Johnny On Crappy Shots, Phil's Booth Appearance & NBC Getting The U.S. Open Back
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Adam Schupak at Golfweek asks all the right questions in part one of this chat with Johnny Miller, who, frankly is missed as analysts increasingly cheer-lead and coddle.
There was this on calling a crappy shot a crappy shot:
GOLFWEEK: Have you become softer and less critical when you watch the PGA Tour now that you’re no longer in the broadcast booth?
JM: I don’t know if the word is critical. I see things that the other guys don’t see. When I see those things, I want to share them with the public. If it’s a crappy shot, it’s a crappy shot, it’s nothing personal. If I say it is a great shot, I want people to think, dang, Johnny, thought that was a great shot.
Like in the 2006 U.S. Open, we saw Phil (Mickelson) make two mental errors. You don’t have to play it like you’re on a white horse prancing up to the green. Poop it up there with a 3-iron, hit a 4-iron somewhere around the green, up and in or worst-case scenario you’re in a playoff. That was the biggest fall apart in that U.S. Open on the last hole in history. Harrington bogeyed the last three holes to lose by two. Furyk bogeyed the last hole. Mickelson made double bogey. Montgomerie got hosed, I thought. He had to wait for like 5 minutes. I thought he got such a bad break there. Then he chili-dipped it short of the green and didn’t get it up and in. Never has the last hole had so many scenarios. It was just incredible. That course is tough. Oakmont and Winged Foot must be the two toughest courses in tournament golf.
Ah…let’s get Johnny on Zoom this week! Or Comcast Business Solutions. Or whatever it takes!
GW: What did you think of NBC reacquiring the U.S. Open broadcast rights?
JM: If I had known that, I might have gone another year. It wasn’t like I had to retire.
Oh?
I’m happy for them. I don’t know how committed Fox was, but NBC is turning out the guns to make it a fantastic Open. Tommy Roy and Tom Randolph are like savants when it comes to TV golf and they’ll make it back to where it should be.
And on Phil Mickelson’s 2020 PGA Championship whirlwind booth visit that had (most) viewers wanting more:
GW: What did you think of Phil Mickelson’s guest appearance in the booth with CBS at the PGA Championship?
JM: They asked me who do you think could do a good job the way you like to see it done, and I said Tiger and Phil and I think Phil is even more outspoken. Both of those guys with their intellect and pedigree, Phil, I thought, was fabulous on TV. He’d probably like everyone to go home and he’d do all the jobs. Phil’s an amazing guy. He can talk. He doesn’t say, ‘In my opinion,’ but he can talk. All the great players are a little that way in they think they know it all and they make good decisions, which is a mark of a champion.
