Category Archives: Golf

Brandel Chamblee stands by column about Woods and cheating; ‘Disrespected his position in golf’

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An Associated Press story has an email from Brandel Chamblee, responding to the fallout from his Golf.com column about Tiger Woods and cheating. Knowing Chamblee, it hardly is a surprise that he isn’t backing down.

In fact, he wrote more in the email than he did in the original piece. From the AP:

Chamblee never says outright he thinks Woods cheated. That was by design.

“I think ‘cavalier with the rules’ allows for those with a dubious opinion of the BMW video,” Chamblee said Tuesday in an email to the AP. “My teacher in the fourth grade did not have a dubious opinion of how I completed the test. But she was writing to one, and as I was writing to many, I felt it important to allow for the doubt some might have, so I chose my words accordingly.

“What people want to infer about that is up to them,” he said. “I have my opinion, they can form theirs.”

Chamblee then states his opinion.

“I don’t feel I’m the one that needs to justify the ‘F.’ The BMW video does it for me, followed by Tiger’s silence — until confronted — and then by his denials in the face of incontestable evidence to the contrary of his petitions,” Chamblee said. “To say nothing of the fact that he was disrespecting his position in golf, the traditions of golf and his fellow competitors, in my opinion.”

As for the threat of a lawsuit from Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, well, Chamblee doesn’t appear to be worried.

“I thought it incomprehensible that anyone with the slightest understanding of libel laws wouldn’t know the definition of and the difference between libel and opinion,” Chamblee said.

Actually, Woods likely would sue for defamation of character. But we all know he isn’t going down that road.

Expect a follow-up from Steinberg soon.

 

Golf Channel could feel revenge from Chamblee’s ‘golf cheat’ allegations about Woods; Woods’ camp is irate

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I want to catch up on a story that likely has a few more rounds left in it.

Late last week, Brandel Chamblee did a column for Golf.com, handing out grades for the 2013 golf season. Of Woods, he writes:

Tiger Woods: When I was in the fourth grade, I cheated on a math test and when I got the paper back it had “100” written at the top and just below the grade, was this quote, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!” It was an oft-quoted line from the epic poem “Marmion” by Sir Walter Scott, and my teacher’s message was clear. Written once more beneath that quote was my grade of “100”, but this time with a line drawn through it and beneath that an F. I never did ask my teacher how she knew I cheated and I certainly didn’t protest the grade. I knew I had done the wrong thing and my teacher the right, but I never forgot the way I felt when I read that quote.

I remember when we only talked about Tiger’s golf. I miss those days. He won five times and contended in majors and won the Vardon Trophy and … how shall we say this … was a little cavalier with the rules.*

100 F

Chamblee then gave himself a F for being inaccurate with his picks for the majors. However he added, “But at least I earned this one honestly.” Clearly, it was another jab at Woods.

It should be noted Woods was the 14th golfer listed in the column. However, Golf.com used his F in the headline and there was a picture of Woods with a red-circled F.

Naturally, Woods’ camp was irate. Last Friday afternoon, Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, even threatened a lawsuit in an interview with ESPN.com’s Bob Harig.

“There’s nothing you can call a golfer worse than a cheater,” Steinberg said. “This is the most deplorable thing I have seen. I’m not one for hyperbole, but this is absolutely disgusting. Calling him a cheater? I’ll be shocked, stunned if something is not done about this. Something has to be done.

“There are certainly things that just don’t go without response. It’s atrocious. I’m not sure if there isn’t legal action to be taken. I have to give some thought to legal action.”

Geoff Shackelford tries to imagine a Wood v Chamblee trial.

I’m not sure about the legal recourse here. Defamation of character? Woods probably doesn’t want to go there, given all the doors that likely would open in his personal life.

Woods, though, will be looking to get even, and that could put the Golf Channel in the line of fire. There’s not much he can do to get back at Golf.com. The magazine and site weren’t getting any exclusive interviews anyway.

Woods, though, does appear regularly on interviews during tournaments with the Golf Channel. Chamblee’s main work is with the Golf Channel.

I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Woods might pull an interview boycott with the Golf Channel–at least at the events where Chamblee is on site as an analyst, which are quite a few. It would be a way for the Woods camp to make Chamblee feel the heat.

Remember Woods is wired much like Michael Jordan. Jordan stopped talking to the Sports Illustrated in 1994 when a cover story made fun of his attempt to play baseball.

As much as I like Chamblee, he went over the line here. If he wanted to label Woods a “golf cheat,” he should have devoted his entire column to the subject and not at the end of his piece.

Chamblee knows the ramification of labeling someone as a cheater, the worst allegation possible in the honorable sport.

Alex Myers of GolfDigest.com writes:

While it’s impossible to argue Chamblee’s assertion that Woods “was a little cavalier with the rules,” labeling him a cheater is an enormous leap to make, especially with someone whose every move is followed by millions of people. Besides, would a guy who is perceived to have cheated on purpose get voted Player of the Year by his peers over strong candidates?

It’ll be interesting to see where the story goes from here. Will Chamblee issue “a clarification” on his comments? Surely, there are some phone calls being made.

Stay tuned.

 

Ryder Cup announcement: PGA of America takes shots at United States Golf Association

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I was out yesterday and missed the big announcement: NBC has extended its Ryder Cup deal with the PGA of America through 2030. How long is that? Well, Jordan Spieth, now 20, will be a seasoned veteran at 37 when this deal expires.

Given the outrage from both the PGA of America and NBC over the USGA’s timing and wording of awarding the U.S. Open to Fox on the eve of the first round of the PGA Championship, it hardly was a surprise that some thinly veiled shots were fired.

As always, Geoff Shackelford on his site had his own unique take.

I’ve sobered up after the drinking game gone bad that was today’s PGA of America/NBC conference call to announce a Ryder Cup rights extension to 2030.

Considering the USGA pre-empted this year’s PGA Championship to rush their Fox Sports broadcast deal in a woefully unsuccessful attempt to generate a few more cents per FSN1 subscriber, I had budgeted for three shots in the “jabs at the USGA-Fox deal” jello-shot game.

Before a question could even be asked, I was already sounding like Foster Brooks.

Now a zinger from PGA of America president Ted Bishop:

Finally, from my standpoint, it became apparent to me on the night that we announced that Bethpage would host the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, that this exciting extension was going to take place.

September the 17th was truly a great day for the PGA of America. It’s been hard to contain our excitement.

We had very productive conversations with Commissioner Finchem and certainly respected the President’s Cup last week, and that’s why we’re doing this announcement this week. So thanks to all involved.

No, Fox Sports 1 isn’t the Golf Channel:

PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua: And, Mark, if I can just add to this, what was such an attractive component of the continuation of this relationship for us is if you look at the Golf Channel as the broadcast voice of golf on a daily basis in America, and the PGA of America is really the tangible connection between the game, and quite frankly everybody who plays it in this country, what we can do together to promote the game and to attract new golfers into the game is really one of the most exciting components of this relationship.

And regarding the USGA saying it wanted a fresh look and innovation with Fox, the Ryder Cup is happy with NBC and golf producer Tommy Roy.

Bishop: When you look at NBC’s ability to produce golf telecasts, who knows whether Tommy Roy will be around in 2030, but he just does a phenomenal job. I think that the PGA of America cares greatly about the quality of the product and the production.

I don’t think that when it came to the Ryder Cup, there was anybody that we would feel more comfortable with in entering into a long-term agreement, based on what they’ve done in the past, what we expect in the future in terms of their innovation, and their ability to be always on the cutting edge of the production aspect of golf than NBC.

Yep, if I had played Shackelford’s drinking game, I’d be gone too.

 

 

Jerry Rice on pressure in new Big Break: Wouldn’t have agreed if knew what I had to endure

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Got to give the Golf Channel some credit here. It’s not easy to continue to re-invent yourself with new concepts.

The Golf Channel, though, appears to have done with its latest version of the Big Break.

The new series, which begins Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, features the Breakers being paired with former NFL players (video preview below). The list includes Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Marc Bulger, Al Del Greco, Chris Doleman and Mark Rypien.

As we’ve seen previously, when big-name athletes put their golf swings on public display, they feel the same nerves we do.

Here are some excerpt about the players talking about the pressure of playing in the Big Break.

Jerry Rice: “I had been part of Super Bowls, a lot of playoff games, but if I had known what we were going to endure over in Puerto Rico, I don’t think I would have agreed to this to be honest with you.  You know, the breaking of the glass, the ‘Flop Wall,’ all those difficult shots.  It was just unbelievable…When you get so many ballplayers together, all of a sudden, that competitive nature comes out for some reason; and yeah, I wanted to beat Tim Brown.  I wanted to beat all of those guys, I’m going to be honest with you.”

Tim Brown: “What got me was the fact that when I stood over the ball, I realized I wasn’t playing for myself.  I was playing for Mallory (Blackwelder) and Will (Lowery), and it’s really hard to get yourself under control at times because you felt so much pressure to hit a good shot to make a putt for those guys.”

Marc Bulger: “With football, there’s the nerves, or at least I would feel them up until the first play.  Once the first snap or first hit happened, they were gone.  But this felt like every shot was the first play of the game, because you hit one, you might have to wait for production for two hours and you hit another one, and you know how much it means.  Like Tim said, with your teammates, I never felt as much stress.”

Al Del Greco: “The pressure, yeah, to me, was a lot like kicking, because physically, you get one chance.  They call on your, you just kind of wait around and then it’s your turn to go out there and get it done.”

Mark Rypien: “To be on a stage and put in an environment where we are playing golf for somebody else, holy smokes, you know, I thought playing in Tahoe was difficult.  This thing it tenfold.”

Chris Doleman: “It was hard on you in a sense that you did not have the masterful control that you have when you’re out there on the field.  We knew how to get to the pass rush and we knew how to catch a pass, how to get open, how to throw a lob and how to fake a kick.  We all have expertise in that area.  None of us had expertise in this area.”

Golf Digest: Move to Fox about making U.S. Open bigger than Masters; inside the deal

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The November edition of Golf Digest has Ron Sirak’s terrific breakdown of the stunning move of the U.S. Open going from NBC to Fox Sports, beginning in 2015.

The art features a Fox choking a peacock, which pretty much says it all.

Sirak writes about USGA president Glen Nager’s desire:

He is also a man hellbent on reinventing the USGA to make it what he sees as more relevant. NBC/Golf Channel executives who met with him that day at Seminole heard evidence of that.

“I told them that if you went back to the ’70s and looked at TV ratings and other indicia of what makes a championship great, the U.S. Open was considered the premier major championship in golf,” Nager says. “And that if we looked at indicia today, the Masters is considered the No. 1 major in golf. I said I wanted to work with a media partner that had a proposal to elevate the U.S. Open and the other USGA championships and the USGA as a governance organization.” (The weekend rating of the 1973 U.S. Open beat the Masters, 9.0 to 8.4. The next year, the Masters edged ahead and began widening the gap after that.)

Now don’t go blaming NBC here. The Masters and Augusta National have achieved a certain mystique. Also, keep in mind when the events are played; Masters in early spring when the weather still is cold in most of the country, keeping people inside; U.S. Open in mid-June when people are outside and not tied to the TV. That accounts for a significant difference in the ratings.

Sirak writes about NBC bringing in Arnie:

And then the door opened, and in walked Arnold Palmer, one of the founders of Golf Channel and a longtime USGA spokesman. Palmer gave an impassioned appeal that he believed it was in the best interest of the game to keep the package with NBC/GC. One of the lawyers from Proskauer asked for Palmer’s autograph.

Arnie should have sealed the deal, right? Nope.

Sirak writes about NBC receiving the news.

Then shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, NBC’s Lazarus got a phone call from Nager breaking the bad news. FOX, which had never televised golf in the United States—though Sky Sports, also owned by News Corporation, does golf overseas—had the exclusive rights to the U.S. Open and the rest of the USGA properties for 12 years beginning in 2015. “The board made its decision on Wednesday morning, and our president informed NBC sometime Wednesday,” Hirshland confirmed.

“Deals like this don’t happen this quickly,” says one former USGA staffer.

“Only four or five people knew what our offer was,” says an NBC official. “When you’re a longtime incumbent, you get some sort of hometown prerogative. Would we have matched? I don’t know. They chose not to give us the opportunity. FOX ended at $93 [million a year], NBC just north of $80 [million].”

“With the benefit of hindsight, we’re not sure the process was handled in the way that it was presented to us,” says NBC spokesman Greg Hughes.

NBC was never given a chance to top the FOX offer, something Nager defends.

“I told John Skipper at ESPN, I told Brian Roberts and Mark Lazarus at NBC/Comcast, and we told Randy Freer at FOX they had a 5 p.m. Monday deadline for making their last, best and final offer,” Nager says. “I had given my word that I wouldn’t [divulge bids]. They needed to value these things according to what they thought was the appropriate thing to do and be comfortable with their bid.”

NBC golf producer Tommy Roy tells Fox where to go.

The sentence in the USGA release that annoyed NBC and ESPN was this one: “The game is evolving and requires bold and unique approaches on many levels, and FOX shares our vision to seek fresh thinking and innovative ideas to deliver championship golf.” Mike McQuade, who produces golf for ESPN, and NBC’s Roy privately bristled at what they perceived as a knock on their ingenuity.

“We were disappointed that the USGA chose to disparage our production and the production of every media company [CBS, ESPN, Turner, Golf Channel, NBC] that covers golf instead of just being candid in choosing money over mission,” says NBC’s Lazarus.

Barely more than two hours after that press release about bold new directions went out, a former NBC executive now at FOX, David Neal, called Roy to talk about jumping to FOX. A close friend says Roy viewed the wording of the press release as “reprehensible” and told Neal thanks, but no thanks.

Now the upcoming stories will be on how Fox creates a golf production team from scratch. Everyone will be watching.

Chamblee on Tiger: Already at 25 majors if he stays with Harmon; Repeated swing changes ‘crazy’

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When I asked Brandel Chamblee about his repeated criticism of Tiger Woods, he launched into a six-minute speech. Definitely worth reading in its entirety.

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Chamblee: If there’s anything that anyone could say, it’s that since Tiger has ascended to No. 1 in the world with four different golf swings, it does not matter how he swings the golf club. You could take the top 100 teachers and with all those different teaching methods, he could take them all to No. 1 in the world.

Now who could do it in the most efficient way? I think we know who that person is. I think we’ve already seen who that person is. And if Tiger had stayed with that person (Butch Harmon), and hadn’t left out of petty differences, hadn’t left out of boredom, he would have already broke Jack’s records. People would no longer debate about the greatest golfer of all time. As inconceivable as it seems to anyone who grew up watching Jack Nicklaus, it would be a moot argument. Tiger would have won 25 majors; he would have won 100 golf tournaments if he stayed with (Harmon).

While I’m critical of the changes he’s made, what I’m most critical is the toll and time it took to make those changes on his body. The greatest gift is time. He achieved this incredible success and consistency, only to tear it down and build it back up. To get where? To get back to the same exact spot where he was. To then tear that down and build it back up. Where was the goal? To get back where he was.

I get it. A friend of mine said this: He is like the pianist who has mastered every piece of music. The only problem is, in order to advance, he needs more music. Well, Beethoven is dead. So how does he come up with new music? He has to create it himself.

Tiger always was going somewhere with his golf game. Now he’s going somewhere with his golf swing. That’s where I’m critical of him. He was in the middle of this one, long flawless note and he stopped or he was interrupted, whichever one you want to choose. And he’s trying to recreate it again.

I’m also critical, because I stood next to him and I watched the greatest golf swing the game has ever seen. The greatest stretch of golf the world has ever seen. And he willfully dismantled it. That’s the craziest thing in the history of sports. Not golf. All of sports. There’s no equivalent to it, but if you’re a sports fan, it’s literally the ’27 Yankees starting with a new roster in 1928.

So while I think it is the most bizarre thing in the history of sport, it’s also the most interesting thing in the history of sport. It keeps people glued to their TV.

 

 

Q/A with Brandel Chamblee: ‘Audience deserves an opinion that’s not obvious’

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Brandel Chamblee is in my backyard this week for Golf Channel’s coverage of the BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest, Ill.

From my Golf World story on analysts:

Chamblee, 51, has emerged as the Golf Channel’s most important player. After a 15-year career which included one PGA Tour title, he made the transition to the Golf Channel in 2004. He separated himself from the pack, elevating his broadcast game in the process, by voicing blunt opinions backed by an endless stream of facts, virtually all of which he researched himself.

Then Chamblee digs in and dares someone to take him on. He has a strong, almost bulldog mentality when it comes to making a point, all of which makes for good television. Chamblee’s content and presentation are unique for a sport where many analysts tread lightly.

“He probably should have been a trial attorney,” said Golf Channel president Mike McCarley.

Earlier this summer, I had a chance to chat with Chamblee at the Golf Channel’s studios in Orlando.

When I walked into the viewing room, Chamblee’s eyes were intensely locked into his computer. It provided a good snapshot of how he does what he does.

My Q/A.

What are you working on?

Chamblee: I was up until 4:30 last night. I was writing on the oft-repeated argument that it is harder to win on the tour these days and how players are better today than they’ve ever been. It makes me insane when people say that.

It’s just not the case. Statistically, if the scoring averages were more congested, then you could make that argument. Coincidentally, the disparity between scoring averages almost is to the hundredth of a point as it was in 1980. Between first and 30, between 30th and 50th, between 50th and 125th, the disparity of scoring average actually almost is identical.

Where do you get those numbers?

I dig them up. I do the research.

Do you look at golf from more of an analytic approach?

Yeah, I suppose. When we’re analyzing golf, we’re looking at golf swings. Some of it, though, you have to tediously look up the information and try to connect dots. It takes time.

Do you feel naked out there if you’re not prepared? What is it about you and your preparation?

I just think the audience deserves to at least have an opinion on something that’s not obvious. That’s my job. I watch every shot. I chart every shot. I look at trends. I look for evidence to support those trends, to contradict those trends. I’ll find a half-dozen things a day that are very interesting.

How do you view your job as an analyst?

You have to realize you’re not speaking to the golf professionals. There’s 2,000 of them. It’s a small audience. There are 50 million golfers. You’re trying to explain to them why something happened. From a context point of view, you need to understand who did it like that in the past. You need to understand the context with which it happened. You have to know the situation. Maybe a guy is hitting to the right. Well, he’s working on a new move with his hips. What does that cause you to do with your golf swing? Who did it in the past? And how did they overcome that?

You just try to add layer upon layer?

I told Rich Beem when you say why something happened, it’s your opinion of why it happened. You need to support your opinions with as many facts as you can so that the (viewers) know that you’ve done your homework.

You mention Beem, what advice to you have for players making the transition to television?

They have to treat this job just like they treat their golf. When they played golf, they practiced all day. Not only is this a job, it’s a responsibility. It’s a responsibility to not state the obvious. It’s to enlighten the viewer.

You have to do it in a team-oriented way. Golf is a very selfish endeavor. In TV, it’s the team game. I can have an idea to do something. But if (the production people) can’t very quickly find the video to support the idea, I can’t run with it. All those pieces of the puzzle are amazing to me.

As a golfer, isn’t it unusual to be thrown into a world where you depend so heavily on other people?

You have to dive in. You have to work it. You have to come up with a completely different way of saying the same thing. Every single day. Writers do that, and I always had a great respect for writers when I was a golfer. When I went to the media center, here’s 300 people who all have the same information. It’s their job to come up with a different way to write about it.

That’s kind of like TV is. We all have same information, but you have to come up with a different way of presenting that information. You’ve got to do it in a memorable way, an insightful way, and a concise way.

How do you view your critics, especially those among PGA Tour players who take issue with some of the things you say?

I’m a huge fan of watching Rory McIlroy. I have to talk about shots he hits, because he’s on TV all the time. He’s the next closest thing to Tiger in that way. So you have to talk about why he misses a shot; why he doesn’t make as many putts as Tiger Woods does, because people are unfairly comparing him to Tiger. Then you have to talk about why those comparisons are unfair. In the process of doing that, you’re saying he’s not as good as Tiger. I understand if I’m Rory McIlroy, you could be upset. But if you listen to the entire show, you’ll hear us say he is extraordinary in almost every facet of the game.

But I understand that most people only hear criticism. And they hear it via their friends. So they don’t always get the whole story.

Later today: Chamblee on why Tiger Woods should be at 25 majors by now.

 

 

Johnny Miller leaves door open about future; Maybe NBC is ‘grooming new Johnny Miller’

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I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to Johnny Miller in the wake of NBC losing the U.S. Open. So when Miller and Brandel Chamblee appeared on a conference call today, I asked him not only about the Open but also his future in the booth.

Miller, 66, has two years left on his contract with NBC. It gradually pares down to his duties to 10 tournaments in 2015.

As usual Miller was candid about the Open and his future. Here’s a text of the exchange.

Has it sunk in for you that next year is going to be your last U.S. Open? Just wondering if that’s going to impact anything with you going forward in the future as far as continuing to be an analyst?

JOHNNY MILLER:  Yeah, we weren’t going to talk too much about that.  But the bottom line is, I’ve got this year and two more years as an analyst.  And yeah, it’s sad not to do the Open, Senior Open or Women’s Open, or whatever they ask me to do.

I just wish FOX all the best.  I thought it was a pretty amazing decision.  But, again, the train is already going down the tracks.  That’s already happened.  It’s something that’s pretty sad for me ‑‑ my whole year, U.S. Open was always my championship and it’s what I was groomed to do, to play; growing up at Olympic Club and Pebble Beach, and I just always got up for the Open and loved it.  But, I’ll still love it.  I just won’t be covering it.

All of us, even Golf Channel, but especially NBC/Golf Channel put their heart and soul into it, couldn’t have tried harder, Tommy Roy and everybody.  That was the focal point of everything we did.

So I just hope that FOX does the same and puts together a team that can ‑‑ not only at announcers but the cameramen and everybody else, I absolutely wish them absolutely the best.  It’s such a great championship.

It’s not going to really impact my decision on what I do as an announcer.  I really don’t know what NBC/Golf Channel has in store for me after two years.  I would think they are starting to think about grooming a new Johnny Miller‑type announcer but I don’t know who it is, and I’ll probably to do some things, I just don’t know how much.  We’ll just have to see.

Is it a matter of your schedule?  I know you have a lot of projects; you mentioned your various courses and stuff like that.  Are you weighing how much you want to do at a certain point in your life?

JOHNNY MILLER:  Well, my brain is still working reasonably well, so I can do all the things that I need to do but I actually have a lot of time off.  I have about half the year off, and I do that on purpose.

So I have cut down on the amount of outings and I have some real responsibilities with Silverado Country Club, being an owner there, and of course Fry’s coming there next year.  Things are really good family‑wise and I’ve got a pretty good balance.  The announcing, I’m down to 10 events (in 2015) contractually.  That’s just the way it was.  It goes 15 and then next year 13 and then 10 the last year.

So 10 events isn’t exactly stretching me too much.  I think Brandel would like that schedule.

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My guess is that Miller continues to work through at least 2016. NBC will want him to be the featured analyst for golf’s debut in the 2016 Olympics. Also, it is a Ryder Cup year, with the U.S. hosting at Hazeltine. That should be an attractive plate for Miller.

However, with Miller cutting back, it will be interesting to see who NBC inserts as his replacement. Really, it should be a no-brainer. It has to be Chamblee. He has climbed into the Miller stratosphere as golf’s best analysts.

 

 

 

My Golf World story: How several journeyman pros are major presence for Golf Channel

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It’s always a thrill to have a story in Golf World. Great editors and writers. I only hope I was able to live up to their high standards.

During the spring, I spent two days at the Golf Channel in Orlando, visiting and observing their analysts, many of whom have become bigger stars on TV than from their playing days on the golf course. Here is a link to the piece that appears in this week’s issue.

From the story:

For the most part, these golf analyst jobs are being filled by former players such as Isenhour and others who don’t have the cachet of having Hall of Fame résumés as players. They are, for lack of a better phrase, journeymen pros, who now are viewed as experts when it comes to dissecting the work of Tiger, Phil and Rory.

Besides (Tripp) Isenhour, who never won on the PGA Tour, Golf Channel’s roster of studio analysts includes Brandel Chamblee, Frank Nobilo, Charlie Rymer, Steve Flesch and Notah Begay. John Maginnes has emerged as a major presence for PGA Tour Radio. Combined number of major-championships victories: zero.

Compare that to the group of studio analysts for the NFL Network: Hall of Famers Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp (who will inducted this year), and a likely for future enshrinee, Kurt Warner. Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson do high-profile studio work in basketball; Terry Bradshaw, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, became an even bigger star during his years on Fox NFL Sunday.

The difference, of course, is that professional golf is the only sport in which the top stars seem to play forever. While a football player’s career is done by his early-to mid-30s if he is lucky to last that long, elite golfers play well into their 40s on the PGA Tour and then make a seamless transition to the Champions Tour in their 50s.

As a result, the roster of available big-name talent for TV is much slimmer, if non-existent for Molly Solomon, Golf Channel’s executive producer. “It’s difficult because golfers never want to quit,” Solomon says. “Once they get to 50, another door opens for them. It’s hard to get them to commit to TV. Why would you want to work for a living?”

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And there’s this from Rymer:

“I’m not going to make statements I’m not qualified tomake,” he says. “I’m not going to try to get inside a major champion’s head. I will talk about how I would feel if I was in that situation. I try to be really honest about that. I understand my place in the game. I don’t want to walk in a locker room and have Tiger Woods say, ‘Why did you talk about that. You never did that.’ ”

******

And there’s plenty more. Please check it out.

 

 

 

PGA of America president on U.S. Open announcement: Don’t think it happens during Masters

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PGA of America president Ted Bishop still is a bit steamed about the U.S. Open to Fox announcement coming on the eve of the first round of the PGA Championship last week.

Appearing with Matt Adams on Fairways of Life on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio today, Bishop took a few shots at the United States Golf Association. In fact, he, not Adams, brings it up first.

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Ted Bishop:  “There was nothing from outside the PGA Championship that happened last week that disrupted what we felt like was an important week in major golf.  We survived something there in the middle of the week that had no impact on our championship whatsoever and we were proud of everything that happened at Oak Hill.”

Matt Adams:  “You’re talking about the USGA’s announcement of the television rights going to Fox?”

Bishop:  “Yeah, I think that’s what I was probably referring to.  This is the week of the U.S. Amateur, right? … Let me just say this: So this being the week of the U.S. Amateur, there’s no way the PGA of America would make an announcement on where a future Ryder Cup and PGA Championship site [would be] that would be as big as Bethpage, we wouldn’t want to be a distraction to any of our allied associations.”

Adams:  “How upset were you when the USGA had that announcement last week in the middle of your PGA Championship?”

Bishop:  “You know what?  I tell you what, I think I speak for everybody at the PGA of America in saying that we knew we were going to have a great championship, we were so happy to be at Oak Hill, and we were not going to let anything whatsoever distract or disturb the week that we were going to have.”

Adams:  “Did you deliberately allow the information on New York to come out this week in the middle of the U.S. Amateur as a result?”

Bishop:  “No!  Are you kidding?  I mean, first of all, as I said there is no announcement today.  That article is strictly, at this point in time, total rumor.  No, and I’m saying this in the right vein, I’m absolutely insulted that anybody would think that.  Because, obviously, today in New York is all about our champion, Jason Dufner, and we cannot be responsible [for] or control what the media writes.”

Adams:  “Is there an unspoken rule among golf governing bodies that when they have an event going on that is so important that you kind of leave it alone?”

Bishop:  “Well obviously there’s not. (laughs)  There’s not at least within the circles of one of golf’s governing bodies.  But I don’t think that anybody would have made that announcement during the Masters.  I don’t think the USGA would have made that announcement during the Open Championship, and I can unequivocally tell you that the PGA of America would not make any kind of a major announcement that would upstage any one of our major championship partners, nor the PGA TOUR.  It’s just not the right way to do things.”

Adams:  “Why did it happen then?  Is there some bad blood still festering?”

Bishop:  “You know what, there’s none on our end.  You’d have to talk to somebody in Far Hills about that.”