Golf is the kind of sport that people tend to either love or loathe. For those that enjoy the sport, it can be both a good way to spend some time when playing and a relaxing thing to watch, whilst those that aren’t keen on it will always consider it to be boring in every aspect. It is the job of commentators and pundits to try to keep the latter category interested whilst also not patronising the long term watchers. Of course, different variations of competition will also bring in different audiences, such as the Ryder Cup being an event that many people will tune in to in spite of the fact that they don’t watch any other golf during the year.
Pundits & Commentators on TV
The main broadcaster for golf in the United Kingdom is Sky Sports, with the main channel, unsurprisingly, being named Sky Sports Golf. They aren’t the only ones that cover golf events, however. The BBC will often show highlights of the major tournaments, even whilst eschewing the opportunity to cover the myriad of competitions that take place throughout the year. The four Majors are the competitions that will always boast the biggest level of interest from both golf aficionados and those that rarely watch or know much about the sport, so those that are part of the various broadcasting teams have to work harder explaining things.
The good news for said broadcasters is that there are countless former golfers who are more than willing to work on television in order to explain what is happening and give decent insider information about how players are likely to be feeling and so on. The best pundits, commentators and presenters tend to be used on both of the biggest broadcasters, as well as flitting off to work for the likes of American TV as they offer their expertise wherever it’s needed. The result of that, of course, is that there is often some overlap between the different channels in terms of who it is that you’re likely to hear from from one minute to the next.
List of Pundits & Commentators
Golf is a sport that allows people to play on into the old age, even if they can’t necessarily do it at the top level. When a golfer has reached the point that they are no longer competing for the Majors, however, they are often keen to look at other ways of making money, with punditry being one of them. Not all broadcasters will use all of the stock of former players and commentators that they have at their beck and call for every competition that they show, but the following list will give you a sense of who it is that you’re likely to be hearing from during the biggest golf tournaments throughout the year:
| Person | Channel | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Dougherty | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Sarah Stirk | Sky Sports Golf | Experienced Broadcaster |
| Henni Zuël | Sky Sports Golf | Professional Golfer |
| Chris Wood | Sky Sports Golf | Professional Golfer |
| Nicolas Colsaerts | Sky Sports Golf | Professional Golfer |
| Sir Nick Faldo | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Ewen Murray | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Andrew Coltart | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Dame Laura Davies | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Paul McGinley | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Rich Beem | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Hunter Mahan | Sky Sports Golf | Professional Golfer |
| Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Iona Stephen | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| David Howell | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Anna Jackson | Sky Sports Golf | Long-term Broadcaster |
| Tim Barter | Sky Sports Golf | Former Club Professional |
| Inci Mehmet | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Tony Johnstone | Sky Sports Golf | Former Professional Golfer |
| Iain Carter | BBC | Experienced Broadcaster |
| Ken Brown | BBC | Former Professional Golfer |
| Andrew Cotter | BBC | Experienced Broadcaster |
| Rishi Persad | BBC | Experienced Broadcaster |
| Sarah Mulkerrins | BBC | Experienced Broadcaster |
| Katherine Downes | BBC | Experienced Broadcaster |
| Eilidh Barbour | BBC | Experienced Broadcaster |