Category Archives: Golf Channel

Arnie: Golf Channel planning three-part documentary on ‘The King’ beginning Masters Sunday

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This seems like a good way to cap off your Masters this year.

Here is the official rundown from the Golf Channel.

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Golf Channel’s primetime television event, Arnie, begins with the questions: “How do you tell a story of a life that’s larger than life? How do you find a way to put together all the memories, all the accomplishments, all the impact? And do what a story is supposed to do? And ensure it lasts forever? Someday – even decades – maybe centuries from now, they’ll hear the name Arnold Palmer and they’ll want to know everything.”

Arnie showcases how the golfing legend revolutionized and transcended the game to become one of the most beloved figures in sports history. Arnie, a three-night television event, will air on consecutive nights at 10 p.m. ET from Sunday, April 13, following Golf Channel’s Live From the Masters, through Tuesday, April 15.

Golf Channel spent the last year traveling with Palmer, collecting interviews from more than 100 people, sifting through hundreds of hours of archived film – including hours of Palmer family video that has never been seen before – and shooting in locations around the world to create television’s definitive story of the most influential man to ever pick up a golf club.

“Mr. Palmer is an American icon, but what makes him so special is that he is absolutely genuine, especially through his ability to truly connect with everyone he meets,” said Mike McCarley, president of Golf Channel. “To document the full impact of his life and legacy would be virtually impossible; however this project is an ambitious attempt to capture the influence he has in golf and sports as part of popular culture.”

Arnie spans Palmer’s entire life to the present, from his early childhood through his amateur and professional golf careers, his various off-the-course enterprises and the legacy he has left in his wake. Throughout this project, golf’s iconic legends, family, business partners, colorful personalities and two U.S. Presidents recount the great stories that created the cultural phenomenon around the man affectionately known as “The King.”

“… that’s the secret to life, you know, to have something to look forward to every day and every minute. And it’s the next shot he’s thinking about and that’s something we can all really remember about our lives is on the golf course. You’ve already made the ones you made, you can’t undo them, take the next shot, make it work, that’s the way Palmer made us feel.” – President Bill Clinton

Arnie was produced by 13-time Emmy Award winner and former NBC Sports feature producer Israel DeHerrera, whose work has been seen on broadcasts of Super Bowls, Olympics and golf’s major championships; and written by Peabody Award recipient and 18-time Emmy Award winner Aaron Cohen, associated with acclaimed sports documentaries for HBO, as well as for NBC, ESPN, NFL and MLB. Additionally, five-time Emmy Award winner Mason Seay is associate producer. Seay’s late father, Ed, was Palmer’s course design business partner for more than 30 years.

“Instead of just telling an incredible story, we wanted to capture special moments to showcase what Mr. Palmer has meant to the game of golf and why he has been so beloved for more than 60 years,” DeHerrera said.

The three parts of Arnie feature:

“Arnie & His Army” – Sunday, April 13 at 10 p.m. ET following Live From the Masters – This first episode recalls the people who influenced Palmer and instilled the values of integrity and human kindness that helped make him the man he has become both on and off the golf course, with special tribute to his parents Deacon and Doris. This retrospective ranges from stories of Deacon teaching him how to grip a golf club to his early days on the PGA TOUR with his first wife, Winnie, as they raised a family together to those who helped build Palmer into a worldwide brand. And this brand was built around a man who never fails to acknowledge his fans or sign an autograph, an autograph famed for always being legible. Palmer believes if you are going to take the time to sign, make it right, which is a philosophy he has ingrained in other sports superstars. The first hour also delves into Palmer’s influence on sports marketing. Before Michael Jordan and Nike there was Arnold on his tractor touting the benefits of Pennzoil motor oil. He was the first athlete who had any kind of significant influence on popular culture, an influence that continues to this day. In fact, his range of influence has been unrivaled – evidenced in part by the fact that he could perform as a spokesperson for Pennzoil while, concurrently, serving as an ambassador for the luxury Rolex brand.

“The first time I saw Arnold Palmer was at the Ohio Amateur in 1955 and it was pouring rain and I looked outside and there was this guy out on the range hitting these screaming long irons, and I asked the pro, ‘Who is that?’ and he said ‘That’s Arnold Palmer.’ And I said, ‘Oh, that’s Arnold Palmer.’” – Jack Nicklaus

“Arnie & His Majors” – Monday, April 14 at 10 p.m. ET – The second episode remembers Palmer’s competitive career, his go-for-broke style and his ups and downs at golf’s major championships. Covered are his amateur victories, including the U.S. Amateur in 1954, which he calls his most important win ever; his four Masters titles in a span of only seven years; the thrills of his U.S. Open victories and how winning the Open Championship in 1961 at Royal Birkdale changed that major championship forever in the minds of American players. Also explored is Palmer’s challenging history with the PGA Championship – the only major he never won.

“Some people have forgotten about his career a little bit, and they just know he’s ‘The King,” they don’t realize, that this guy was amazing, he played like a Seve Ballesteros, Lanny Wadkins, myself, and Phil Mickelson all wrapped up into one. There wasn’t a flag stick he wouldn’t go at; there wasn’t a drive he didn’t try to squeeze out there in a tight area. My dad told me if you want to be the best, you’ve got to be willing to do what other guys aren’t willing to do, and that was Arnold Palmer.” – Johnny Miller

“Arnie & His Legacy” – Tuesday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET – The concluding hour delves into the legacy of Arnold Palmer and his influence on popular culture, which stretches way beyond the links. Despite his last win on the PGA TOUR coming 40 years ago, according to “The Golf Digest 50” money list, Arnold Palmer had his best-year ever in earnings in 2013 and was the third-highest earner off of the golf course, behind only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. This placed Palmer second behind Michael Jordan on Forbes’ list of highest-paid retired athletes in 2013. The Arnold Palmer brand has launched a wide range of businesses, including a lifestyle designer label in the Asian marketplace with more than 400 retail outlets, a self-titled iced tea-lemonade beverage, golf course design and management firms, and even a cable television network by co-founding Golf Channel nearly 20 years ago. And his long-standing relevance in popular culture continues to have an impact, evident by the fact that he was just as likely to have his photo taken with Hollywood starlet Esther Williams as a 17-year-old in 1947 as he was with supermodel Kate Upton as an 83-year-old in 2013. He has always had the ear of golfing U.S. Presidents starting with his special friendship with President Dwight Eisenhower and the admiration of Hollywood icons like Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. And Palmer has reached the echelons of the rich and famous without compromising his core values throughout his life, which are on display with his many charitable endeavors that have raised millions of dollars for charities, including the world-renowned Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando and hosting the PGA TOUR’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at his Bay Hill Golf Club and Lodge.

 

Programming alert: In Play with Jimmy Roberts’ now 1-hour; Construction slowly begins on Olympic course in Rio

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Good news for fans for the excellent  In Play with Jimmy Roberts. The Golf Channel has decided make it a one-hour show.

One of the pieces on tonight’s show (10 p.m. ET) looks at designer Gil Hanse and his work on the new Olympics course in Rio.

Here’s the rundown on tonight’s show:

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The game of golf is bigger than what we see each week from the professional tours. Every day, people are doing extraordinary things. In Play with Jimmy Roberts returns tonight at 10PM ET where Roberts will explore the very best stories from every corner of the game.

Tonight Jimmy Roberts will take you on a journey that no one has been on before, a behind the scenes look at the making of the golf course where the golfers will play in the 2016 Rio Olympics. You will get an all-access pass to the blueprints, the groundbreaking ceremony and a golf course in the making.

Plus, six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson is most well-known for his accomplishments on the racetrack, but it turns out Johnson has quite the connection to golf. Find out tonight how the game of golf has helped Jimmie become a better driver.

 

McIlroy defends Tiger on Chamblee flap; Chamblee to discuss situation on Golf Channel tonight

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As I predicted, things are heating up on the Tiger Woods-Brandel Chamblee front.

From Geoff Shackelford:

Earlier today, Rory McIlroy defended Woods’ hardline response against Chamblee. Writes Derek Lawrenson in the Daily Mail:

There was nothing coy, mind, about the way he waded in on the side of his friend Tiger Woods, with strong words of condemnation for Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee, who insinuated in a recent magazine article Tiger was a cheat.

‘I say Brandel was completely wrong and I don’t think he has the authority to say anything bad about Tiger,’ said McIlroy. ‘People wouldn’t know who Brandel was if it wasn’t for Tiger, so I am completely against what he said and he should be dealt with in the right way.’ 

 

Tiger talks about Chamblee: Turns up heat on Golf Channel; Says Chamblee didn’t apologize

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I didn’t think Brandel Chamblee’s tweets last week were going to end of the cheating allegation flap with Tiger Woods.

Sure enough, an angry Woods implied there’s much more to come while speaking today in China, where he had an exhibition match with Rory McIlroy. And he definitely is going to drag the Golf Channel into the saga, even though Chamblee’s column, which alleges he “was a cavalier” with golf’s rules, appeared on Golf.com.

Here’s Woods in an Associated Press story:

“All I am going to say is that I know I am going forward,” Woods said before his exhibition match with Rory McIlroy at Mission Hills. “But then, I don’t know what the Golf Channel is going to do or not. But then that’s up to them. The whole issue has been very disappointing, as he didn’t really apologize and he sort of reignited the whole situation.

“So the ball really is in the court of the Golf Channel and what they are prepared to do.”

Golf Channel has not commented on the flap. Chamblee is an analyst, but he wrote his column about Woods as a contributor to another publication. Chamblee has said he was not asked to apologize by anyone.

Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, was so incensed by the column that he issued a statement to ESPN.com that raised the possibility of legal action. Steinberg shared his client’s views.

“I’m all done talking about it, and it’s now in the hands of the Golf Channel,” Steinberg said. “That’s Tiger’s view and that’s mine, and all we want to do is move forward. And whether the Golf Channel moves forward as well, then we’ll have to wait and see.”

So the ball’s in your court, or on your green, Golf Channel.

Golf Channel won’t fire Chamblee. He’s the best analyst it has.

However, I do think the Woods’ camp wants a strong on-air apology from Chamblee at a minimum. They might even insist he wear a dunce cap.

As I said, this story isn’t going away.

 

 

 

Why did Chamblee tweet apology to Tiger? Why hasn’t he appeared on Golf Channel to address matter?

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Shortly after defending his Golf.com on Tiger Woods and cheating in an Associated Press story yesterday, Brandel Chamblee sent out the following tweets last night.

Why the sudden retreat from Chamblee?

Did the Golf Channel and NBC, which owns the Golf Channel, put pressure on Chamblee to stop throwing gasoline on the fire here? Yesterday’s comments were far more damning than what he wrote in the original piece, where it actually was buried in his season-in-review.

There’s definitely a good chance Chamblee received a series of calls from Golf Channel officials about this matter. The last thing it wants is the No. 1 player in the world boycotting the network. Not a good situation if you’re a channel dedicated to golf.

Also, the Golf Channel likely heard from the PGA Tour about this matter. Having your top player accused of being a cheater isn’t good for business or the game. Considering the network’s heavy menu of tournaments and relationship with the highly-image conscious Tour, yet another reason to try to put out this fire before it becomes an inferno.

It is curious to note that Chamblee has not appeared on the Golf Channel to address his comments and the fallout. It definitely is the biggest golf story of the week. Chamblee works for the Golf Channel. Why not put him on the air to address the matter?

I can’t believe Golf Channel thinks this is just going to go away. At some point, Chamblee will have to discuss the whole affair in front of a Golf Channel logo.

I suspect the Woods camp will want more than a Twitter apology from Chamblee. Even then, I think the damage might already be done. Woods, who definitely knows how to hold a grudge, will want to make Chamblee pay, and his main employer, Golf Channel, still could be impacted.

Also, regarding last night’s tweet, I think that Chamblee found himself way out on the limb here, much further than he imagined. Perhaps he underestimated the intense reaction to his comments, forcing him to find a way to get back to safer ground.

The key line in the tweets is Chamblee saying, “golf is a gentleman’s game.” Indeed, I’ve been covering golf since 1997, and I can’t recall an incident of a player calling out another player as a cheater. Help me out if I’m wrong here.The Vijay Singh thing happened in the ’80s.

“A gentleman” doesn’t label a player as a cheater in public. Instead, it is handled internally, away from the cameras.

Labeling a player as “a cheater” is the worst allegation in golf. Chamblee knows that. Perhaps he realized what he wrote violated the “gentleman” code of the game.

However, notice that Chamblee didn’t apologize for his comments. He apologized for “this incited discourse.”

Clearly, Chamblee thinks Woods crossed the line this year, especially with the penalty he incurred at the BMW Championship. Chamblee is dogged in his beliefs. His views about Woods here haven’t been altered one bit.

All in all, it should make for must-see viewing when Chamblee does appear on Golf Channel again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brandel Chamblee stands by column about Woods and cheating; ‘Disrespected his position in golf’

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An Associated Press story has an email from Brandel Chamblee, responding to the fallout from his Golf.com column about Tiger Woods and cheating. Knowing Chamblee, it hardly is a surprise that he isn’t backing down.

In fact, he wrote more in the email than he did in the original piece. From the AP:

Chamblee never says outright he thinks Woods cheated. That was by design.

“I think ‘cavalier with the rules’ allows for those with a dubious opinion of the BMW video,” Chamblee said Tuesday in an email to the AP. “My teacher in the fourth grade did not have a dubious opinion of how I completed the test. But she was writing to one, and as I was writing to many, I felt it important to allow for the doubt some might have, so I chose my words accordingly.

“What people want to infer about that is up to them,” he said. “I have my opinion, they can form theirs.”

Chamblee then states his opinion.

“I don’t feel I’m the one that needs to justify the ‘F.’ The BMW video does it for me, followed by Tiger’s silence — until confronted — and then by his denials in the face of incontestable evidence to the contrary of his petitions,” Chamblee said. “To say nothing of the fact that he was disrespecting his position in golf, the traditions of golf and his fellow competitors, in my opinion.”

As for the threat of a lawsuit from Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, well, Chamblee doesn’t appear to be worried.

“I thought it incomprehensible that anyone with the slightest understanding of libel laws wouldn’t know the definition of and the difference between libel and opinion,” Chamblee said.

Actually, Woods likely would sue for defamation of character. But we all know he isn’t going down that road.

Expect a follow-up from Steinberg soon.

 

Golf Channel could feel revenge from Chamblee’s ‘golf cheat’ allegations about Woods; Woods’ camp is irate

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I want to catch up on a story that likely has a few more rounds left in it.

Late last week, Brandel Chamblee did a column for Golf.com, handing out grades for the 2013 golf season. Of Woods, he writes:

Tiger Woods: When I was in the fourth grade, I cheated on a math test and when I got the paper back it had “100” written at the top and just below the grade, was this quote, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!” It was an oft-quoted line from the epic poem “Marmion” by Sir Walter Scott, and my teacher’s message was clear. Written once more beneath that quote was my grade of “100”, but this time with a line drawn through it and beneath that an F. I never did ask my teacher how she knew I cheated and I certainly didn’t protest the grade. I knew I had done the wrong thing and my teacher the right, but I never forgot the way I felt when I read that quote.

I remember when we only talked about Tiger’s golf. I miss those days. He won five times and contended in majors and won the Vardon Trophy and … how shall we say this … was a little cavalier with the rules.*

100 F

Chamblee then gave himself a F for being inaccurate with his picks for the majors. However he added, “But at least I earned this one honestly.” Clearly, it was another jab at Woods.

It should be noted Woods was the 14th golfer listed in the column. However, Golf.com used his F in the headline and there was a picture of Woods with a red-circled F.

Naturally, Woods’ camp was irate. Last Friday afternoon, Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, even threatened a lawsuit in an interview with ESPN.com’s Bob Harig.

“There’s nothing you can call a golfer worse than a cheater,” Steinberg said. “This is the most deplorable thing I have seen. I’m not one for hyperbole, but this is absolutely disgusting. Calling him a cheater? I’ll be shocked, stunned if something is not done about this. Something has to be done.

“There are certainly things that just don’t go without response. It’s atrocious. I’m not sure if there isn’t legal action to be taken. I have to give some thought to legal action.”

Geoff Shackelford tries to imagine a Wood v Chamblee trial.

I’m not sure about the legal recourse here. Defamation of character? Woods probably doesn’t want to go there, given all the doors that likely would open in his personal life.

Woods, though, will be looking to get even, and that could put the Golf Channel in the line of fire. There’s not much he can do to get back at Golf.com. The magazine and site weren’t getting any exclusive interviews anyway.

Woods, though, does appear regularly on interviews during tournaments with the Golf Channel. Chamblee’s main work is with the Golf Channel.

I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Woods might pull an interview boycott with the Golf Channel–at least at the events where Chamblee is on site as an analyst, which are quite a few. It would be a way for the Woods camp to make Chamblee feel the heat.

Remember Woods is wired much like Michael Jordan. Jordan stopped talking to the Sports Illustrated in 1994 when a cover story made fun of his attempt to play baseball.

As much as I like Chamblee, he went over the line here. If he wanted to label Woods a “golf cheat,” he should have devoted his entire column to the subject and not at the end of his piece.

Chamblee knows the ramification of labeling someone as a cheater, the worst allegation possible in the honorable sport.

Alex Myers of GolfDigest.com writes:

While it’s impossible to argue Chamblee’s assertion that Woods “was a little cavalier with the rules,” labeling him a cheater is an enormous leap to make, especially with someone whose every move is followed by millions of people. Besides, would a guy who is perceived to have cheated on purpose get voted Player of the Year by his peers over strong candidates?

It’ll be interesting to see where the story goes from here. Will Chamblee issue “a clarification” on his comments? Surely, there are some phone calls being made.

Stay tuned.

 

Jerry Rice on pressure in new Big Break: Wouldn’t have agreed if knew what I had to endure

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Got to give the Golf Channel some credit here. It’s not easy to continue to re-invent yourself with new concepts.

The Golf Channel, though, appears to have done with its latest version of the Big Break.

The new series, which begins Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, features the Breakers being paired with former NFL players (video preview below). The list includes Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Marc Bulger, Al Del Greco, Chris Doleman and Mark Rypien.

As we’ve seen previously, when big-name athletes put their golf swings on public display, they feel the same nerves we do.

Here are some excerpt about the players talking about the pressure of playing in the Big Break.

Jerry Rice: “I had been part of Super Bowls, a lot of playoff games, but if I had known what we were going to endure over in Puerto Rico, I don’t think I would have agreed to this to be honest with you.  You know, the breaking of the glass, the ‘Flop Wall,’ all those difficult shots.  It was just unbelievable…When you get so many ballplayers together, all of a sudden, that competitive nature comes out for some reason; and yeah, I wanted to beat Tim Brown.  I wanted to beat all of those guys, I’m going to be honest with you.”

Tim Brown: “What got me was the fact that when I stood over the ball, I realized I wasn’t playing for myself.  I was playing for Mallory (Blackwelder) and Will (Lowery), and it’s really hard to get yourself under control at times because you felt so much pressure to hit a good shot to make a putt for those guys.”

Marc Bulger: “With football, there’s the nerves, or at least I would feel them up until the first play.  Once the first snap or first hit happened, they were gone.  But this felt like every shot was the first play of the game, because you hit one, you might have to wait for production for two hours and you hit another one, and you know how much it means.  Like Tim said, with your teammates, I never felt as much stress.”

Al Del Greco: “The pressure, yeah, to me, was a lot like kicking, because physically, you get one chance.  They call on your, you just kind of wait around and then it’s your turn to go out there and get it done.”

Mark Rypien: “To be on a stage and put in an environment where we are playing golf for somebody else, holy smokes, you know, I thought playing in Tahoe was difficult.  This thing it tenfold.”

Chris Doleman: “It was hard on you in a sense that you did not have the masterful control that you have when you’re out there on the field.  We knew how to get to the pass rush and we knew how to catch a pass, how to get open, how to throw a lob and how to fake a kick.  We all have expertise in that area.  None of us had expertise in this area.”

Chamblee on Tiger: Already at 25 majors if he stays with Harmon; Repeated swing changes ‘crazy’

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When I asked Brandel Chamblee about his repeated criticism of Tiger Woods, he launched into a six-minute speech. Definitely worth reading in its entirety.

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Chamblee: If there’s anything that anyone could say, it’s that since Tiger has ascended to No. 1 in the world with four different golf swings, it does not matter how he swings the golf club. You could take the top 100 teachers and with all those different teaching methods, he could take them all to No. 1 in the world.

Now who could do it in the most efficient way? I think we know who that person is. I think we’ve already seen who that person is. And if Tiger had stayed with that person (Butch Harmon), and hadn’t left out of petty differences, hadn’t left out of boredom, he would have already broke Jack’s records. People would no longer debate about the greatest golfer of all time. As inconceivable as it seems to anyone who grew up watching Jack Nicklaus, it would be a moot argument. Tiger would have won 25 majors; he would have won 100 golf tournaments if he stayed with (Harmon).

While I’m critical of the changes he’s made, what I’m most critical is the toll and time it took to make those changes on his body. The greatest gift is time. He achieved this incredible success and consistency, only to tear it down and build it back up. To get where? To get back to the same exact spot where he was. To then tear that down and build it back up. Where was the goal? To get back where he was.

I get it. A friend of mine said this: He is like the pianist who has mastered every piece of music. The only problem is, in order to advance, he needs more music. Well, Beethoven is dead. So how does he come up with new music? He has to create it himself.

Tiger always was going somewhere with his golf game. Now he’s going somewhere with his golf swing. That’s where I’m critical of him. He was in the middle of this one, long flawless note and he stopped or he was interrupted, whichever one you want to choose. And he’s trying to recreate it again.

I’m also critical, because I stood next to him and I watched the greatest golf swing the game has ever seen. The greatest stretch of golf the world has ever seen. And he willfully dismantled it. That’s the craziest thing in the history of sports. Not golf. All of sports. There’s no equivalent to it, but if you’re a sports fan, it’s literally the ’27 Yankees starting with a new roster in 1928.

So while I think it is the most bizarre thing in the history of sport, it’s also the most interesting thing in the history of sport. It keeps people glued to their TV.

 

 

Q/A with Brandel Chamblee: ‘Audience deserves an opinion that’s not obvious’

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Brandel Chamblee is in my backyard this week for Golf Channel’s coverage of the BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest, Ill.

From my Golf World story on analysts:

Chamblee, 51, has emerged as the Golf Channel’s most important player. After a 15-year career which included one PGA Tour title, he made the transition to the Golf Channel in 2004. He separated himself from the pack, elevating his broadcast game in the process, by voicing blunt opinions backed by an endless stream of facts, virtually all of which he researched himself.

Then Chamblee digs in and dares someone to take him on. He has a strong, almost bulldog mentality when it comes to making a point, all of which makes for good television. Chamblee’s content and presentation are unique for a sport where many analysts tread lightly.

“He probably should have been a trial attorney,” said Golf Channel president Mike McCarley.

Earlier this summer, I had a chance to chat with Chamblee at the Golf Channel’s studios in Orlando.

When I walked into the viewing room, Chamblee’s eyes were intensely locked into his computer. It provided a good snapshot of how he does what he does.

My Q/A.

What are you working on?

Chamblee: I was up until 4:30 last night. I was writing on the oft-repeated argument that it is harder to win on the tour these days and how players are better today than they’ve ever been. It makes me insane when people say that.

It’s just not the case. Statistically, if the scoring averages were more congested, then you could make that argument. Coincidentally, the disparity between scoring averages almost is to the hundredth of a point as it was in 1980. Between first and 30, between 30th and 50th, between 50th and 125th, the disparity of scoring average actually almost is identical.

Where do you get those numbers?

I dig them up. I do the research.

Do you look at golf from more of an analytic approach?

Yeah, I suppose. When we’re analyzing golf, we’re looking at golf swings. Some of it, though, you have to tediously look up the information and try to connect dots. It takes time.

Do you feel naked out there if you’re not prepared? What is it about you and your preparation?

I just think the audience deserves to at least have an opinion on something that’s not obvious. That’s my job. I watch every shot. I chart every shot. I look at trends. I look for evidence to support those trends, to contradict those trends. I’ll find a half-dozen things a day that are very interesting.

How do you view your job as an analyst?

You have to realize you’re not speaking to the golf professionals. There’s 2,000 of them. It’s a small audience. There are 50 million golfers. You’re trying to explain to them why something happened. From a context point of view, you need to understand who did it like that in the past. You need to understand the context with which it happened. You have to know the situation. Maybe a guy is hitting to the right. Well, he’s working on a new move with his hips. What does that cause you to do with your golf swing? Who did it in the past? And how did they overcome that?

You just try to add layer upon layer?

I told Rich Beem when you say why something happened, it’s your opinion of why it happened. You need to support your opinions with as many facts as you can so that the (viewers) know that you’ve done your homework.

You mention Beem, what advice to you have for players making the transition to television?

They have to treat this job just like they treat their golf. When they played golf, they practiced all day. Not only is this a job, it’s a responsibility. It’s a responsibility to not state the obvious. It’s to enlighten the viewer.

You have to do it in a team-oriented way. Golf is a very selfish endeavor. In TV, it’s the team game. I can have an idea to do something. But if (the production people) can’t very quickly find the video to support the idea, I can’t run with it. All those pieces of the puzzle are amazing to me.

As a golfer, isn’t it unusual to be thrown into a world where you depend so heavily on other people?

You have to dive in. You have to work it. You have to come up with a completely different way of saying the same thing. Every single day. Writers do that, and I always had a great respect for writers when I was a golfer. When I went to the media center, here’s 300 people who all have the same information. It’s their job to come up with a different way to write about it.

That’s kind of like TV is. We all have same information, but you have to come up with a different way of presenting that information. You’ve got to do it in a memorable way, an insightful way, and a concise way.

How do you view your critics, especially those among PGA Tour players who take issue with some of the things you say?

I’m a huge fan of watching Rory McIlroy. I have to talk about shots he hits, because he’s on TV all the time. He’s the next closest thing to Tiger in that way. So you have to talk about why he misses a shot; why he doesn’t make as many putts as Tiger Woods does, because people are unfairly comparing him to Tiger. Then you have to talk about why those comparisons are unfair. In the process of doing that, you’re saying he’s not as good as Tiger. I understand if I’m Rory McIlroy, you could be upset. But if you listen to the entire show, you’ll hear us say he is extraordinary in almost every facet of the game.

But I understand that most people only hear criticism. And they hear it via their friends. So they don’t always get the whole story.

Later today: Chamblee on why Tiger Woods should be at 25 majors by now.