Good and Bad Golf 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 and he throws in more than a few “zingers” in every broadcast. He definitely knows the Ryder Cup as well as anybody so it should be a great week for him.

Shane Bacon (Golf Channel)

Co-host of Golf Today, Bacon, who also does play-by-play tournament coverage, is arguably the best young announcer in the business. A former mini-tour player, Bacon knows the game and he has an easy going, entertaining style. Best of all, he doesn’t take himself too seriously as you can see with his podcast (Get a Grip) and his social media posts. It’s a bold prediction on my part, but I believe he could be the next Jim Nantz.

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.

David Duval (ESPN)

Extremely knowledgable about what it takes to compete on the highest levels of the PGA Tour, Duval is superb at breaking down what it takes to deliver consistently in the big moments, especially majors. Unfortunately, his voice has very little inflection and excitement and I find myself rapidly traveling to sleepyville when he drones on too much.

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. I like to listen to Sir Nick, but I’m fully aware there are lots of viewers who simply can’t stand the sometimes smug and arrogant British attitude.

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.” I realize more than a few people think Feherty is humorous, but I would absolutely hate to be sitting on a long flight with him and have to listen to his boorish act.

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.

Damon Hack (Golf Channel)

Nobody seems to love the game more than Hack, who has been with the Golf Channel since 2012. The co-host of Golf Today with Shane Bacon, Hack’s enthusiasm is infectious when you listen to him and his golf knowledge is impressive. He’s got one of those affable personalities that’s not contrived and his authenticity comes through.

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.

Christina Kim (PGA Tour Live)

Kim has lots of potential as an analyst and commentator, but, at present, her presentation is a bit spotty. She tends to talk too much and her overuse of superlatives like “amazing”, “fabulous” and “incredible” are annoying but make for a good drinking game when you count them up.

Justin Leonard (Golf Channel)

Always looking like he just stepped out of a Ralph Lauren Polo advertisement, Leonard is insightful, informative, professional and brings lots of credibility with his successful career on the PGA Tour. Don’t expect a lot of funny one-liners, Leonard’s on-air game is all about letting you know what the players think inside the ropes.

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 (Formerly with 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. (DLIII didn’t last long at CBS and announced he was returning to competitive golf). A good move on his part.

Verne Lundquist

While the 80-year old Lundquist has lost a little off his fastball, I still enjoy his commentary and calls on the par 3 No. 16 at the Masters. His “Yes, sir” call at the 1986 Masters and “In your life have you seen anything like that?” in 2005 when Tiger made his miracle chip shot are part of Masters lore. He’ll be difficult to replace when he eventually steps down from the tower.

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. By the way, Bones’ old employer, Phil Mickelson, made a great appearance on the Saturday telecast of the PGA Championship (2020). Lefty is quite the BS’er and has a great future in broadcasting if he wants it.

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.

Andy North (ESPN)

Knowledgeable, professional and comfortable in front of the camera, North, a two-time U.S. Open Champion, seems like a nice guy you’d go to for golf advice. North doesn’t say anything even close to controversial so most television viewers probably couldn’t pick him out of a line-up of popular analysts. He probably gets more recognition from his spokesperson duties for the Square Strike Wedge infomercials, which ran incessantly on golf programming a couple of years ago.

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 (Fox)

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 (Formerly 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.

Steve Sands (Golf Channel)

This gravelly voice broadcast veteran is always reliable with accurate information on the players and tournaments. He’s well connected and respected by the players and PGA Tour officials and presents interesting behind-the-scenes information that enhances the telecast.

Curtis Strange (ESPN)

Remember, this is the guy who sanctimoniously told a young, confident Tiger Woods in 1996 that “You’ll learn” when referring to Woods’ goal to win every tournament. Strange still appears a bit uncomfortable talking about Tiger after all these years. Curtis also seems like the grouchy old guy at the clubhouse grill who might offer up this kick in the balls to Joe Golfer: “Hey, I won two U.S. Opens and you can’t even break 90, get out of my face with your opinion.”

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.

Scott Van Pelt (ESPN)

SVP is one of the best things going for ESPN. He’s got the smooth talking professionalism of Jim Nantz and spins some great stories along the way as well as solid analysis mixed in with some good humor. His relationship with Tiger Woods dates back to SVP’s days at The Golf Channel, where he got his start in the broadcasting biz. SVP has lots of credibility when it comes to covering El Tigre.

Michelle Wie West (Golf Channel)

With her teenage heroics and long-time play on the LPGA Tour, her credibility is unquestioned. Wie West’s pleasant personality is a strong asset, but in these early stages of her broadcasting career she speaks in way too many generalities. Hopefully that will change as she learns how to be a professional broadcaster and not just an ultra-successful athlete that happened to score a role in front of the camera.

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