Opinion & Analysis
Grading Fox Sports’ golf debut
Inherently, tournament golf is a sport better viewed from a television screen. When you’re a spectator at a live golf event, you’re there to see the course, the players, the shots and take in the experience of world class golf — you’re not there to see winners and losers. It’s the only sport where you could attend the event, watch live action all day and really have no idea who’s winning the tournament or what’s going on.
That’s because when you watch golf on TV, you can view multiple golfers playing different holes at opposite ends of the course with a leaderboard that’s never more than a commercial break away. In person, seeing all that action is physically impossible.
That’s why it’s especially important that golf television broadcasts are on point — without a proper production, it’s easy for the viewer to lose sight of what’s happening. A team of producers needs to be aware of various storylines, who’s in contention and the precise moment at which to reveal to the audience pivotal moments on the golf course.
Fast forward to this past Saturday, December 13, when Fox made its professional golf debut in broadcasting the Franklin Templeton Shootout from Naples, Fla. Let’s analyze the broadcast on (1) Initial Impressions (2) Commentary and (3) Appearance.
Initial Impressions
I must say, initial impressions are a bit weak. The coverage starts with an overly cheesy montage of various Fox Sports personalities and golfers feigning surprise (“We have golf on Fox?!?”) about Fox now covering golf. This is immediately followed by their Fox Sports/Football theme — Ba da da da da DA! Oh no you didn’t, Fox! I need something else here. I mean, if you are you responsible for replacing arguably the greatest sports theme of all time — Yanni’s “In Celebration of Man” — you better be replacing it with iconic brilliance of your own. I was personally hoping they’d introduce a golf song.
Buck, to his credit, starts off the broadcast on a humble and cautious note; acknowledging the difficulty in furnishing a coherent golf broadcast while also setting the bar low out of the gate:
“Right now, we’re not worthy. Someday maybe we will be.”
Hey, Joe, a few slipups are fine for the Shootout, but get your act together for the U.S. Open please? No one’s going to care that this is Fox’s maiden voyage into golf if Tiger and Rory are in contention at Chambers Bay in June.
Initial Impressions grade: B-
Commentary
Here, Fox has big shoes to fill. Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller have been mainstays for many golf tournaments throughout the years, especially the U.S. Open. Losing them for our national championship will be a sentimental blow to fans everywhere (myself included).
And Joe Buck, for whatever reason, certainly seems to have his legions of haters out there. I admit there is something not too likeable about his delivery, but I’ve always found him to be a very good play-by-play guy. He has a great voice and doesn’t over-complicate big moments with useless chatter. He’s done his homework with golf, and in his first few minutes is already light years ahead of other non-golf broadcasters, like, say, Chris Berman, who badgers his companions and the audience, with clueless, rambling comments. That being said, referring to Brad Faxon as “Fax” seems a bit forward.
The Shark steadily improved throughout the broadcast, showing his (stubborn) personality, which I mistook for blandness early in the broadcast. Norman is not scared to gleefully engage in on-air spats with the other golf personalities on the team — there was a playfully testy exchange between Norman and Faxon on the proper way to play a flop shot from a tight lie — and he subtly establishes himself as the alpha-male of the group throughout the day. Much will rest on Norman’s shoulders going forward, particularly in filling the sharp-tongued vacancy left by Johnny Miller.
The on-course guys — Steve Flesch, Scotty McCarron and Brad Faxon — are very knowledgeable. Having Faxon, one of the greatest putters to ever live, talk about green breaks and speeds is a downright pleasure to listen to. The trio already seems to have established a familiar rapport will each other, with some good-natured needling taking place throughout the broadcast.
There will be a learning curve, however, for the audience identifying the voices and personalities of these otherwise accomplished golf minds. They’re not only new, but it’s sometimes difficult to tell them apart. They don’t have the distinct sounds or viewpoints like you’d hear from David Feherty, Gary McCord, Roger Maltbie, Paul Azinger and, of course, Johnny Miller. David Fay lurks quietly in the background in the event of any rules questions. At times, the collective delivery from the entire group is a bit dry (I do realize this is a weekend scramble in December and not a Major).
Fox has E.A. Tischler — a full time golf teacher — exclusively doing golf analysis. This is a bit different than how the other networks do it, with the commentators also moonlighting as swing gurus like with Kostis (an accomplished teacher in his own right) or Chamblee. Tischler’s first review of Stricker, Kuchar and Kenny Perry’s swing was great information but suffered a bit from strange context; it sort of appears out of nowhere and perhaps Fox was a bit too eager to show off its swing mechanics chops. E.A. nonetheless does a fine (albeit pre-recorded and somewhat bland) job narrating the nuances in each golfers takeaway, although the arrow graphic featured on both the face-on or down-the-line view is not necessarily explained.
Commentary grade: B
Appearance
Fox’s appearance package, a bit needlessly tech-y at time, is actually pretty good. One thing that stood out was the sound quality. It’s entertainingly sensitive, picking up lots of golfer-caddy strategy chatter. A few times, the cameraman seemed a bit wobbly behind the tee however.
You could have predicted that Fox, whose mascot is Cleatus the Robot, would get hi-tech in some way shape or form during the broadcast. Behold the neon hole surrounder brought to you by “FoxLabs,” which I don’t have anything against necessarily, but seems pretty pointless. I can’t really recall a time where I mystified as to where a guy is rolling his ball to. Still, it left me curious as to what other techy tricks Fox will have up its sleeve going forward.
One thing I do need, however, is a shot tracer. I think that is one of the coolest advancements in golf TV in recent memory. Do yourself a favor and google “Tiger Woods Protracer,” then sit back and watch the glory.
Appearance grade: B-
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think Fox did a decent job during their TV debut. Will Buck and Norman be the next Nantz/Venturi or Hicks/Miller combination? Early indications would seem to make meeting those standards unlikely, but give them time. They had a promising, capable start.
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.
For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.
The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.
The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.
*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*
Past Winners at LIV Adelaide
- 2023: Talor Gooch (-19)
Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami
Green in Regulation
- Richard Bland
- Jon Rahm
- Paul Casey
Fairways Hit
- Abraham Ancer
- Graeme McDowell
- Henrik Stenson
Driving Distance
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Joaquin Niemann
- Dean Burmester
Putting
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Matt Jones
2024 LIV Adelaide Picks
Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)
When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.
At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.
The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.
Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)
Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.
In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.
For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)
Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees...
Will Zalatoris WITB 2024 (April)
Will Zalatoris’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)...
Scottie Scheffler’s winning WITB: 2024 RBC Heritage
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (8 degrees @8.25) Buy here. Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (45 inches) 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy...
Nelly Korda’s winning WITB: 2024 Chevron Championship
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 Max (10.5 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 60 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)...
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19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
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19th Hole13 hours ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole7 days agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole1 week agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole6 days agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Rob
Dec 19, 2014 at 8:58 am
Never liked Miller, talks about himself too much and is sometimes too opinionated however, every once in a while he says something incredibly insightful. Can’t imagine listening to Norman and wondering if he will ever realize he is not the only person on earth. The stupid exchange between Norman & Faxon was inexcusable but pure Norman. Good thing the remote has a mute button.
cmasty
Dec 18, 2014 at 8:39 pm
Awesome
Trubo
Dec 18, 2014 at 12:41 am
Never heard Buck commentate before this event, so didn’t find him too hard to listen to. If Greg said ‘absolutely’ once, he said it twenty times. And, as usual, tried to hard to sound incisive. Just speak to us as you would one of your mates.
Didn’t like the ‘tron’ sound effects of EA’s analysis.
The rest of the team were okay, but not outstanding. Here’s hoping they improve with time.
I too like pro tracer and would like to hear more about the equipment the pros are playing.
Can do better B-.
Beacher50
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:03 pm
I don’t mind Joe Buck and find him better than most at Baseball and Football. Clearly his golf announcing is a bit rough, but over time it will improve.
Regis
Dec 17, 2014 at 6:25 pm
I started watching golf on TV with Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf. Nothing will ever compare to CBS doing the Masters. I like Johnny Miller. Getting more tired by the day of Feherty’s schtick, but I like him as a person. I like Buck on Baseball-he’s perfect but worst fit for broadcasting golf ever-worse than those corporate spokesman who come on tournaments to talk about their company, their dedicated employees and the charities they support. I really liked the Fox graphics. Their three color swing plane graphics are the best since Hogan’s Five Lessons.
ken
Dec 17, 2014 at 5:07 pm
What little I viewed was OK….I found myself immediately comparing Fox’s crew to that of CBS. IMO CBS golf coverage is in first place. Everyone else is last.
Now, after I let FOX stand alone and critiqued it from there, I found myself cringing at the commentary of Joe Buck. Buck is either a work in progress or he is simply not suited to golf.
Because I’m not a fan of Joe Buck who to me is enamored by the sound of his own voice and presents his play by play in a manner in which he thinks his opinion of the action is important and interesting to the viewers. newsflash, it isn’t. I do not watch sports on TV so that the play by play guy can lecture me on what I should think about the action. Moreover, I am not in the least bit interested in “personal interest” points of view. Buck seems incapable of steering clear of these and other ‘issues’….
Note to FOX….We can SEE what it taking place on screen. There are times when the announcers should just keep quiet and let the action stand on it’s own
Jeff
Dec 17, 2014 at 3:40 pm
Watching the replay right now. Look, it’s the only golf on. Right now, it’s the best golf on.
JEFF
Dec 17, 2014 at 3:06 pm
The need to put a muzzle on the announcers…… news flash,,,, taylor made had a new line of clubs!
jgolf
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:10 pm
Honestly I didn’t see all of the broadcast, but from what I did see, I thought it was terrible. I really like Fox for the NFL. In spite of Joe Buck. But I’m a golf geek and would usually watch golf and flip to the NFL just to get the scores. I like ABC at “The Open” but glad they don’t cover a lot of golf. NBC is decent,but ever since Miller got the reputation of being “truthful”, I now think he’s gone too far with some of his critiques just to be controversial. CBS is the best of the major networks, but McCord who was funny at one time, has now become a caracature of himself. But Fox…Joe Buck?? Come on. And the NFL theme music they use for the NFL going to commercial break? Did anyone at Fox know they had a golf event to televise before last week? I have to give them a D overall. IMO of course.
jgolf
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Oh….and without a doubt, the pro tracer is the best thing to happen to golf on TV since HD.
SkierGolferNewHampshire
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:39 am
Joe Buck is an excellent football guy, but an awful golf guy. His staccato delivery drives me bonkers. The greatness of the CBS and NBC teams is that they are very conversational. Buck and Norman are anything but. Buck needs to go and be replaced by someone with a more golf-like presences on air.
I was waiting for something really new. How about using the pro-tracer on EVERY tee shot? That’s one of the great inventions in golf coverage and it’s used so sparingly. It’s a shame.
billm311
Dec 17, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Joe Buck ruined playoff baseball for me. Now I guess he will be ruining golf for me as well.
Fran
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:29 am
Just one question. WHERE IS HOLLY SONDERS????
Jeff
Dec 17, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Very good question
Beacher50
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:02 pm
…and the only question worth finding an answer too.
tom
Dec 17, 2014 at 9:47 am
That was a very good write up John. I didn’t see any of the coverage, nor did I care to. Not because of Fox, but because the “shootout” is boring… Frankly, I had no idea it was on until watching some football coverage on Sunday and seeing the box scores. What did that mean? That Fox has not done a good job of marketing that it will be carrying golf, and its native voyage was this past weekend.
That being said, here I’ll go… I’m particularly qualified to comment on this because a) I was a professional golfer b) I’ve watched a lot of just about every golf tournament over the past seven years.
Miller/Maltbie/McCord – stale – just stale. They cater to the much older generation(s) and that’s the only chord they strike. I think golf is losing its appeal because of the tired old banter between these “TV Analysts.” I don’t think Norman is going to change any of this. Who cares about his travails on the tour in the 80s. He’s not going to grow the game or get my kids interested in watching golf on TV.
McCarron/Flesch/Faxon – yawn… There’s not anything different here. Faxon is a bore. Someone wrote he’s one of the best putters to live… Was that you John? Come on… Tiger is one of the best putters to live. Palmer, Nicklaus, Player – guys who’ve won tournaments – lots of tournaments – and oh yeah, majors. Faxon? What has he won? I’m not going to listen to his yukety yuk anymore than I’d listen to McCord’s as he describes the upcoming putt.
Flesch? No one has heard of him. McCarron? Same…
Fox is new to golf? yes Check!
Golf is new to fox? yes Check!
Get some new announcers. Joe Buck – not new – known for world series – that’s the only place I’ve seen him… Norman – not new.
How about getting some young hip dudes that have a low handicap. How about Kelly Slater? I bet my kids would watch golf (for at least a few minutes) if an ultra cool surfer dude was calling some holes. What about a call down from the booth like they do for NFL broadcasts? Slater calls down to someone like Laurie Dhue – remember her? She’s the ultra beautiful ex-Fox news woman? That would be ultra fun to watch and would attract a new audience.
Face it – no one who’s CURRENTLY interested (all of us) in the US Open would turn away from watching it on Fox if a band of super models was walking the course with headphones and microphones calling shots. And if they were led by a hipster like a “Slater” that would be cool too.
Fox has big pockets – they could afford anyone they’d like to help kickstart this wonderful game.
How about Charles Barkley in the booth? I could go for that…
With much love…
Tom
John
Dec 17, 2014 at 10:37 am
Check out Faxon’s putting stats – putts per round – from ’93-2000. Pretty insane.
Shelbs
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:35 pm
I thought it was ok.
CBS is miles better then any other broadcast.
ABC is very good for the British Open too.
I thought Fox was better then NBC/Golf Channel. Unfortunately Miller and Hicks ruin every broadcast.
I’ll be looking forward to watching the US Open by Fox…..
Jon
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:20 pm
Get rid of Joe Buck his commentary on golf is terrible. He’s rude, boring to listen to and has a lame personality. Put Holly Sonders in the booth at least she’s nice to look at and has a personality!
ken
Dec 17, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Please….No eye candy.
I watch golf for the golf.
Saunders can work in studio…..Away from the course…
Jadon
Dec 16, 2014 at 11:01 am
I was looking for the final round of this tournament and couldn’t find it. No wonder. What the heck Fox? Let someone know you’re broadcasting final rounds. Geez.
John
Dec 16, 2014 at 12:30 pm
last round was on Saturday
Jack Nash
Dec 17, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Because he was doing NFL Broadcast. Fox will try with all the fancy gadgets like they tried in the NHL but people don’t need flashing lights and do dads. They just like to watch great golf.
Adam
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:04 am
The statement at the beginning about attending a live event and not knowing what’s going on is going away. I was at the President’s Cup at Muirfield Village and for $10 they gave us a portable device to watch the NBC broadcast. Best of both worlds. It will be common place to do this on your smartphone very soon.
Travis
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:05 am
I have not watched a World Series for 10 years or so now because of McCarver/Buck. Fox sports must be into torture as well as ‘sports’ broadcasting.
ken
Dec 17, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Mc Carver is long gone.
Funny thing is, when Mc Carver started his broadcast career with the Mets, he was a credible and knowledgeable no nonsense analyst.
Once he went national, he grew an enormous go and became unwatchable
Kirby
Dec 18, 2014 at 12:11 am
I honestly hate mccarver. Im a cards baseball fan and found out he was going to be doing a decent amount of our local games.I listen to the radio with the volume turned off I hate that guy so much.He is so fake, hates the cardinals because they traded his ass, and regurgitates the same crap every game.His best moment ever for me is when Deon Sanders shot that alcohol all over his smug face.
Mizzy
Dec 16, 2014 at 12:17 am
First Non-“A” review i have seen on here.
John
Dec 16, 2014 at 10:04 am
I try to be as objective as possible, Mizzy
Waqar
Dec 16, 2014 at 12:03 am
The right wing takeover of golf is finally complete. I used to like norman but now I hate him for being in bed with fox and its ideology. Johnny miller is and will be the most objective and intelligent commentator in golf. I will never buy anything again which is associated with norman, and never play on a course he designed.
He is seriously overrated as a golfer. He is a known choker, alpha males DO NOT choke.
Spinball
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:19 am
Brilliant injecting your personal politics into a discussion of a golf telecast. This would be like someone saying “I saw Obama eating an apple. I will never eat apples again.” That sounds pretty stupid; doesn’t it? Being closed minded, as you obviously are, doesn’t add to intelligent debate.
ken
Dec 17, 2014 at 5:15 pm
right wing takeover…..Oy vay….Leave it to a flaming lib to politicize anything and everything.
Tut tut….No one asked you to respond.
Taylor
Dec 15, 2014 at 9:10 pm
I cannot stand Joe Buck. Please golf, no more Buck. Protracer every shot
marcel
Dec 16, 2014 at 12:02 am
David Feherty is the best – all the way half dressed half whatever – DAVID is the man and then Shark
Double Mocha Man
Dec 16, 2014 at 11:03 am
At least there is some golf history in the Buck family. As a kid I remember caddying for his Dad, Jack Buck, at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis.
Pat
Dec 15, 2014 at 8:52 pm
No more Joe Buck. Dude doesn’t know anything about golf and has the personality of a door knob. Monotone voice which puts me to sleep. I’m glad Miller isn’t commentating anymore. Way too cocky and self-righteous. McCord isn’t funny and needs to retire. Norman’s alpha male “testosterone overdrive” attitude is way too abrasive for TV. Don’t get me started on Costas, he says some of the stupidest things and my brain cells die whenever he talks about politics. I think Faxon, Feherty and Maltby are great for the sport.
1putt23
Dec 15, 2014 at 8:21 pm
Holly Sonders please!!!;-)
Pat
Dec 15, 2014 at 8:54 pm
No way. Holly is the definition of fake and plastic. More Win McMurry please.
1putt23
Dec 15, 2014 at 9:20 pm
I don’t watch Morning Drive anymore….I’ll take Win too….but she’s not on anywhere ;-(
Kirby
Dec 18, 2014 at 12:16 am
No kidding,that chick wears so much freakin makeup, her voice sounds like she has smoked for 50 years, her fake breasts are ridiculously too large for her frame,and she looks 20 years older than she actually is. These guys wanting her on t.v. need to get some better standards.Good lord.
Ritch
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:38 pm
I think Fox needs to bring back “Loves Theme” that ABC used for many years during their broadcast of majors.
slider
Dec 15, 2014 at 5:55 pm
any Canadians on here this is just like sportsnet taking over CBC not good for the game of golf firing miller and maltby for norman buck and others
james
Dec 15, 2014 at 5:48 pm
did not like fox joe buck knows less about the game than roger maltby and I am a huge miller fan so I don’t like to see him go and maybe fox could get their cameras out of fairway bunkers right in the line of poulters shot. Also for greg this is not a time to promote your wine and other businesses just stick to calling the action. Overall grade is an F and Fox is going to ruin the game unless they get some smarter broadcasters
Pat
Dec 15, 2014 at 8:43 pm
I agree that Joe Buck is horrible and doesn’t know squat about golf. We see enough of him when he does football games. He has the personality of a door knob. Snore fest.
Jon
Dec 15, 2014 at 11:20 pm
Funny.
tiptin
Dec 15, 2014 at 5:43 pm
The coverage offered nothing new to bring in new golf viewers
I agree with RobG’s comments above. So much new technology is available to make golf look interesting on TV. Just showing 80% coverage on putting doesn’t cut it like all other channels do. Show different shots via pro-tracer, show proper player shot alignments instead of same straight camera angles, over head camera shots, good slow motions of swings, even aimpoint break lines for putting..need something new and interesting to spruce up the 3-4 hrs of golf. Otherwise it gets less interesting to even watch it on DVR
Steve
Dec 15, 2014 at 4:33 pm
I’d be very happy if they could get the protracer on every shot. I love that
JOSH
Dec 15, 2014 at 4:53 pm
Yes!!!! Completely agree. Love the protracer.
John
Dec 15, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Protracer is just pure glory. Youtube has a bunch of amazing compilations if you ever want to wonderfully kill time.
jonno
Dec 16, 2014 at 2:05 am
they have protracer on every shot for japanese golf which when i watched a tournament recently amazed me – i thought they needed to setup a static camera behind the tee to make it work, they had it going off their normal cameras if stationed behind the player.
makes me think it’s just software so there’s no excuse for it not to be on every shot possible.
RobG
Dec 15, 2014 at 3:48 pm
I personally don’t care about the commentary on a golf broadcast, I just want to see more golf. NBC and CBS have become almost un-watchable. They only show shots of the leaders and a few guys close to lead and fill the rest of the gaps with 8 replays of shots that we have already seen from different angles, commercials, useless banter or “features.” I tune in to watch golf, the more shots they can show in real time, the better.
rgb
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:17 pm
Oh God, the ‘features’ waste of time at the Masters is intolerable. And the low funeral-home tone voices. Its a golf course, for heaven’s sake, not the manger of Christ.
Scooter McGavin
Dec 15, 2014 at 3:25 pm
No offense to Yanni, as he has made a lot of money selling albums to middle aged folks, but how can you call “In Celebration of Man” the “greatest sports theme of all time”, when I don’t even know that there’s ever even been a performance by real musicians (and not just the MIDI computer rendering that’s played on the broadcasts). Have you never heard Williams’s “Olympic Fanfare and Theme”? I’m pretty sure that qualifies as a sports theme.
John
Dec 15, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Scooter – great point and great song. I probably got a bit dramatic in handing Yanni that crown. But, come on, “In Celebration of Man” is just fantastic.
FTWPhil
Dec 15, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Didn’t watch.
Hate Miller!
Tech reminds me of their ill fated attempt at NHL.
Need protracer!
James
Dec 15, 2014 at 2:48 pm
At least Fox was trying some new things. I liked the highlighted hole. I would like to see a putt tracer and fill shot tracer too. I wonder if they thought about a GO-NO GO zone for attempting to hit a par 5 in two?
Nathan Sargent
Dec 15, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Johnny Miller stinks on TV. However, he is the GOAT. Just ask him. He’ll tell you. Literally every broadcast he brings up shooting 63 at Oakmont. “You could hit a small bucket and not do any better than that”
sgniwder99
Dec 15, 2014 at 8:10 pm
Dude, forget about every broadcast. If I shot a Sunday 63 to win the US Open I’d mention it every SENTENCE.
Brad
Dec 15, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Fox broadcasted more live swings in one hour than Golf Channel/NBC does in two. Bonus: no Johnny Miller.
bradford
Dec 15, 2014 at 1:27 pm
I’ll agree with the lack of Johnny Miller. Can’t go anywhere but up from there
John
Dec 15, 2014 at 1:39 pm
can understand the sentiments on Miller. Still, I somehow will miss his grouchy tone for the Open.
jill
Dec 15, 2014 at 5:53 pm
miller is a stud tells it like it is my favorite announcer
mtn1414
Dec 15, 2014 at 12:33 pm
They must have mentioned ten times that Kuchar ran a 5k Saturday morning before the round, and acted like it was some amazing feat. It’s not like he ran a marathon before playing the final round at the Masters.
west
Dec 15, 2014 at 12:12 pm
The more golf coverage/access/exposure…the better! Good for the game! Love it! Kudos Fox!
Regis
Dec 18, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Only Fox is replacing NBC. To me its a step down