Broadcasting is an essential part of any spectacle. It curates the sport for the viewers and makes the experience seamless, like there is no difference between watching on screen and watching live on the field. But so far, NBC’s broadcast performance has been found wanting on several occasions. Most recently, the US-based company made a costly slip-up at the Bay Hill Golf Course.
During the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the competition was heading to the latter stages, with both Russel Henley and Collin Morikawa engaged in a fierce battle for the top spot. Heading to the 16th hole, Morikawa had a one-shot lead over Henley.
Henley’s second stroke at 16 put him perilously close to the green, and he readied his swing. His chip was a thing of beauty as it rolled into the pin after a few bounces, giving him a crucial eagle and a one-stroke lead over Morikawa. Morikawa and Henly made par over the next two holes, allowing the latter to come victorious.
What an exciting shot that was to witness! But wait a minute. If you had tuned into NBC during that stage of the game, you might not have been able to see it. At the same time, Russel Henley was hitting a chip shot that granted him the lead and eventual victory, and NBC was playing a Rolex Ad. Wrong timing altogether!
As Golf.com writer James Colgan puts it, NBC was literally ‘playing with fire’ when they decided to air the 1-minute ad as the tournament leaders were walking towards their balls after their second stroke.
Trying to understand how NBC missed Russell Henley’s tournament-deciding chip-in:
– NBC went into a 1-minute Rolex ad 45 seconds after showing Morikawa/Henley’s approach into 16.
– Henley was visible walking up to the green as Morikawa’s approach landed.
Lots of balls in the… pic.twitter.com/wsWDkh6ZrC
— James Colgan (@jamescolgan26) March 9, 2025
Morikawa had just taken his approach shot, which landed in the green, while Henley was moving toward where his second shot landed, nearly 54 yards away from the hole and right outside the green. This is when NBC decided to play the ad. Thus, a difficult pattern starts to emerge.
NBC caught lacking for latest PGA Tour major event
This is not the first time fans have caught the broadcast lacking in recent times. The Cognizant Classic also led to severe criticism of NBC for their approach to analysis. Moreover, the broadcasting organization followed an ‘odd-even’ rule for their analysts. Analysts cover either the odd or even holes, resulting in half the golf tournament receiving less analytical attention.
Jake Knapp’s triple bogey on the 11th hole was one such incident. Knapp was leading the field when his second shot landed in the water. He decided to take the shot from the water, resulting in him scoring a 7 on a 4 par hole. The commentary was a bit dry as the lead commentator was observing even holes according to the system created by NBC. The viewers, who were expecting a detailed explanation, were left disappointed. Another tournament-defining occasion and another NBC lapse!
The Drop Zone Golf podcast also brought something else into light. This was the first week that Kevin Kisner made his big debut as lead analyst. But I thought this week was also kind of emblematic of this weird place that NBC finds itself in the golf world right now because they have their lead analyst… listed as TBD to participate in the broadcast at the beginning of the week, depending on if he makes the cut or not on the weekend,” stated Sean, one of the hosts of the podcast.
To sum up, NBC needs to step up its game. A lot of the PGA Tour fanbase relies on the channel to provide the best coverage. Lapses like what happened at Bay Hill must be addressed and also ensured to not repeat the issue. What do you think of the broadcast of the Tour?
The post NBC Jeopardizes PGA Tour 2nd Week in a Row With Inexcusable Blunder During Arnold Palmer Invitational Coverage appeared first on EssentiallySports.
