Nick Faldo becomes No.1 golf analyst in world
CBS just hired Nick Faldo to become its lead golf analyst replacing the now fired Lanny Wadkins. Faldo also is under contract with ABC to comment at the British Open, and a new deal with The Golf Channel, which has exclusive rights for all pre-weekend PGA coverage outside of the majors. (More from The Golf Channel)
This makes Faldo the No.1 golf analyst on TV. Johnny Miller still gets to do the U.S. Open on NBC, but is it possible that Faldo will one day replace the more feisty and critical Miller?
My view: I'm sad to see Lanny Wadkins go. On many occasions, I found his analysis to be right on target, as confirmed later by the actual course of events. Faldo is more of a wise-cracker than Lanny and adds some color to the commentary, but I'm not sure we need to have Faldo on The Golf Channel, CBS, and ABC, all in the same year.
17 Comments:
You made a slight error at the end.
Faldo won't be on NBC. I think you meant ABC.
Faldo won't ever replace Miller as that would be a step down.
CBS has the best golf coverage and Faldo will only improve it.
NBC has the worst coverage but that is mostly due to the inanities that Miller spouts.
Mr. Wadkins was a strong analyst but lacking in humour. Ken Venturi is still missed but Faldo will do an excellent job.
Faldo is good but Miller is the best of all time. Put away his problem of speaking exactly whats on his mind and listen to him set up of the upcoming shot or the call of a shot after a player hits the ball. This man knows golf period. Lastly, he can break down a swing better than any swing analyst on TV. Sorry Hank, Sorry Peter. Jonny did not get those majors givin to him. If his putter held up he would of been top 10 of all time easy. But then as putters go, Tiger would be chasing Hogan instead of Jack if Hogan could of putted like Jack.
There's no question that Miller is BY FAR the best golf analyst on television today. CBS has a good crew, but I think they have too many good analysts and it kind of brings the whole thing down. Too many cooks in the kitchen. Peter Kostis does a nice job of swing analysis, but it's so true about Miller and how he can make brilliant comments right off the club face. My favorite is , "That sounded a half-groove low". You must be kidding me? I have a hard time telling if it even hits the grooves or not!
I would rank Faldo WAY down the list. I like him, but I would take Azinger over him if I was forced. Faldo just really never says anything that's worth repeating.
Azinger said one of the best lines I've ever heard, he said, "Someone once told me that the shot that got you in trouble, is the shot that will get you out." Think about it, that is soo true!
McCord has so many of them, "Glass bridge" when the putt looks like it has to go in, but it doesn't. He said Steward Cink hold his club on the finish like he's casting a fishing pole, I think that every time I see Cink play now.
I did like Faldo's comment about Michelle Wie though, she was the 3rd ranked player, and Faldo thought it was ridiculous, they stated that she had done well that week, and Faldo remarks, "So she'll be #2 next week?" He's not really afraid to offend anyone, including Tiger, as we all know, so that is refreshing, he's just not a great golf mind is all.
Miller, Faldo, Nantz and Feherty are the best in terms of voice quality/accent variation. Azinger's voice and manner are too nasal and whiny. His sarcasm doesn't come off that well on TV. Baker Finch is good also. I don't care so much for anybody's commentary. I'm looking for these guys to call the shots and remain unobtrusive.
I hope nobody hires Azinger. He really ticked me off during the Taget Challenge last year. The Target Challenge is a benefit for the TW Foundation, which teaches low income kids job skills. Azinger is a well known right winger. He made a comment that he thinks the foundation is great because it is transferring people from being receivers of taxes to payers of taxes, or from the welfare recipients into taxpayers. Now, I'm not really into partisan politics, but I found that comment totally out of line in his role as a broadcaster of a sporting event. Especially from a high net worth individual who receives more than his fair share of benefits from our tax code. For example, the ability to write off the interest on up to $1 million of mortgage loan on his mansion in Florida. Welfare checks to low income kids account for a miniscule portion of government spending in the country. Unnecessary tax benefits to wealthy people like Azinger are a far bigger problem.
While I find some of Johnny Miller's comments insane, the guy does know a golf swing. Although he has been proven entirely wrong about Tiger. A year or two ago, he was saying that Tiger should ditch the swing changes and go back to Butch Harmon. Well Johnny, I think you might have been wrong about that one. But he is a good analyst and I do like to he him criticize the players (and I love when the players get pissed off, because there's nothing better than hearing guys who are accustomed to hearing nothing but praise get grilled for poor decisions or execution).
I think Faldo will be an excellent analyst for CBS. I'm also excited to hear him with Gary McCord and David Feherty. Those guys are going to be great together. As for Faldo not knowing the golf swing, are you kidding me? This guy was the best player in Europe, and the world, for almost a decade in the late-1980s and through the mid-1990s. What could possibly make you claim that he doesn't know golf?
I love CBS with Feherty and McCord, and adding Faldo will be great. I hardly think they have too many analysts, in fact, I think it may be the other way around. Now you will have three guys fighting to get in their comedic comments, but if they work together, it could turn out fantastic.
I may be in a minority, but Johnny Miller drives me crazy. I normally mute the television if I am watching an event on NBC. Between him trying to guess where the player is aiming, or what he is going to do, and being wrong 75% of the time, or his put-downs of the players as to their abilities, writing them off at a point of a tournament, and then having to eat those words at a later date, his comments are inane. He didn't add his name to any X-mas cards after the Ryder Cup either.
And as for Miller being one of the top 10 of all time. Yes, he won his 2 U.S. Opens. And yet now it is remored that he isn't even in the top 10 at his country club. Daly won 2 majors. I'd vote him into the Hall of Fame well before Miller.
i think they said top 10 if he did not get the yips. Man it is hard to watch miller put in his heydays. How he won tournaments is testament to his swing. May not be top ten overall but probably top 5 iron player of all time. Just my opinion. :)
"While I find some of Johnny Miller's comments insane, the guy does know a golf swing. Although he has been proven entirely wrong about Tiger. A year or two ago, he was saying that Tiger should ditch the swing changes and go back to Butch Harmon. Well Johnny, I think you might have been wrong about that one. .........
I think Faldo will be an excellent analyst for CBS. I'm also excited to hear him with Gary McCord and David Feherty. Those guys are going to be great together. As for Faldo not knowing the golf swing, are you kidding me? This guy was the best player in Europe, and the world, for almost a decade in the late-1980s and through the mid-1990s. What could possibly make you claim that he doesn't know golf?"
Morris, you did it again! Nick Faldo has been one of the biggest critics of Wood's swing, forget about this?
"En route to a victory at last year's Buick Invitational, Woods took a one-shot lead to the final hole when he hit a 2-iron well right of the green. "What was that?" Faldo said, following with a critique on flaws in Woods' swing."
So how do you criticize Miller and then praise Faldo, when he's even more guilty of being critical of Tigers swings changes?
Ok I'll admit that I forgot about Faldo's criticism of Tiger's swing. But to be fair, his comments at the Buick Invitational were about one particular shot. As I recall, Tiger basically fanned his shot into the green and Faldo's remark was reacting to a remarkably poor shot.
So you caught me on that one. I don't know what you mean by me doing something again though.
Which golf announcer is "better" is in the eyes of the beholder. Faldo, Miller etc etc etc have walked the walk and we all need to listen to what they have to say. Even Wadkins, who was as boring as can be, had important and credible stuff to say. Personally - I think the move with Faldo ws fantastic. It will be great listening to a Euro Ryder Cup captain.
faldo makes it fun. i wish cbs had picked up both faldo and zinger - i liked the banter between them and zinger's crazy comments. it was a more human less robotic, talking head type of coverage.
johnny miller is and will always be the best. mainly because he knows so much and doesn't give a shit what those spoiled, ryder cup losing tour babies think. i love when he pisses them off (esp tw) the truth always stings.
my favorite johnny millerisms are these 2
1. when a guy makes a tough downhill sliding putt he often says "that was a real cheek squeaker" - i love that.
2. when the aussie perry won a few years ago on that improbable final shot johnny said "look at his swing, hogan must be rolling over in his grave". perry then whinned and whinned to the press for weeks and expected an apology. for what? johnny was right , his swing is not pretty - why can't the spoiled little aussie millionaire laugh at himself a bit? btw, where has he been over these last few years - is he undergoing swing change therapy? what a cry baby that guy is.
long live johnny!
It's too bad CBS let Lannie Wadkins go because I thought he was a good replacement for Venturi. He was insightful and could add excitement with his voice inflections. True, Lannie was not the funniest but thats what McCord and Feherty are there for. Nick Faldo is far from being the #1 golf analyst in the world. Johnny Miller has that distinction. Its true Faldo brings instant credibility to CBS with his 6 majors, but I still have a hard time understanding what he says because he mumbles half the time.
Nick Faldo?? Are you kidding me? He's awful. He's not even better than his co-analyst Baker-(Yips)Finch! Faldo was the biggest head case in golf with his constant sulking about his swing mechanics. He was never happy with his swing and he had the nerve to comment on Tiger's swing changes. And what was up with him having the only girl caddy on the tour? Probably because no guy would ever put up with his constant crying. Thank God Faldo will only be a 1 year fix until he turns 50 and joins the fat-belly tour. Until then, I'll listen to the ballsy Miller instead.
o'miller, it is so painful to hear you say "eh david, eh roger" after every single sentance.
And stop checking out gluteus maximus details in Villegas' pants after he swings. We get it, you really, really like him.
Better yet, I'll thank my lucky stars you will never ruin the Masters for me since you signed with NBC.
Where's Lanny Wadkins when you need him ? Nick Faldo mumbles, isn't funny and says nothing relevant about the game. Lanny knew the game and worked well with Nantz. Feherty, McCord and Ian Baker Finch continue to be terrific.
Lanny had technical credibility and he was easy to understand. He seemed to work well with Nantz.Anyone know why he was fired?
Faldo is difficult to understand and seems cavalier about his role as analyst. At least Lanny and Venturi took their role seriously.
Very disappointing choice in Faldo.
Faldo is not bad, he knows a great deal about swing mechanics and winning golf tournaments and is a little eccentric and very honest. Miller is great cos he aint scared of saying what he feels even if he is wrong sometimes... by the way where is peter alliss name in that all time commentators list? has anyone ever listened to his commentry he is by far the all time best golf commentator.i could quote hundreds of great lines from him!
dave marr was class too.
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