IBF Replaces Clampett; TNT Press Releases Will Never Be The Same

They're surely rejoicing in the TNT PR department at the news that they'll never have to put together press releases compiling the best of Bobby Clampett (for samples, go here, here, here and here).

Former British Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch Joins TNT PGA Championship and British Open Championship Coverage

1991 British Open Champion returns to Birkdale for network’s coverage
 
Turner Network Television (TNT) announced today a multi-year agreement with former British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch to join the network as an analyst for its coverage of professional golf, including the British Open, PGA Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf and President’s Cup.  Baker-Finch will join the TNT golf stable of Emmy® award winning host Ernie Johnson, analyst/course reporter Bill Kratzert and course reporter/essayist Jim Huber for the network’s golf events including the two majors, British Open Championship, PGA Championship and PGA Grand Slam of Golf.  Baker-Finch will continue to serve as an analyst for CBS Sports' golf coverage.

"I am excited to be joining the TNT golf team for such high quality events as the PGA and Open Championships, President's Cup and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf," said Baker-Finch. "I look forward to working with Ernie Johnson, Bill Kratzert and Jim Huber as well at some of golf's premier events this year and hope our coverage will help bring the viewers a little closer inside the ropes."

“Ian’s personality, experience and knowledge of the game will be tremendous assets to the TNT golf telecasts and the fans at home,” said Jeff Behnke, executive producer, Turner Sports.  “We are pleased to welcome Ian to the Turner Sports family and look forward to televising another year of dramatic golf events.”

Baker-Finch’s crowning achievement was winning the 1991 British Open at Royal Birkdale, site of this year’s British Open Championship.  He turned pro in 1979 and won the first of his 16 championships in 1983 at the New Zealand Open in Auckland. His first major victory in Australia came at the 1987 Australian Matchplay Championship at Kingston Heath. Among his credits, he has won on all four major tours, U.S. Tour, European, Japan and Australasian Tours, including the 1988 Australian Masters, the 1989 Colonial Invitational (USA) and the 1993 Australian PGA.

TNT holds the top spot in airing more hours of major championship golf than any other television network airing 63-plus hours of British Open (July 17 – 20), PGA Championship (August 7 – 10) and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf (October 14 – 16) coverage, along with the President’s Cup in non-Ryder Cup years.  The network earned an Emmy® in the Outstanding Live Sports Special category for its coverage of the British Open in 2005, which included Jack Nicklaus’ farewell to major championship golf from the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. 

"I was pretty surprised."

Buried in Jim Gorant's weekly roundup for SI Golf Plus:

A players' meeting was held last week at Wachovia, and conversation on two topics became animated and went on for more than a half hour each: slow play, a perennial problem; and near-unanimous criticism of Golf Channel commentator Kelly Tilghman. Said one player in attendance who asked not to be identified, "I was pretty surprised."

R&A Gets No Love From CBS

Check out thesandtrap.com's bulletin board fun with the way CBS refers to the governing body of golf outside North America.

Comcast Exec Admits Golf Channel Needs Work

In discusing the hiring of consultant Mike Weisman, Comcast exec Jeff Shell talks to the New York Times' Richard Sandomir about Versus and Golf Channel.

Look at Weisman nailing three MBA buzzwords in the first quote while weaving it into a beautiful metaphor. Or is that a simile?

“This is an opportunity to leave some footprints in the sand and build brands and networks,” Weisman said.

According to Comcast's Shell, the Golf Channel's presentation needs Weisman's touch. 

“We don’t have someone responsible for everything that goes on over the air,” Shell said. “If you look at what goes on over the air, it’s respectable, but not memorable. We want it to be memorable.”

And...

 The Golf Channel has a studio program, “Golf Central.” “It’s good, but not good enough,” Shell said.

That's what happens when you pay people next to nothing.

One issue that Shell said was being worked on was occasionally leaving an early round of a PGA Tour event before it had ended to go to the studio. “It’s a contractual obligation and reasonably easy to fix,” he said.

Really? Somehow I think if it were an easy fix it would have been addressed already. 

"We should have caught that for prime time and didn't."

Steve Elling, the Hogan, Snead, Nicklaus and Woods of press room cussing, a true master of the medium, says these fancy new microphones picking up saucy language may turn out to be a very, very...bad thing?

But still, there's no reason the masses in the audience must be involuntarily subjected to Watson's screed, right? Some citizens, not to mention the FCC, take a dim view of this sort of speech.

Someone has lived in Orlando way too long. This is interesting:

Oddly, the Golf Channel rightly saw fit to bleep out the objectionable language in its post-game news show, where the disagreement between Watson and Elkington was examined in detail, but let the objectionable language fly live and nationwide in the raw replay. That's irresponsible or lazy, if not a bit of both. According to Golf Channel spokesman Dan Higgins, there is no fabled seven-second delay on the broadcasts and the re-airing of the comments without editing was a mistake the network acknowledges.

"That's something we have to improve upon," Higgins said Monday. "We should have caught that for prime time and didn't."

I seem to recall the "crawl" during the rebroadcast was offering up a teaser about the incident. Hmmm...

If you didn't catch Bubba apologizing to God, country and every volunteer who has ever been subjected to an entertaining on course spat between millionaires, here it is on PGATour.com.

"No, guys, it's normally bigger than this, I swear!"

Connell Barrett talks to David Feherty about his bike accident. While Feherty is in top form comically, this caught my eye:

I was writhing around, unable to breathe. I said to myself, 'If I pass out, am I coming back?' I remember feeling that if this is it for me, I'm not unhappy. I've done all right. I was ready to go, if it was going to happen. I wasn't afraid. I also remember a woman stopping. She came over and held my hand, asking, "Can you hear me?" She stayed with me until the paramedics came. I couldn't talk, but I could listen, and I remember her voice. I haven't been able to find out who she is yet. If you're out there, call me. I'd love to say thank you.

"Let's listen."

Golf.com's Michael Bamberger offers a fun behind-the-scenes look at why NBC's sound dudes are picking up more conversations. Now if we could only get you know how to shut his trap for a second we might hear them.

For years, the Woods-Williams discussions were off-limits. But late last year, NBC producer Tommy Roy started to notice a change. During the FedEx Cup playoffs, he had two sound men, Andre Carabajal and Frank Ricciardi, take turns working Tiger's group. Each carried a new model microphone — the Sennheiser 816, replacing the Sennheiser Mke2, for you audiophiles — that permitted them to pick up conversation from about four or five feet away, instead of three. When it comes to Tiger's personal space, every foot counts. Steve Williams wasn't moving them out.

The payoff came at Bay Hill. Carabajal, tall and lanky but unobtrusive, was assigned to the Woods — Sean O'Hair group. On the 16th fairway on Sunday, Woods and Williams were throwing grass and analyzing a make-or-break shot when Roy said into the earpieces of all his announcers, "Let's listen."

Shut up Johnny!

Johnny Miller stopped talking, and we heard Tiger say to Stevie, "If that flag changes, let me know." It was an insight, among other things, into how much Tiger trusts his caddie. Then on 18 Williams threw grass and told Woods to add 13 yards to a 167-yard shot. Tiger didn't say a thing. We watched him process the information and then play a low, fading five-iron from a place another golfer might have smashed a seven.

Taking (Dead?) Aim At Bristol

Thanks to reader NRH for John Ourand's lengthy Sports Business Journal story questioning the platformable synergies of ESPN. There isn't really anything golf related here, though somehow I suspect PGA Tour players who question the Tour's 15 year Golf Channel deal may find this in their lockers with a nice note from Tim Finchem that reads, "This is why you overpay me. Love, Tim."

Maybe He Picked The Wrong Week To Give Up Playing Golf: Feherty Recuperating From Serious Bike Accident

Doug Ferguson reports on David Feherty's most severe biking accident yet, which includes a punctured lung and three broken ribs. Thankfully, he's in good spirits and is planning to return in time for the Masters.

In case you missed it, Feherty has given up drinking and golf for his new passion of cycling. He talks about the drinking part here in this Connell Barrett piece, recently chatted with Jeff Rude about the tendency of motorists to hit cyclists, and was featured in this Cam Cole story talking about his beloved bike.

Now, I don't care if you never pray. This is the time to get down on your knees. Send every good thought you can David's way. He must enjoy a speedy recover in time for the Masters.

Why, you say?

I have two words: Bobby Clampett. 

"But things are OK with you and him now?”

I know I should never delete the digital recording of a tour telecast until the dust has settled, but I just didn't want that Pods disaster clogging up space. Now I see on the HookedOnGolf blog that I missed one of the epic boondoggles in post-round interview history and a chance to share it with you via YouTube.

Note to Tommy Roy: rush Jimmy Roberts to an Orlando ear doctor and have those canals steam cleaned.

"They don't do comedy at the Masters. The Masters, for me, is like holding onto a really big collection of gas for a week."

Cam Cole in the National Post ably documented David Feherty's  appearance at the PGA of British Columbia's breakfast at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. Thanks to reader Tony for this:

-On the 14 years since CBS colleague Gary McCord was banned from the Masters: "They don't do comedy at the Masters. The Masters, for me, is like holding onto a really big collection of gas for a week. It's like having my buttocks surgically clenched at Augusta General Hospital on Wednesday, and surgically unclenched on Monday on the way to Hilton Head."

And...

-On McCord's recent revelation, at the annual JCC Sports Awards banquet in Vancouver, that Tiger Woods' caddy Steve Williams and Feherty often try to outdo one another on the course in the area of flatulence, Feherty said Tiger is no slouch himself: "He can lay 'em down like a crop duster."

-On Gary Player's unsubstantiated suggestion last year about use of performance-enhancing drugs in pro golf: "Gary thinks he invented fitness because he used to do pushups on the airplane. He's just upset because you can't win a major any more with a low, flat hook and a Napoleon complex."

Ouch.

-On the poor life advice Michelle Wie's parents have given the teenage phenom: "She could be adopted by Britney Spears and be better off. I want my 16-year-old daughter to have an enormous phone bill, a case of the giggles and to be pissed off at me for killing her first three boyfriends. I do not want her out on Tour under that kind of pressure."

-On Phil Mickelson: "Phil is brilliant, but he's nuts. There's something not quite right about that boy. Phil is watching a movie that only Phil can see.  His mother told me, 'Phil was so clumsy as a little boy, we had to put a football helmet on him until he was four because he kept bumping into things.' I told her, 'Mary,

Mary, I'm a writer, you can't keep handing me material like this.' So the next time I saw Phil I said, 'You didn't really wear a football helmet in the house until you were four, did you?' He said, 'It was more like five.' "

-On televised golf 's obsession with Tiger: "I've had people say to me, 'It's amazing Tiger Woods can make a swing with you hanging out of his [butt].' "

-The first time he ever watched Woods play, Feherty examined the lie Tiger had in the trees, where he'd hit the ball into deep rough alongside a large root, and said on-air that the only available play was to wedge out sideways. Tiger promptly hit a towering 200-plus-yard, sweeping slice with a 2-iron that rolled to within 12 feet of the flag.

"I just stood there watching him walk past," Feherty said, "and thinking, 'I don't know what that is, but I know there weren't two of them on Noah's Ark.' "

And I know this one has appeared elsewhere, but it's still a good one. 

-As an example of an expert opinion on just how great Woods is, Feherty recalled a shot Tiger hit several years ago at Firestone, out of high rough just off the 18th fairway, when he was paired with Ernie Els.

Feherty and Els had looked at the horrible lie Woods had drawn as they walked past en route to Els' tee shot. Tiger's ball was not visible from directly above.-As an example of an expert opinion on just how great Woods is, Feherty recalled a shot Tiger hit several years ago at Firestone, out of high rough just off the 18th fairway, when he was paired with Ernie Els.

Feherty and Els had looked at the horrible lie Woods had drawn as they walked past en route to Els' tee shot. Tiger's ball was not visible from directly above.

"Shame," dead-panned the big South African.

Standing side by side in the fairway, Feherty and Els saw Williams hand Tiger a wedge, then watched as Woods took a violent swing that removed a divot "like a bag of Donald Trump heads" and launched the ball nearly 200 yards, over a pair of trees and onto the green, landing eight feet behind the flag.

Feherty, after a bout of speechlessness, had just opened his microphone to comment on the shot when Els, not aware that the mic was live, turned and said, quite audibly on-air: "F---me!"

"Was that Ernie?" the CBS producer said into Feherty's earpiece.

"Yes, it was," he said. Pause.

"Fair enough," said the producer.

"Insiders have told me Golf Channel cut Honda’s telecast by an hour because the car company wouldn’t purchase additional ads."

Craig Dolch explains the consequences of the Golf Channel reducing its Honda Classic coverage from a normal three hours to just two. Frankly, I think they're doing the viewing public a favor.

"Nick Faldo enters agreement with TaylorMade-adidas Golf Co."

You can read the exciting, albeit old here. Meanwhile I've managed to procure an early draft of the press release that might explain last weekend's events:

Nick Faldo enters agreement with TaylorMade-adidas Golf Co.

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- World golf icon Nick Faldo has entered a long-term relationship with the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company (TMaG) in a role that touches on marketing, product innovation and creation, product testing, player evaluation and blatant shilling during his on-air duties with The Golf Channel.

"Nick Faldo is one of the game's true champions, and we're excited to add such an amazing asset to the TaylorMade-adidas Golf family of truly awesome brands," said Mark King, TMaG president and CEO. "Nick's knowledge of the game, his passion and ability to offset Kelly Tilghman's ties to Nike should help us better reach with Golf Channel's puny but loyal audience."

As a TMaG team member Faldo will contribute in very few ways. In addition to playing TaylorMade® clubs and balls and wearing adidas Golf apparel and footwear in his sleep, he will be involved in the design and testing of TMaG products. He will also act as a loudspeaker for marketing and advertising campaigns during his on-air duties, glowingly evaluating only up-and-coming players using TaylorMade® clubs while posing for photos in adidas glasses, pretending to be helping in the upcoming redesign of the golf range at TMaG headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. Faldo is also expected to offset Jim Nantz's deep admiration and love for all things Titleist during CBS golf broadcasts.

Noose Found at Tilghman Estates...Who Knew There Was A Tilghman Estates?

I haven't been to Myrtle Beach in a while, but the real news to me is in the third sentence of this unbylined AP story:

Police have removed a noose found hanging on a subdivision sign where an announcer for The Golf Channel used to live.

The announcer, Kelly Tilghman, was suspended for two weeks last month after saying golfers who wanted to overtake Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley."

The noose was found at the entrance to Tilghman Estates, which includes the description, "Home of Kelly Tilghman, Golf Channel."

"He started the round by playing a lunch ball off of the 1st tee"

John Hussar of PRNewsWorks submitted this item to the Desert Sun:

Playing at Eldorado Country Club in January, Baker-Finch shot the 61 (32-29) from the tips - two shots better than the new Fazio-course record of 63. Without hitting any practice balls at Eldorado, he started the round by playing a lunch ball off of the 1st tee which officially kept him from claiming the course record.

Okay, I give up. What's a lunch ball?