Video: Nantz's Introduction To CBS's Return In Era Of Unrest, COVID-19
/As previewed earlier in the week during a CBS conference call, Jim Nantz opened the telecast with some prepared thoughts. Here it is if you missed the telecast.
In golf construction art and utility meet; both are absolutely vital; one is utterly ruined without the other. GEORGE THOMAS
It’s back!
Twenty years later Tatra Press has kindly allowed me to bring back Grounds For Golf now that golf architecture is of more interest to the masses. A new Introduction looks at what’s driven the interest growth and two new chapters I had a blast adding (plus a few edits to keep things up-to-date).
The Amazon purchase page for the book arriving June 15, 2026.
PGA Tour Return Draws 683,000 Average, Most Watched Non-Major Thursday Since 2019 Players
/The COVID-19 era’s first official full-field event drew a healthy 683k viewers during its Golf Channel window, and another 447k viewers when a PGA Tour Live free preview ran showing the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge. (Comparisons to last year’s May playing are in the press release below and the primary sign of a ratings bump.)
Before any Tour execs start elbow bumping over the numbers, ShowBuzzDaily says the highly anticipated return’s .12 rating landed 68th on the list of top cable programs Thursday. The live golf scored 82nd for the morning PGA Tour Live airing.
The 69th ranked show Thursday was Loud House on Nickelodeon, while 70th was Untold Stories of Hip Hop on something called WETV. (No clue. I have a better chance of finding TruTV on the dial.)
For Immediate Release:
PGA TOUR’S RETURN BECOMES MOST-WATCHED ROUND 1
SINCE 2019 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP; MOST-WATCHED
AT EVENT SINCE 2003 FEATURING ANNIKA SORENSTAM
FORT WORTH, Texas (June 12, 2020) – The PGA TOUR returned to competition yesterday for the first time since March 12, as GOLF Channel’s live coverage of Thursday’s opening round of the Charles Schwab Challenge earned a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 683,000 average viewers (4-7p ET), up 160% vs. opening round of the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge (263k TAD). Yesterday becomes the most-watched Thursday telecast on the PGA TOUR (excluding Presidents Cup) since the 2019 PLAYERS Championship (907k average viewers). It also marks the most-watched opening round telecast at the event (672k average viewers) in its 14 years on GOLF Channel (2007-’20), and since 2003, when LPGA Tour player Annika Sorenstam competed alongside her PGA TOUR counterparts.
Additional highlights:
GOLF Channel (4-7p ET) on Thursday was the No. 1 cable sports network by 225%, and No. 5 overall cable network.
Persons 25-54 saw 203k average viewers, +421% vs. opening round of 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge (39k average viewers).
GOLF Channel also preceded traditional live tournament coverage on Thursday with expanded inside-the-ropes coverage of PGA TOUR LIVE featured groups, which earned 447k average viewers (Noon-4p ET), +252% vs. The Honda Classic opening round PGA TOUR LIVE featured groups in February (127k).
David Barron On Lance Barrows Working His Last Colonial
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Plenty of good stuff in this Lance Barrow profile by David Barron in the Houston Chronicle. The longtime CBS golf producer is working his final Colonial tournament since joining the network in 1977.
There was this on his predecessor Frank Chirkinian:
Along with CBS veterans like Steve Milton and Jim Rikhoff, Barrow is one of the few network employees who worked with Chirkinian, who relished his nickname as “The Ayatollah.”
“My personality is different, but Frank taught all of us,” he said. “We used to call CBS the ‘Chirkinian Broadcast School.’
“If somebody compared our telecast with Frank’s, which is hard to do because of technology and all the things we have now, I would view that as the ultimate compliment. I’ve always tried to ensure that nothing gets in the way of covering the golf tournament and the competition, and that’s what Frank wanted to do, too.”
"Mic'd Rickie Fowler delivered good stuff, even if his game did not"
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AP’s Stephen Hawkins covered the television angle to the “Return To Golf” and Rickie Fowler’s “mic’d up” approach got the most attention. Deservedly so. As I Tweeted at one point, had Fowler not done so I’m pretty sure the telecast would have been considered a real drag. But just getting inside the ropes with him a few times and overhearing other comments from his group, took us to some places we rarely get in a PGA Tour event.
And there was a bit of a rocky start when a normal microphone picked up an obscenity-infused compliment. Here is the offending moment, should be inclined.
From Hawkins’ story:
“Well, we were hoping for better audio with no fans, surrounding the course,” commentator Jim Nantz then said on the broadcast. “Apologize if anybody was offended with what they may have heard there.”
That threesome of the world’s top three players — No. 1 Rory McIlroy, No. 2 Rahm and No. 3 Brooks Koepka — was being followed by TV support people, a coach, a trainer and a small group of media during the first PGA Tour event in three months.
The expletive was audible even though none of the players in that group were wearing a microphone, like Rickie Fowler did throughout the first round of Charles Schwab Challenge.
As for Fowler, Brian Wacker at GolfDigest.com covers the highlights of what we learned and notes what just hearing these exchanges did to help in a fan-free environment.
In the process of shooting a three-over 73 that included four bogeys in the last five holes, he offered a PG-version of commentary that was mostly a terrific listen to a world so few have access to. It wasn’t explosive, but did provide added value, especially as the day wore on.
After the first two holes of silence—sans for the sounds of Fowler’s shirt moving as he walked—viewers were welcomed into the conversation as Fowler and his caddie, Joe Skovron, shared their thoughts on a 154-yard approach with a 8-iron that sailed about 10 yards too far.
He also details the very fascinating Inside Baseball discussion between Fowler and caddie Joe Skovron.
Draftkings: Schwab Challenge Round One Most Bet PGA Tour Event In Their History
/Guess we know why ShotLink was an essential service for the PGA Tour’s fan-free return: DraftKings reported its best day yet of PGA Tour betting (admittedly a brief life cycle of just under two years).
Now, as someone who has put a few bucks down here and there—never a dog track!—I did not even ponder the notion any sane individual would bet on golfers coming off an unprecedented three month hiatus. But that’s why they offer betting on anything, assuming you live in a sport-betting friendly state.
As Christopher Powers reports for GolfDigest.com, DraftKing’s Johnny Avello says the Texans got a lot of attention.
According to Avello, Jordan Spieth received the most money to win at Colonial at 45-to-1 odds. A few years ago, getting the three-time major winner at that number would be unheard of, but his recent struggles have caused his odds to skyrocket. Ryan Palmer, a member at Colonial, was a close second, along with Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Kevin Kisner and Justin Rose—the latter opening with a seven-under 63.
Spieth was a good bet given his performance last year in the event. Still…
For Your Consideration: Bryson DeChambeau's "Quarantine"
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I’m not particularly sure why Bryson DeChambeau chose Day One of the PGA Tour’s return to drop his take on quarantining in the COVID-19 era. But he did. While the length, caused by 13 minutes or so of moody filler, might make you hate “Quarantine”. I see it as a profound insight into the life of a 2020 professional golfer.
Whether it’s the bold decision to convert the garage into a gym, the 12 pieces of bacon for one man in one sitting, the convertible Bentley offering a needed respite from the Fox News viewing at home, or countless other bizarre moments, I promise you will thank me. Sure, it’s 15 minutes you’ll never get back but come on, how often do you get to see an Instagram video in all its almost-Terence Malick self-indulgence? With a side of Bobby Joe Grooves stuffing?
Or you can just read Sean Zak’s highlights here at Golf.com.
Or read about his body work as reported by Rex Hoggard following DeChambeau’s opening 65 (T7).
But live a little! Plus, be thankful you are not Bryson’s next home architect. It already has a name. And he’s wanting to see the limestone in person. And…oh just watch.
"PGA Tour players already refusing to wear microphones are missing multiple points"
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As the PGA Tour players grapple with viewers hearing their conversations, players were asked about efforts to enhance what we eavesdrop on. Reportedly, Rickie Fowler and Graeme McDowell have volunteered this week, but several other top players want no part of wearing a microphone. And the reasons seem to not have anything to do with the actual equipment, but the “content” potentially overheard.
Awful Announcing’s Jay Rigdon considered the comments of Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm in shooting down interest in letting us hear more and rebuts why they are point-missing.
Justin Thomas, it should be clear, plays a spectator sport for a living. And in a world without fans in attendance (a world that might become the new normal, for the foreseeable future), any way to remove more of a filter between the at-home audience and the action is a good idea. It also rings hollow considering the nature of the game itself; there are no signs or plays for competitors to steal, nor is there much of a strategy that other competitors could find useful for themselves.
There’s also the fact that other sports already do this! Not necessarily with a live microphone that broadcasts can throw to throughout coverage, but NBA, NFL, and MLB players routinely wear microphones that networks use for quick replay looks or for edited packages, even as the game progresses. Just as a random example, David Ross was mic’d up during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and still managed to perform just fine, but Justin Thomas thinks that Saturday at the Charles Schwab Challenge is a stage too important for that kind of distraction.
This ultimately seems to be the divide here: players view the intrusion as harming the sanctity of events that fans do not regard with the same respect.
Schwab Challenge Tourney Director Predicts Huge TV Ratings For Colonial Return
/Art Stricklin reports this bold prediction for ratings this week.
Fifteen of the top 20 players in the world are in the field, including all of the top five. Earlier in the week, Colonial tournament director Michael Tothe said he expects huge TV ratings.
“It’s won’t be the best ever [in golf], because we don’t have Tiger in the field and he drives everything, but I think we’ll do a 6.0 or higher,” Tothe said, referring to the Nielson [sp] ratings. “If we had Tiger we could do a 10.”
In the last decade, Colonial has never drawn better than a 2.0 rating.
6’s and 10’s would put the event in very elite ratings company.
No COVID-19 Cases At Colonial, But Four Test Positive Within Korn Ferry Tour
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Commissioner Jay Monahan told assembled media at Colonial that the players and caddies on site all tested negative for the COVID-19 virus. However, as players so far displayed signs of not taking all precautions as meticulously presented by the PGA Tour, one player and three caddies tested positive at home and will not be part of this week’s Korn Ferry Tour return.
Though Hoggard says it was “just” four results, the number highlights how pro golfers and those handling their golf course luggage are not immune.
One positive test was from a player and three were from caddies. All four of the positive results were from tests players and caddies took before traveling to the tournament city.
The Tour also administered 487 in-market tests at the Charles Schwab Challenge with no positive results. At the Korn Ferry Tour event, there were 407 in-market tests with no positive results.
Also noteworthy and important: the PGA Tour’s transparency in revealing numbers of tests and the positives.
The news is also vital since after the Tuesday practice round signs were not exactly encouraging on the caution/distancing front. Not coincidentally, the PGA Tour sent out this text to players, as reported by ESPN.com’s Michael Collins:
Ryder Cup Debate Dominates Early "Return To Golf" Week Chatter
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The PGA Tour’s “Return to Golf” at Colonial features influencer-enhanced global live content executions, predictions of record-shattering ratings and all-star field. Yet on the eve of coming back after three months of hiatus, the Ryder Cup remained a a bigger topic in press conferences.
While threatening to becoming as tedious as Major League Baseball’s bickering, the debate over a Ryder Cup with or without fans continued the Charles Schwab Challenge. Team USA Captain Steve Stricker suggested a compromise might make all sides happy.
From Rex Hoggard’s GolfChannel.com report.
Although no decision has been made on that front, Stricker was confident a compromise could be reached, pointing out that if Wisconsin were to allow 50-percent occupancy, that would be good enough for players.
Where that falls with two-time Ryder Cupper Brooks Koepka is not clear. The World No. 2 reiterated his belief that money is the only reason the matches would be contested without fans, and his view that players will not play if fans are not there, fist pumps would not be forthcoming.
From Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com item:
“If we’re not playing in front of fans, it’s just like us playing a game in Florida,” Koepka said. “If there's no fans out there you're not going to see guys fist pumping and that passion behind it.
“The Ryder Cup is a true sporting event. It’s different than any other golf tournament we play. It’s a true sporting event, and I think if we can have fans, that’s perfect, and if we can't, it just seems kind of like an exhibition—which it kind of already is. I just don’t want to play it without fans.”
Cohesion: McIlroy Suggests More Points Chasing Across Tours
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Things I have not heard while the game has been on a COVID-19 break:
“When does the FedExCup chase start again?”
Another: “who is leading the Race to Dubai?”
And you’ll be shocked to learn no one has asked what a late fall finish for the LPGA means for the Race to the CME Globe. But I don’t get out much.
Yet Rory McIlroy mentioned the possibility of tour’s having more “cohesion” post pandemic and possibly leading to a streamlining. It just wasn’t quite the way that will put a many fans in seats unless he thinks this will consolidate schedules and bring top players together more (theoretically it could).
From Doug Ferguson’s AP story:
McIlroy had an idea, just not a solution.
''Whether it's European Tour events offering FedEx Cup points and some PGA Tour events offering Race to Dubai points, I don't know,'' he said. ''But just a little bit more cohesion, and then I think trying to figure out the schedule going forward this year.''
''The major bodies, they're thinking about one or two weeks a year,'' he said. ''And I think speaking to the PGA Tour, speaking to the European Tour, having everyone together and trying to figure this out has definitely opened some people's eyes to what actually goes on and how many moving parts there is. So I think the more that all these bodies can sort of work together for the greater good of game can only be a good thing.''
Well on the latter point, he is certainly correct.
And Then There Were Six: U.S. Increases Captain's Picks Due To Shortened Schedule
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Team USA Points as of June 10, 2020
Certainly the rules and norms have changed in 2020 and questions remain if there will even be a Ryder Cup. Still, it’s hard to imagine why the change to six captain’s picks announced Wednesday prior to the PGA Tour’s restart was really necessary just looking at the current standings. Unless there is something we don’t know, such as some players signaling an unwillingness to play much due to the pandemic? Only great task force minds will know.
Anyway, from Bob Harig’s ESPN.com story:
"With all the various changes to the 2020 schedule, it quickly became apparent that we would need to amend our selection criteria," Stricker said Wednesday in a news release. "After many deliberate discussions, we collectively agreed that a smaller sampling of 2020 events -- including just one major championship -- would justify a one-week extension of the qualification window and an increase in the number of captain's selections from four to six.
Expectations? Who Knows Says Rahm At Quiet Colonial
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Lots of good stuff from Kevin Robbins who is covering the Charles Schwab Challenge for GolfDigest.com, including noting the bizarre quiet across Colonial and this from Jon Rahm
“Expectations?” asked Rahm. “Who knows?”
Rahm has never played in a professional golf tournament that looks like a Sunday skins game. He actually hasn’t even played golf in seven weeks, he said, so the matter of expectations isn’t only about what Colonial will look like, or sound like, when the shots matter Thursday morning.
But it’s what he was thinking at his remote press conference (also a first). “Can you imagine if somebody makes a 30-foot bomb on 18 to win the tournament? Nothing? Crickets?” said Rahm, the 2017 champion at Colonial who, like everyone here, had more questions Tuesday than answers.
Here’s one answer he did have: “It’s going to be a little weird.”
For the punters of the world who are bullish on Rahm this week given his strong run prior to the play stoppage, news of how little he’s playing might have you reconsidering.
Bamberger Reports From Day One Inside The PGA Tour's "Bubble"
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Golf.com’s Michael Bamberger is one of the few regular media members on site at the COVID-19 era’s first fan-free tournament and reports on day one.
The “bubble” at the Charles Schwab Challenge has some durability issues from the outset, starting with Bamberger noting not three, but FOUR hotels inside the player bubble, in addition to may stay in rental houses.
As always with Bamberger you’ll want to read the full thing. But there was this:
Some players and caddies, as they gathered on the 1st tee or 10th tee at the start of a practice round, made no effort to keep six feet apart. Likewise, some players and caddies were handing clubs back-and-forth as they normally would. They’re outside, in a hot wind. Nobody has ever confused tournament golf with meal-distribution at a nursing home. Around the clubhouse, in the club’s traditional milling areas, there was one instructor wearing his mask around his left upper arm, like an old-school USGA arm bandage. A few caddies wore them. The players did not.
Pepperdine's Sahith Theegala Wins The Ben Hogan Award
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Pepperdine’s first Ben Hogan Award nominee is also the university’s first winner: Sahith Theegala.
Brentley Romine at GolfChannel.com on Theegala taking two of the more prestigious awards in golf and in the season after redshirting due to a wrist injury.
He won twice, at the Alister Mackenzie Invitational and Southwestern Invitational, and added four other top-6 finishes before his college career was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic. In amateur competition, Theegala won the Sahalee Players Amateur and SCGA Amateur last summer and captured the Australian Master of the Amateurs in December, while also qualifying for match play at the U.S. Amateur and Western Amateur.
Before turning professional last week, Theegala was ranked fifth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and third in the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking.
The Chino Hills, California, native headed to Chandler, Arizona, for his pro debut, at the Outlaw Tour’s Lone Tree Classic, where he opened in 62 and eventually tied for third. His first check amounted to $1,850.
He has already accepted a sponsor exemption into next month’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, which will mark his PGA Tour debut as a pro.
Here he is accepting the award:
