Good and Bad Announcers, Analysts and Commentators

From the bland and downright annoying to informative and fun, golf’s on air personalities entertain and sometimes irritate viewers. Here’s a review of the best and worst of golf’s more notable announcers, analysts and commentators:

(Listed alphabetically)

Paul Azinger (NBC)

“The Zinger” is opinionated and he draws his opinions, analysis and assumptions from a career that included a major championship and captain of a Ryder Cup team. I liked him better when he was teamed with Nick Faldo on ABC, but I still enjoy him as Johnny Miller’s replacement alongside Dan Hicks. He might not be Johnny Miller, but he’s a pretty damn good replacement.

Amanda Balionis (CBS)

She has the perky gene ala Katie Couric, but her post round interviews are predictable and snooze inducing. First question: How does it feel to win or lose? Second question: What went right and what went wrong out there? I don’t know the third question because I’m typically on my way to the fridge for another brewski.

Notah Begay (Golf Channel)

He’s a buddy of Tiger’s going back to their days at Stanford, so Begay is, not surprisingly, a Woods apologist. That said, he offers up some interesting takes on playing between the ropes. Begay’s PGA Tour career was disappointing, but with some seasoning and enough T.V. reps he could turn out to be better analyst. Just, please, don’t ask this guy any Tiger questions because he’ll never bum kick his friend.

Brandel Chamblee (Golf Channel)

He comes off as somewhat of a know-it-all frat boy with his dapper outfits and Prince Valiant haircut, but Chamblee knows golf. He can break down a swing as well as anyone on T.V. and he’s not afraid to criticize golf’s biggest stars.

Ian Baker-Finch (CBS)

“Finchy” as he’s often called on broadcasts, has one of the greatest accents ever. The Aussie, who also does golf for TNT, is knowledgeable and can certainly turn a phrase. Just like Henry Longhurst and Peter Aliss, I can’t get enough of Finchy’s accent.

Nick Faldo (CBS)

It’s hard to believe Faldo was so mum with the media when he played. Sir Nick can talk endlessly about golf. He seemingly has a well thought out opinion on just about every aspect of the professional game. Faldo is at the top of his broadcasting game because he’s superb at telling the viewer exactly what’s it’s like to play between the ropes. Nobody gets inside the minds of superstar players like Faldo.

David Feherty (CBS/Golf Channel)

He’s just not that funny. Feherty always seems more interested in desperately trying to come up with zany one-liners than actually analyzing the golf action around him. It’s sad, most of his jokes crash and burn. I cringe every time the announcer says, “Let’s go to Feherty.”

Terry Gannon (Golf Channel)

A smooth talker who typically works on LPGA telecasts, Gannon is one of the best set-up men in the business. No matter who he’s working with, Gannon asks pertinent questions to the analyst and moves the coverage along effortlessly.

Dan Hicks (NBC)

He’s a solid announcer that never seems to say anything too offensive or annoying. Hicks does a great job of setting up Paul Azinger and making the broadcast flow effortlessly.

Gary Koch (NBC)

The analyst who coined the phrase, “Better than Most” tends to agree with the booth guys too much rather than expressing his own opinion. That said, you can’t deny Koch’s knowledge of the game as he has was a star junior and college player, middle-of-the-pack guy on the PGA Tour and a Champions Tour player.

Trevor Immelman (CBS)

I’m not sure why, but commentators and analysts with great accents just seem to come off a lot smarter than their American counterparts. Immelman, with his rhythmic South African accent, is easy to listen to and he knows the game at its highest level.

Rich Lerner (Golf Channel)

A smooth talker, adept at reading a teleprompter and well versed in statistics, Lerner is a thorough professional who rarely makes a mistake. He’s very comfortable in front of the camera and never seems to get rattled.

Davis Love III (CBS)

He’s better than Melatonin or Sominex. If I need a good snooze on the couch while watching golf, the soft, melodic tones of Love III’s voice sends me quickly to snoozeville. I have always admired Love as a player and Ryder Cup Captain, but he doesn’t bring much dynamism to the broadcast. Like most Pro golfers turned analysts, he noticeably tiptoes around any criticism of his brethren.

Jim “Bones” Mackay (NBC)

The former caddie to Phil Mickelson sounds exactly like, well, a caddie. I like his act and really enjoy his information about reading greens and how to approach certain putts. He seems to improve with each tournament.

Roger Maltbie (NBC)

A former PGA Tour player, ol’ “Rodge” is a reliable, venerable, on-the-course reporter who has that comfortable, drinking buddy kind of demeanor that is never irritating. You can easily imagine having a single malt or a pint with Maltbie and listening to his colorful golf stories.

Jim Nantz (CBS)

Nobody in the business does it like Jim Nantz. While you can criticize him for being too mushy or overdramatic when talking about the Masters and Augusta National, Nantz is always well prepared and unruffled on the air. He makes few mistakes and doesn’t impose his personality on the viewer. It’s an art to be on the air for so long and not annoy the heck out of people.

Frank Nobilo (CBS)

With his great New Zealand accent and an ability to talk on every aspect of life on the PGA Tour, Nobilo is one of the best golf analysts on television. He’s not afraid to criticize, but always does it fairly with facts to back up his assertions.

Dottie Pepper (CBS)

A two-time major winner, Pepper is excellent at describing the physical and mental intricacies of playing professional golf at the highest level. She’s also not afraid to ruffle a few feathers once in a while. If you want a strong opinion, she delivers. Although she’s mellowed since her recent return to televised golf last year, who can forget her legendary line calling the 2007 Solheim Cup American team “choking freaking dogs.”

Judy Rankin (Golf Channel)

She exudes class and knows both the men’s and women’s game. In fact, she was the first woman to work full-time on broadcasts of men’s events. Rankin knows the LPGA better than anybody (after all, she served as the Tour president in 1976-77). Articulate and knowledgeable, Rankin never gets flustered and always puts the viewer in a good mood.

Tom Rinaldi (ESPN)

I used to like Rinaldi’s soft approach and heart-warming human interest pieces and post game interviews. I can’t take it anymore, though. Everything he does now has a certain sameness and predictability. He asks the same old and tired three questions: “How do you feel?”, “What were you thinking?” and “Why did you cry?”

Charlie Rymer (Golf Channel)

He sounds a bit like Gomer Pyle’s long lost cousin with his syrupy southern accent, but Rymer, a former star at Georgia Tech and a PGA Tour player, has some interesting takes and opinions. He doesn’t like to criticize other players much, but that doesn’t stop him from providing spot on analysis with a cornpone flair.

Mike Tirico (NBC)

Possessing some great pipes for broadcasting, Tirico has the type of voice I never get tired of hearing. He brings immense professionalism to the booth regardless of what sport he’s broadcasting. You can tell he loves golf and he hardly ever makes a mistake.

Gary Williams (Golf Channel)

You sometimes wonder if this guy gets paid by the word. He rambles on and on in a rapid pace with so many stats and historical references that your head starts to spin. Williams comes off as a guy that seems a little too enamored with himself and his golf knowledge, which, admittedly is vast and impressive.

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