Jay Monahan Delivers In Televised LIV Golf Rebuttal; NBC's Best-in-Class Crew Returns
In striking contrast to the men who held the post for 43 years before him, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan uses his communicative skills to great effect when appearing on television, as was the case last Sunday during the final round of the Canadian Open. Monahan’s counteroffensive to recent strides made by emerging rival LIV Golf, which he made during a live interview with CBS anchor Jim Nantz, featured an ideal balance of virulence and common sense — a measured yet persuasive attack on the rebel faction that surely appealed to viewers in both its style and substance.
Not that public opinion matters on the issue itself. The LIV “threat” has continued to grow with each passing week. Any form of resistance to this potential upheaval of pro golf’s infrastructure has proven largely futile. Although Monahan’s message is highly unlikely to deter the Saudis from continuing to lure members of his tour with huge sums of guaranteed money, his ability to defend the status quo and articulate those thoughts is not without value.
Jay Monahan and Jim Nantz talked LIV Golf last weekend at the Canadian Open.
Whereas former commissioners Deane Beman and Tim Finchem might have bombarded the TV audience with CEO-speak while downplaying the magnitude of the invasion, Monahan spoke with compassion and conviction, addressing golf fans as if he were one of their own. He employed simple terms to outline a very complex issue, sounding like a man with a serious problem on his hands.
Like a guy who will do whatever it takes to achieve the greater good, however that greater good might ultimately be defined.
NBC Returns For the U.S. Open
After the usual two-plus months of storing its golf balls in mothballs, NBC returns as the televising network for this week’s U.S. Open. It’s only for one week, mind you, as CBS will carry the following three events before the Peacock regains the main stage with its presentation of the British Open.
To think that in 2015, NBC didn’t hold the broadcast rights to either major. Fox had just leapt into its 12-year commitment with the USGA, which ended in 2020, while ESPN was finishing up its contractual agreement with the R&A. Our universe is a better one with NBC holding both properties. It’s the House that Johnny Built, and though Miller retired three-and-a-half years ago, executive producer Tommy Roy has maintained the high standard that leaves NBC well ahead of CBS in terms of enlightening and entertaining viewers of all shapes and sizes.
OK, maybe not the squares.
Why has the gap between the networks become so substantial? It didn’t take long to come up with a half-dozen easily justifiable reasons.
The Funnyman Factor: David Feherty is a gifted talent whose wit and comic instincts make him a precious commodity: a golf announcer who is trying to be amusing and often is. He left CBS for NBC in 2016, ostensibly due to his variety show airing on Golf Channel (an NBC partner), a loss from which CBS has never recovered. Feherty needn’t say much to have considerable impact on a telecast. His popularity and perspective are qualities that cannot be duplicated easily, if at all.
Anchor vs. Anchor: As technically impeccable as Jim Nantz has been for what seems like forever, NBC’s Dan Hicks has filled his role every bit as effectively, whether it’s passing the microphone to on-air colleagues or playing off the thoughts of lead analyst Paul Azinger. He offers a less-dramatic style than the heavy musings of Nantz, which is no knock on either, but let’s face it: both guys are calling a golf tournament, not a war. Hicks keeps things real without sacrificing an ounce of intrigue.
Emphasis on foot soldiers: Roy has assembled a superb collection of on-course reporters who walk with a key group throughout the telecast, as opposed to CBS’ continued practice of having a majority of their analysts call the action from a booth. Even after losing Jim Mackay, who has returned to caddying on Justin Thomas’ bag, NBC still leans heavily on the close-proximity observations of Roger Maltbie, Notah Begay and the ultra-impressive John Wood to strengthen the viewing experience. Dottie Pepper does a nice job on the ground for the Eye, but six eyes are more insightful than two. Everyone else is just watching the thing on TV.
Golf Channel = Depth: Having such a knowledgeable little brother around to help carry the broadcasting load, especially at big events offering 10 to 12 hours of coverage daily, is an overlooked asset with, uh, staying power. The return of Justin Leonard to NBC’s team gives it an option as a backup analyst or second/third anchor, along with Terry Gannon. Other on-air personnel will be added to handle the lesser-watched stretches during a 48-hour block of programming. That’s a lot of bogeys. And Buffalo wings.
Gary Koch: He has been announcing golf since 1990, the last 26 of those years at NBC, where his three most famous words (“Better than most!”) continue to define a career that deserves more recognition than it gets. Koch doesn’t suffocate the audience with superlatives, as does CBS happy-talker Ian Baker Finch. He doesn’t mumble half-sentences in an imitation of Nick Faldo or restate the obvious with the alarming regularity of Frank Nobilo. He tells you what he sees, offers an objective take on what you just saw, then tosses it back to Hicks. A pro’s pro.
Pregame and postgame shows: Yes, there is such a thing as overkill, but that should be left to the viewer’s discretion, and for those who enjoy such options, Golf Channel’s “Live From” serves up everything you’ll need to know heading into a round and everything you want to know more about afterward. CBS offers no such depth — nothing even remotely as comprehensive — although you will have to locate the remote and switch the channel to hear the latest takes of Brandel Chamblee, by far the best desk analyst in the game.
You could head to CBS and watch some formulaic sitcom, but why torment yourself with an episode of “United States of Al” when you can continue stuffing yourself with the United States Open?
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