—only one of the two most popular golf events in the world aside from the Masters—from Stamford, Conn.One staffer joked that “pretty soon, we’re going to just do artist’s renditions of coverage as opposed to showing actual shots with a camera.”
You guys show actual golf shots through a camera? Geez, big if true.
They do capture the good news, which is that no one is watching.... You might have noticed talking heads dropping like flies, although many were well past their sell-by date:
Lead analyst Paul Azinger was cut loose last November when the former PGA champion, through his agent, countered on an underwhelming one-year extension not knowing it was a take-it-or-leave-it offer. But Azinger, who along with Johnny Miller are the only men to sit in the analyst chair since 1990, was only the latest scalp.The year before that, veterans Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch learned their contracts would not be renewed. Maltbie actually had one foot out the door before that, but Jim “Bones” Mackay returned to the caddie ranks with Justin Thomas in late 2021, leaving NBC short an on-course reporter. The bench got even thinner when major winners David Duval and Justin Leonard resumed their playing careers on the PGA Tour Champions and Notah Begay III cut back his TV commitment to also accommodate senior golf. Meanwhile, Peter Jacobsen, a semi-regular contributor, rarely gets called upon anymore.And then there was the departure of popular quipster David Feherty, who walked out of the NBC compound at St. Andrews following the 2022 Open Championship and promptly jumped onto the LIV Golf League broadcast team. “David was the canary in the coal mine,” said one former colleague. “He left in the middle of his contract. Heck, it was in the middle of the year! And NBC didn’t lift a finger to keep him. It was just another number they could move off the ledger.”It's worth noting that Feherty, Azinger, Maltbie and Koch were the four highest-paid announcers.
On the one hand, we know the demographics of the golf audience and too many familiar voices were likely canned too quickly, but I suspect NBC was relived when Feherty took them off the hook. Obviously the analyst experiment is an open issue, but Zinger was phoning it in for years. The Internet has all the receipts....
I'm still on the fence as to the analyst tryouts:
All of this wouldn’t necessarily indicate disarray were it not for Flood’s throw-it-against-the-wall approach to finding Azinger’s replacement. In house, Begay, Brandel Chamblee, Paul McGinley and Smylie Kaufman have taken turns in the hot seat, while Kevin Kisner and Luke Donald have been given tryouts. Mackay, still on the hook contractually for a few events this year, had to slide in at the Vidanta Mexican Open when Kisner and Geoff Ogilvy weren’t available. With Brad Faxon becoming a staple in the 18th hole tower, the network has transitioned to a four-man setup. There is little elbow room, let alone a sense of continuity, though host Dan Hicks, in the last year of his contract, Terry Gannon and Steve Sands hold things together. True pros.In a reflection of growing desperation, Flood managed to lure Maltbie and Koch back for the opening two days of coverage of the Players. The rest of the NBC team seemed buoyed by their presence, but, oddly, neither was asked to stay the weekend.
I'm on the fence because a trial run seems a better option than committing to the wrong guy, though maybe that's simplistic. But shall we get to the bits that made your humble blogger laugh? I thought you'd agree, first this:
Having gone through all the trial and error—and don’t even ask how those PGA Tour events felt about their involuntary involvement in the experiments—sources at the network say NBC is no closer to finding a successor to Azinger.
Yeah, hadn't thought of that. These sponsors, especially those of non-Money Grab events, must be used to being screwed by the Tour, now they get doubly abused by NBC as well. It so sucks to be a PGA Tour sponsor.
But there's a double-dip here, because all of these personnel moves are made to accommodate a budget driven by the viewership numbers. In other words, NBC is being criticized for living within the economic constraints of the golf ecosystem, whereas the players themselves steadfastly refuse to do so, and are able to in the short-term because of the Saudis and the private equity funding. Can they do so for the long-term? Stay tuned. or, not, as the ratings indicate.
Is that booth configuration for Pinehurst critical?
The clock is ticking. The U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 that begins on June 13 fast approaches. AUSGA spokesperson said an announcement on coverage plans—specifically who will be sitting in the lead analyst chair—will be made in a few weeks at U.S. Open media day. Which might be another way of saying NBC has yet to be forthcoming with answers.Imagine CBS Sports officials telling Masters chairman Fred Ridley seven weeks out that they’ll get back to him on their broadcast lineup.What are NBC’s options? Well, Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, apparently is out; he recently declined an offer, though perhaps in the interim NBC can talk him into it. Kisner probably isn’t an option after his history of criticism of the USGA. Donald at least brings decent credentials as a former World No. 1. Chamblee and McGinley are Golf Channel heavyweights on the “Live From” set. No point in weakening that program.That leaves Faxon as perhaps the best viable alternative. Plus, he’s already on board. Zero additional overhead. Meanwhile, Maltbie and Koch reportedly will make an encore appearance at Pinehurst, supposedly for all four days this time. Is Mackay, once again out of the caddie ranks, also returning? He could not be reached for comment, but sources say he has been asked to further buttress the ground game, where the reliable Curt Byrum also can help out if he’s not calling holes.
I'm not sure that golf fans are on the edge of there seats over this. Though that Masters reference is just inane, because of the unique nature of the ANGC-CBS relationship, that basically created televised golf.
But more importantly, why not Fax? I'm not sure they'll do any better, and I quite agree that Chamblee and McGinley are where they belong. I'm a big Geoff Ogilvy fan, but I haven't seen enough of him in front of a microphone.
I don't see the U.S. Open as make or break, though this does add a measure of urgency given the USGA's irrational expectations:
The USGA transferred its broadcast rights from Fox to NBC/Golf Channel at the height of the pandemic in 2020 after Fox submitted a stunning $1.1 billion bid that began in 2015. That deal ended a partnership dating back to 1994, when NBC was able to pry the USGA rights from ABC, thanks largely to Roy being at the controls, then-president Dick Ebersol committing the resources, and former U.S. Open winner Miller, brutally honest and a passionate champion of the USGA, serving as the voice of the telecasts.The current deal, on which Fox still pays 30 percent, expires in 2026. The exclusive negotiating period between the USGA and Comcast begins later this year and then is thrown open in ’25 if the sides can’t come to an agreement. Golf viewers would be right to ask how much Flood even cares.
If you don't understand that reference to the USGA, this Ron Sirak backgrounder explains how unrealistic expectations resulted in that megadeal with Fox that blew up on all parties. Bonus question: Anyone remember who Fox's initial analyst was? Shockingly, he only lasted the one event....
Today In Tiger Sycophancy - It's not that I disagree, more that I wonder why bring this up now? Turns out that it's all Rory's fault:
Actually, it wasn't Brandel who technically (re)started it, but rather Gary Williams, another golf analyst, who tweeted this:
You think Tiger is going to give Rory some shit for his 25th tour win being a team win? Rory leaves DJ and Gary Player behind with 24.— Gary Williams (@Garywilliams1Up) April 28, 2024
Then Brandel couldn't help himself:
Team wins should have their own category amongst “tour wins”… most golf fans, if not ALL golf fans assume “individual” wins when a player’s total tour wins are named… but Sam Snead has 5 team wins counted amongst his 82 wins while Tiger has ZERO team wins in his 82 wins… so I… https://t.co/TYC1ItRlwJ— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 29, 2024
They're right as far as they go, but they're not even attacking the most suspect part of the Snead record:
And you know what? He's right. (For the record, Williams agreed with Chamblee in the thread.)A few years ago, we took a deeper look into the topic of most PGA Tour wins, a record Woods officially shares with Sam Snead. But as Chamblee points out, Woods has zero wins among his 82 while five of Snead's count. This despite the fact that Woods won the 2000 World Cup with David Duval. Why doesn't that count? That alone would give Woods 83.And there are a lot of other reasons that Woods should have the record to himself. Go read the article! But if you don't want to, just know that if Woods' professional wins were counted the same as Snead's are, he'd be sitting on 95(!) wins now instead of 82.
Yes, but shall we discuss the deficiencies in Tiger's win counts, principally the gaudy number of limited field WGC wins? I do think Snead's number are more suspect just because of the the era, he played so often in marginal events for monetary reasons that it's insane to even compare.
Just kinda weird for this to surface at the moment folks are finally realizing that Tiger isn't getting to eighty-three.
What's It All About, Sharkie? - Dylan Dethier, in his Monday Finish column, mulls the meaning of that LIV event in Adelaide, beginning with Greg Norman's triumphalism:
Greg Norman declares victory.LIV’s Adelaide event was a rollicking success, drawing a combined crowd of 94,000 over the three days. League commissioner Greg Norman, himself an Aussie, didn’t hold back in his post-event triumph.“Vindication is not the right word,” Norman told Australian Golf Digest. “It’s the ignorance of others who simply didn’t understand what we were trying to do. I actually feel sorry for them because they now see the true value of LIV Golf and want to be a part of it.”He cited what LIV Golf has gone through since its inception, “both as a league and what I’ve copped personally … the hatred … this makes it all worthwhile.”
So it's all come together? Except, and I do so hate top be Debbie Downer, Adelaide for two years running has been utterly unlike any other LIV events. So, and maybe this is just the liquor talking, maybe it tells us more about Adelaide than LIV?
Dylan is of a similar mind:
Bluster aside, this event is a fascinating case study for LIV and for professional golf as a whole. Clearly LIV tapped into something special in Adelaide. The fans were there and they were invested. The team format panned out like a dream, too, with the all-Aussie Ripper GC beating out the all-South African Stinger GC in a playoff. Ripper captain Cameron Smith called it the best tournament he’s ever been to, and Norman as well as the LIV players cited the passion in the crowd as evidence that the format is working.I see their successful weekend as evidence that tapping into golf-starved markets by bringing top-level competition is a great idea. I see that as evidence that Australia should figure into any potential world-tour plans. I see that as evidence that for team golf to be meaningful it helps to have common ties that bind, as with the geographic unity on the two top teams. In reporting by Golf Digest AU‘s Evin Priest there was some talk of “home” and “away” courses going forward; that’s intriguing, no doubt, though most of the teams currently lack meaningful geographic synergy.I’m curious if Jon Rahm‘s presence will yield a similar local response when LIV heads to Valderrama later this summer. I’m curious what would happen if LIV made its way to Chile for an event hosted by Torque GC’s Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira. And would South Africa rally behind Stinger GC?
Good point about Valderrama, though I'm going to be the under.
I’m not convinced that this means instant international viability for LIV; the specific circumstances at play could make Adelaide a one-off. This week’s LIV event in Singapore, for instance, is unlikely to boast a significant audience, never mind booing or shoeys. There are probably more but aren’t an infinite number of massive untapped golf markets like Adelaide — or else big pro tournaments would already be there. And while the Aussie audience tuned in at an impressive rate the global TV audience still hasn’t reached meaningful mass, given LIV’s 10-figure talent investment.What’s the point? The point is I still don’t know where men’s pro golf is headed. In a week that Norman declared LIV to be plowing forward and McIlroy renewed calls for unity and the DP World Tour head pointed to 2026 as the earliest potential date for peace and two different tours played two different brands of team golf on opposite sides of the world, the only thing we know is that nobody has this thing figured out all the way just yet.
For some reason Adelaide turns out at battalion strength, but we haven't seen any other LIV events generate buzz. So, while we may not know where golf s headed, but we can remain confident that we're going to hate it.
And, because we aim to amuse, it has come out that not every player in Adelaide had such a great experience:
Take Kevin Na.
Yes, please taker Kevin Na, who most of us had long forgotten about.
His Iron Heads had a chance to win their first team title entering the third and final round just one shot off the lead. But a disappointing day dropped them to sixth place. And a disastrous hole by Na didn't help.Na began on No. 10 with a bogey, but then played excellent golf after that, racking up six birdies and no bogeys over his next 16 holes. In fact, he'd made four birdies in a row when he reached the par-5 ninth, his final hole of the day. Then things really came undone.Na found himself in a particularly sandy lie in the woods after an errant. And after failing to get his ball back to the fairway on his first attempt, his second hits a tree branch and stays in trouble. Let's just say he wasn't pleased with the situation. Have a look and listen:
🫨 LIV Golf star Kevin Na loses his sh!t in Adelaide 😵💀
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 29, 2024
🤬 “F—king Bullsh-t!!!”
(Via: milz_ting/TT | @ziregolf) pic.twitter.com/vJ0S0Io6Ok
So, Brendon Steele credited Phi's mentoring for his win in this event. I'm going to guess that Sergio has mentored Kevin Na here, and the resemblance is uncanny.
But what exactly , pray tell, is f*****g b******t? I'm going with your entire tour, but maybe Na was being more specific.
On Rory - I am so over the guy, but Eamon Lynch takes a more benevolent and paternalistic approach:
Lynch: Rory McIlroy thinks he can help the PGA Tour’s board. Bless the lad’s optimism
It's been my personal experience that useful idiots only think they're useful, but never realize that they're idiotic....
This week, the sport — or at least the PGA Tour’s corner of it — inched closer to drawing a line under the flagrant greed that has disfigured the game, diluted the product, disgusted fans,alienated sponsors, undermined partners, undercut governing bodies and beggared reputations, all while enriching golfers beyond their dreams and the parameters of any rational market valuation. On April 24, Jay Monahan notified a couple hundred guys of the equity value they’ve been gifted in the for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises. Recipients’ eyes will have danced directly to their numbers, but only the obtuse will miss the subtext that Monahan is too politic to spell out: Want more? Work to earn it. Don’t like it? Go forth and multiply.Tour players have moved from imagining themselves as part of a member-led organization to one that’s member-owned, newly flush with compensation that was earned in much the same way that hostage-takers earn a ransom. Of course, there’s an enormous difference between being even nominal owners and actually being equipped for such a role. Rory McIlroy admitted as much when he met the media in New Orleans on the day Monahan’s memos were dispatched.“We’re golfers at the end of the day. We don’t need to be trying to run a $15 billion business,” he said. “We need to go out there and play golf and let the business people do the business things.”
And yet. Rory, you refuse to just shut up and play golf.
Players will eventually get back to playing, but not before one crucial and outstanding aspect of the Tour’s future is decided upon — a deal, or not, with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The absence of meaningful progress on negotiations with the Saudis has McIlroy keen to rejoin the Tour’s Policy Board, which he quit five months ago.“I think I can be helpful. I don’t think there’s been much progress made in the last eight months, and I was hopeful that there would be. I think I could be helpful to the process. But only if people want me involved, I guess,” he said, with commendable optimism. “If it was something that other people wanted, I would gladly take that seat.”
Pretty sure Grayson Murray doesn't want you there. But equally sure that Cantlay does, because there are Tour rabbits to screw further.
Sponsors and fans might welcome the Tour’s only active needle-mover getting involved anew, but others won’t be thrilled at the prospect. A small faction on the board sees McIlroy as allied with those who engineered the Framework Agreement last June, and also view his publicly stated position — that a Saudi compromise is both essential and urgent — as incompatible with their positions, the particulars of which they haven’t yet revealed for the record.
That to me is the least of it, Rory is actually arguing for even smaller field sizes.... His capitulation is really quite profound. He'll continue to steadfastly refuse to consider going to LIV, but is perfectly content to turn the PGA Tour into a LIV lookalike.
Eamon's crie de coeur misses one important constituency:
But McIlroy’s return might help usher the board beyond the schoolboy squabbles that have beset proceedings for 10 months, and which have exhausted even their entertainment value. The sooner that happens, the sooner players will do what he suggested: get back to playing and leave the business to those qualified for the job.Players got what they wanted — more. More money and more power. When they eventually accept that their role is one of oversight and not management, then perhaps the Tour can focus on giving more to disaffected fans and sponsors who are weary of being squeezed like gullible johns on the Vegas Strip. Because those stakeholders are perilously close to withdrawing their equity from the sport.
Tiger and he sold the bulk of the Tour membership down the river, and now Rory wants to go further. That's not a constituency that has any leverage, but I can't imagine Rory being very popular in the locker room these days. And when we see young players jump to LIV, perhaps we shouldn't be so critical? After all, Rory and Tiger don't want them clogging up their limited fields.
That'll have to do for today. I'll catch you later this week.
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