The PLAYERS Championship has reached its crescendo. The Island Green is still foxing the best of professional golfers at times. The Tour also had to suspend the first round proceedings before it got over, due to darkness. And the leaderboard keeps changing every time someone looks at it! Jokes aside, a clear winner is yet to emerge from the back with the top 28 players separated merely by 6 strokes. It seems like business as usual for the PGA Tour. But is there nothing unusual?
One of the big differences, at the PLAYERS is that NBC does the sole coverage, with CBS not involved at all. That means that several of the most commonly seen faces are missing in action at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Chief among them is Amanda Balionis, the fan-favorite on-field reporter who does the interviews post the day’s proceedings. The extended break is a huge welcome relief for Balionis.
The PGA Tour reporter has been putting her time off to good use. She was seen enjoying a well-deserved vacation and practicing a very different sport by the snowy mountainside in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That’s right, without golf occupying her life, Balionis was seen enjoying a bit of skiing as part of her vacation.
The CBS reporter captioned her story, “It’s actually hard to explain how much joy this new hobby has brought me.” The music she used also seemed to align well with her thoughts, as it was Perfect Day by Tundra Beats. Also, just a few hours before sharing the said story, she also shared a story holding a cup of coffee and showing off the snowy mountain view. Thus, it feels like she is actually having fun. But the best part of this is that, despite enjoying the mountainside adventure, it will still remain secondary for Balionis, with her first love being golf. That will be a huge relief for fans who enjoy her interviewing skills and reporting sense on the sidelines of major tournaments.
Skiing is not her only hobby, as the enigmatic reporter is known to do things outside her comfort zone. “I love being challenged, and I love doing new things,” she recently stated. And it’s safe to say, she is actually doing things outside golf as well!
Amanda Balionis’s life outside of golf
The previous quote was shared very recently with Golf.com by the reporter, as she covered her first Super Bowl this year. Balionis is a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan, a natural decision having been born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She also worked for the New York Jets at the beginning of her career. Even though her family is a golf-obsessed one, football is not far from her life.
The reporter is also a huge lover of dogs. She is heavily involved with charities that help canines, and one of her go-to charities is ‘K9 for Warriors.’ The charity trains dogs to become service animals for veterans. She is also a frequent sight at humane societies, extending her arm in support whenever possible. In fact, her saved stories on Instagram are littered, no pun intended, with various organizations that help dogs such as Palmetto Animal League, Paws4you, etc.
She has endeared herself to the golfing community with her general love for golf and great command of the language. Known to ask the right question at the right time, her presence is something that will be missed at the PLAYERS Championship. She will, however, be heavily involved in the upcoming Masters Tournament in Georgia. Have a fun vacation meanwhile, Amanda Balionis!
The post ‘Hard to Explain..’: Amanda Balionis Gives Away Her Plans Amid Extended PGA Tour Break appeared first on EssentiallySports.
