Golf Channel Execs Aren't Happy With French Open Cutaway; Inadvertently Confirm They Don't Watch Their Product Either

At least, wouldn't that be the presumption if they are calling up Alan Shipnuck and blaming a "low level" staffer for making the call to cut away from the French Open playoff? Because if they were watching and found it offensive, might they have made some calls and found a way to at least show us the conclusion?

A day or two ago I got a call from a TV industry heavyweight who is a faithful reader of Tour Confidential. He wanted to weigh in on our trashing of the Golf Channel for 1) cutting away from the French Open playoff in favor of meaningless early action at the AT&T National and, 2) not showing a second of the LPGA's Jamie Farr Classic.

My source said that top Golf Channel execs were also upset about how the French Open overtime was handled. It sounds like a lower-level staffer made a bad call in the midst of the Fourth of July weekend and in the aftermath the Channel has clarified a policy to never break away from coverage of a playoff on any tour. As for the Jamie Farr, turns out the absence of TV coverage is the fault of the LPGA and the Farr, not Golf Channel.