NFL
By: Ron Mintz
The PGA Tour returned this week after ninety-one days since the first round of The Players Championship was completed and Disney World in nearby Orlando, and the PGA Tour shut down.
COVID-19 was the culprit.
Several tournaments were either canceled or postponed, including moving the Masters to November of this year.
The PGA Tour was a victim as were all sporting events, and they vanished overnight with no warning.
For golf fans, we were treated to two skin game competitions, one being “The Match”. In both events the players were mic’d to great reviews afterward by golf fans. The two events however just left us wanting more.
This week the PGA Tour was back, with the Charles Schwab Challenge being held at the iconic Colonial CC in Fort Worth, TX.
No fans were allowed, and CBS and the Golf Channel only used essential staff, cutting the normal crew by more than 50% in an effort to provide a great broadcast, yet reduce the spread of the deadly virus as much as possible.
Jim Nantz was on site, but Nick Faldo, Ian Baker-Finch, and Frank Nobilo were at the Golf Channel studios in Orlando giving commentary remotely. Stationary cameras were used around the course, and every precaution was carried out to bring golf back to the fans on television with as little risk to those broadcasters as possible.
What worked for the previous two one day matches of having mics for us to listen in, did not work this week in Fort Worth.
Jim Nantz of CBS Golf announced on the air today that CBS had given every player in the field the week the opportunity of being mic’d up.
According to Nantz, Rickie Fowler was the only player in the field who volunteered. One player of 148 PGA Tour players was interested in contributing to the broadcast.
“Audio is such an important part of any sport’s broadcast,” Nantz said. “Without fans on the course, we’re hoping to hear more of the exchanges between players and caddies. We invited every player in the tournament to wear a mic if they wished during tournament play.”
In a rare commentary by Nantz, he seemed very disappointed. I am sure Jim wanted to give the fans as much as possible and his and CBS efforts were turned away.
It is ironic that even though players were not mic-d up, we heard probably more from players, some we shouldn’t have, than usual. What normally is drowned out by crowd noise was picked up often by the on-course microphones, and left Nantz apologizing at times for the language viewers heard before they could be delayed.
Rickie is one of the most popular players on tour and he agreed to be wired for us to hear. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much to say, and only wore the mic for one round. He then missed the cut on Friday.
Earlier this week during press conferences with players, many were asked what they thought about being mic-d up and would they. To my surprise and the same for many others the response was a resounding no!
Justin Thomas was the most outspoken when he responded.
“I would not wear a mic, no,” Thomas said. “That’s not me. What I talk about with Jimmy (caddie),and what I talk about with the guys in my group is none of anybody else’s business, no offense. But I personally am not one that would care to get mic’d out there.”
Jordan Spieth who knows Colonial CC as well as anyone on tour had a more polite response, but he too said no, at least for this week.
“I am aware that there is a player in my group that’s mic’d up this week. ,,, Sure, I’m open to it, but I think I would kind of want to see how things are going first personally with it before, and just kind of getting back into the routine before throwing that on.”
The player in his group he was referring to was Fowler.
Since then I have spoken privately with several players and they all agree with Thomas. They mean no disrespect to the Tour, CBS, or the fans. This is their profession and the pressure of success are high enough without knowing every word you say is subject to being on TV worldwide.
I applaud CBS and the Golf Channel for their admirable efforts.
However, I also get it from the players aspect. They haven’t played in three months and there is so much at stake in every week they play from this point on. Fed Ex Cup points, OWGR, Ryder Cup points, and yes cash, and much more.
This isn’t a skins game, this is the PGA Tour, and when that first tee shot is fired each Thursday morning, the next four days could make or break a golfers career.
In the meantime, we will be more than satisfied to just watch great golf. We know now how it feels to miss it.
