Roger Maltbie, Gary Koch Will Not Return to NBC Sports' Golf Coverage in 2023

Maltbie, 71, and Koch, 69, had been with NBC for decades; the network told Golfweek it wants to 'refresh' its commentator lineup.

Two of golf's most recognizable broadcast voices will not return to their familiar posts next year.

Golfweek reported Thursday that Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch will not continue in full-time roles with NBC Sports and Golf Channel in 2023, in a move the network said was made to "refresh" its lineup for the future.

Maltbie, 71, has covered golf for NBC Sports since 1992, while Koch, 69, began full-time with the network in 1997. Both won multiple times as players on the PGA Tour.

"Either you decide that that's it and I don't want to do it anymore, or it gets decided for you," Maltbie told Sports Illustrated. "In this case it got decided for me, and I've got no axe to grind. I mean, 31 years, not too many guys last that long doing this stuff.

"So there's a great deal of gratitude. Does it hurt to hear the words? Sure, but, gosh, I saw a lot of great golf. I got to see this guy, Tiger Woods, in full flight, come into his own and play golf like nobody's seen before. I've seen a lot, done a lot, been to a lot of great places, met a lot of great people. That's the gratitude part of it."

Maltbie was offered one-off broadcasting opportunities on Golf Channel for next year such as majors on the PGA Tour Champions schedule and the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, not far from Maltbie's home in northern California.

"I'm still in the process of mulling that over," said Maltbie, known for a quick wit while on the course as a reporter. "One day I feel like I don't want to do it, the next day you go, 'I really liked being out there, being around the game and involved in television.'" 

Koch will be forever known for his "better than most" call at the 2001 Players Championship when Tiger Woods made a 60-foot downhill triple-breaking putt at the famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

“Roger and Gary have been synonymous with NBC Sports’ golf coverage for decades, having educated and entertained multiple generations of viewers and having made some of the most memorable calls in the history of the game,” Golf Channel executive producer Molly Solomon said in a statement to Golfweek. “Their professionalism and prowess is only exceeded by their character as they have been great teammates and friends to so many of us here. We will be honoring their careers during our coverage of the PNC Championship in December.”

Reached for comment by SI, Koch said "it's been a great run."

Alex Miceli and Bob Harig contributed to this report.