Dr. Greg Rose of TPI responds to Johnny Millers Comments!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
I was interested in Dr. Greg Rose’s take on the criticism Johnny Miller churned out about Rory’s training regimen and that he worked out for vanity reasons! Johnny, you should educate yourself before making statements that make you look foolish! Dr. Rose is one of the highest experts in his field and is respected by the entire golf community. I read some of the comments on Dr. Rose’s video on FaceBook and am appalled by the lack of knowledge apparent in many PGA professionals who presume to know more than Dr. Rose. What this video and make your own decisions! Thanks, Dr. Rose of MyTPI, for this enlightening video and for explaining the facts as even I can understand!
Dr. Greg Rose responds to critics of Rory’s workout regimen.
Golf Digest’s Survey on the Best and Worst Announcers!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This is the most in-depth survey I have ever seen on golf announcers. How we watch golf on TV and who we love and who we hate! Kudos, go to Golf Digest for such an interesting survey, and thanks must go to Alex Myers for putting it all together! Don’t forget to use the link below to see this entire survey. You will not find it boring!
If Johnny Miller is reading this, we hope he’s sitting down.
Preferably, in the comfort of his home, while wearing his favorite pair of houndstooth-pattern pants. Johnny, there’s no easy way to say this, but when it comes to golf analysts, you’re not the people’s choice anymore.
Nick Faldo overtaking Miller was one of the most noteworthy findings in Golf Digest’s latest survey of TV viewers. It wasn’t a blowout, but Faldo, the six-time major champion, received 58 percent to Miller’s 53 percent in the favorite-analyst category.(Respondents could choose multiple options.) In previous TV surveys (2002 and 1996), Miller was the dominant winner among analysts.
But was it a fair fight? Miller still had plenty of support and was widely praised for his “brutal honesty.” But Faldo has four more majors and that distinguished English accent. More important, he gets to call the Masters, the runaway favorite event among viewers. (66 percent to 12 percent for the Ryder Cup) As well as a second major, the PGA Championship. Meanwhile, NBC didn’t broadcast the U.S. Open for the first time in two decades, and it wasn’t a Ryder Cup year.
Regardless, there’s no contest when it comes to hosts/play-by-play announcers.
As was the case in our last comprehensive survey, Jim Nantz emerged an easy winner among respondents, who were 83 percent male, had a median age of 59, and averaged watching 19 tournaments last season. In other words, these weren’t just bandwagon Masters fans. To be sure, Nantz’s popularity isn’t hurt by his ubiquitous presence at CBS’ biggest sporting events, from the Super Bowl to the Final Four. Still, his 65 percent (nearly doubling ESPN’s Mike Tirico, at 33 percent) versus just 8 percent of viewers naming Nantz their least favorite, is impressive.
Joe Buck and Greg Norman were panned by viewers, but Fox gets year 2 in 2016 to bounce back.
It wasn’t all smiles and “Hello, friends” for CBS, as the network said goodbye to one of its star personalities, David Feherty.
An overwhelming choice for favorite on-course reporter (74 percent), Feherty ended a 19-year relationship with the network in September and is adding NBC to his Golf Channel duties. CBS will gain Dottie Pepper (No. 5 at 35 percent) in 2016, but Feherty seems irreplaceable.
In fact, a comedic touch can go a long way. Another CBS jokester, Gary McCord (52 percent), was the most popular hole announcer, followed closely by Peter Jacobsen (50 percent) on NBC. And Faldo’s sense of humor played a big part in him edging Miller. Also, when viewers were asked to pick which celebrity they’d most like to see on a golf telecast, comedian Jimmy Fallon was the overwhelming choice at 43 percent, and unintentional comedian Donald Trump took second at 14 percent.
David Feherty and Gary McCord won their categories but are no longer together.
In addition to losing the game’s top funnyman, CBS also lost its grip as favorite golf network for the first time since Golf Digest started this survey in 1988. Golf Channel, which finished its 21st year of being the only 24-hour golf network, took that category (38 percent to 29 percent) and benefited from a deep, balanced roster. The polarizing Brandel Chamblee finished as the sixth-favorite analyst and tied for second-most disliked.
Golf Digest’s Survey on the Best and Worst Announcers!
Interestingly, he was less popular than rookie teammate David Duval. Kelly Tilghman’s 28 percent was good for fourth among hosts, and Charlie Rymer was a surprising favorite member of “Morning Drive,” Golf Channel’s flagship show. Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte came in second to NBC’s Jimmy Roberts in the reporter/interviewer category and finished No. 2 to Rymer among “Morning Drive” cast members in the first year of the post-Holly Sonders era.
Speaking of Sonders, she finished No. 3 among reporters.
But not even her presence or a star-studded booth duo of Joe Buck and Greg Norman translated into a good first impression by Fox at the U.S. Open. In fact, Buck and Norman were the least favorite in their respective categories. Buck got bad marks for a lack of golf knowledge and Norman getting poor marks for a surplus of arrogance. It wasn’t quite a Brent Musburger level of disdain. The former ABC golf announcer received 43 percent of our worst-host vote in 1996—but 39 percent named Buck their least favorite, and a quarter of those polled gave the Shark a biting review.
Not surprisingly, there was a huge difference in how today’s fans watch pro golf and which players they follow most closely.
Jordan Spieth, after his monster season, was a clear favorite player to watch (viewers were 83 percent more likely to watch when he was in contention), and Tiger Woods fell from first in 2002 to sixth, at 55 percent.
All participants said they watched at least 10 events on TV in the past year. But 69 percent reported they have watched golf tournaments using mobile apps. Which didn’t exist when Golf Digest last conducted this survey. Yes, a lot can happen in 13 years—and it’s not all bad, Johnny. We hear houndstooth is making a comeback.
Greg Norman will not be back in 2016 at Fox for the U.S. Open!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
In the July 2015 issue of GOLF Magazine, Greg Norman says, “I don’t normally watch golf on TV.
But since getting the job as lead analyst for Fox Sport’s golf telecasts alongside Joe Buck, I’ve been watching a lot.” That statement alone speaks volumes.
Johnny Miller has been the lead golf analyst for the U.S. Open on NBC for 20 years. He studied each competitor’s swing and knew all their idiosyncrasies. This allowed him to give honest and believable critiques, whether positive or negative.
The one thing that has been consistent with Johnny Miller is his “tell it like it is” honesty. Will we miss that in 2015?
And Johnny, love him or hate him, cared so much for his role in broadcasting America’s biggest golf tournament that he fought back the tears when saying goodbye on TV last weekend. Greg Norman has been a World No. 1 golfer and an admirable businessman. But have you ever seen him display anything close to “heartfelt’?
Not only has Fox never broadcast a major golf tournament, but their new lead analyst “doesn’t normally watch golf on TV.” WHAT?
I think this replacement will leave us all asking, “Where’s Johnny?”
Who are the very Best and very Worst Golf Announcers?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This topic produces wildly varying opinions.
Seems that some of you love Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo, David Feherty, etc., and some of you think they are hacks! (or worse)
Who do you like to listen to when watching coverage of your favorite tournament? Tell me why they impress you or turn you off. You can include past announcers, as some of the writers below have done, in addition to current commentators.
Miller is a man among boys in this business. Always insightful, consistently makes great calls, not afraid to be politically incorrect. Oddly subversive for a straight laced Mormon type. Drives 120 mph in his Ferrari to church.
Full disclosure: one of his from-the-booth golf tips solved an early release problem in my golf swing that dropped my handicap from 12 to eight. I should send the guy a freakin’ check.
I know he has an army of detractors, but that’s probably a good sign. He’s not trying to please everybody
Jim Nantz.
Cool and corporate compared to Miller, the hot instigator. Best voice, though, which counts extra for the play by play guy. Likeable for some reason you can’t put your finger on. Miller and Nantz together would be a dream team.
Dan Hicks.
Solid play by play.
Nick Faldo.
Nothing brilliant going on between the ears here, but pleasant enough personality. He’s slightly clever without being annoying. Not being annoying counts for a lot. If you sit down and watch an entire tournament, these guys are on air for as much as 16 hours.
David Feherty.
Legitimately amusing.
WORST
Gary McCord.
Not funny. Not cool. Aging wanna-be frat boy. Pathetic case of arrested development.
Paul Azinger.
Fortunately, lost his job. Still shows up occasionally on the Golf Channel and the odd ABC telecast. He has all the negative qualities of Dennis Miller without the redemptive wit.
Mike Tirico.
Lost his job wiith Azinger when the PGA cancelled ABC’s contract. He’s now being gradually drummed out of TV football broadcasting into radio. Smart enough guy with a slick delivery, but unlikeable. Way too nerdy.
Chris Berman.
I know he only gets an hour or so every year, and even then only when ABC/ESPN gets the U.S. Open. But even a couple of hours a year of Chris Berman calling golf is a crime against broadcasting.
Kelly Tilghman.
She’s not awful, but in over her head. It’s a tougher job than you think. Would be fine walking the fairways and doing the side commentary. If they need a token woman, put Dottie Pepper or Judy Rankis in there.
Please Note: These are the opinions of Lou Vozza and bleacherreport.com and not of Mel Sole or The Mel Sole Golf School. This article was curated from bleacherreport.com, and all credits go to them! I have removed inappropriate comments regarding Paul Azinger. This is not a political forum! Lou Vozza will no longer be featured on golfchats.com
