Shes got game, too. "Both for similar reasons, I guess. Site Link; Location: Sandton Gauteng, South Africa Par: 72 Length: Green 6535, White 5881, Red 5004 This golf course should need no introduction to any golfer or golf fan. Yes, the retired Ken Venturi deserves a spot on any list of current golf announcers, in my opinion! Back in 2017, Grace became the first player to shoot a sub-63 round in a Major, posting a 62 at the Open Championship held at Royal Birkdale. pga.com Jim Barnes won the first PGA Championship in 1916 and he won all the majors that were contended at that time. USE CODE LOVE5 AT CHECKOUT TO GET AN EXTRA 5% OFF! Immelman is currently the host of the On the Mark podcast on pgatour.com. The players seem to like the good-natured Maltbie, and in an environment of player criticism and second-guessing, he is a positively jolly figure. Heres a link to his induction speech. Olympic Games Overnight. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It's great to see him getting more and more airtime. Handicap Lookup; About Us. Matric with a suitable qualification re literacy sciences and maths. Like good friend Jason Day, it was only a matter of time before 34-year-old Fowler came back to something approaching his best. Occupation: Cricket. Everyone has their favourites, it is not possible to definitively judge the best, but we asked several Golfshake Ambassadors - all of them keen followers of the game - to share with us the TV golf commentators they love to hear the most. You never know what hes going to say. Heres a link to the Sack of Flour flop shot. Remember Verne Lundquist only gets rolled out for the Masters & specials, but again from the Chirkanian team, holds some of the best calls ever. Johnny is certainly at the top of the list as both player and announcer. The team of Ivanna Samu, Nikhil Rama, Kael Strydom and Gregory Jacobs took top honours with 89 points on the West Course. His most prestigious win came at the 1992 British PGA Championship. He has 21 US professional titles and 25 worldwide victories. Yes, Ken Venturi retired as a golf announcer. Faldo turned pro in 1976, after watching Jack Nicklaus in the 1971 Masters and dedicating himself to golf. Kass is currently an SABC TV sports journalist and co-host of Radio 2000's daily sports show-Game On Amplified. This was another name that was tough to not only put this high on the list but on the list at all. Johnny Miller is a divisive figure. Golf 2 Africa is a SATSA registered and bonded . It is almost impossible to imagine televised boxing matches since the early 90s without his voice. He wins and then wins again. Unless you are Bryson DeChambeau, who did this at the par-5 6th hole on his way to victory in 2021: Of course, few, is any, are going to achieve the ludicrous feat, let alone try it, but the par-5s are essential to making any score around here. Mike Haysman A key figure in South African Cricket, Mike Haysman has been broadcasting for a number of years now for SuperSport and is a very experienced commentator. Unlike the other players on this list, Sabbatini's full-time career has been spent almost entirely on the USPGA. Carien du Plessis ( @carienduplessis) Previously a senior reporter at City Press, du Plessis is well known across the journalism industry in South Africa, and the Twitterverse. Visit our corporate site. Instant access to the latest news, videos and photos from around the world of golf. Those crusty European tour guys at least offer a soothing experience with a fair and balanced call of play. Whether its the Masters or The Open, The Ryder Cup or WM Phoenix Open, build your own bespoke package with the experts at Golfbreaks.com. I think back to this years 2012 Masters when Phil Mickelson flopped a near-impossible shot from behind the 15th green. Work With Us | My top-10 list is not designed to say who has called the most majors, or who has the best catch phrase, or who has the greatest golf resume (although it doesnt hurt either). IN YOUR LIFE, have you seen anything like that?" Liam McLeod, BBC Sport Scotland. He won tournaments all over the world, including 24 times on the PGA Tour, 63 times on the Sunshine Tour, 18 times on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and countless others in nations like Brazil, China, Japan and so on. All rights reserved. In America, the voices of Pat Summerall, Jack Whitaker, Ken Venturi, Ben Wright, Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo, Judy Rankin, David Feherty and Gary McCord have defined major championships and the PGA Tour, sometimes dividing opinion, but always delivering memorable lines that have become inseparable from the golf shot they described. I STILL miss him. He reminds me of a favorite uncle. While he's not overflowing with personality, Koch is the consummate professional, and he always makes valuable additions to the telecast. I highly recommend that you watch his induction speech at the PGA Hall of Fame in 2012. I also feel that Sir Nick is underrated. Nolwazi Shange Ngubeni Bows Out Of eTVs Scandal! Personally, I feel that Augusta National has taken it too far with the McCord ban. If they can let women into the clubhouse (as they should have long ago), then its time to let McCord back on the grounds and let it finally be said that he has served his sentence in full for the notorious bikini wax and body bags comments. Age: 51 Turned pro: 1987 Highest world ranking: 71 Achievements: 1999 Open runner-up. Thats the recipe for perfection as a golf announcer and only a few on this list have ever achieved it (or can still achieve it). Pingback: GolfWRX.com The Top-10 Announcers in Golf | Golf Products Reviews. Does he often try too hard? He is both likable and engaging. If you are unfamiliar with this name on the list, Peter Alliss is the voice of the European Tour and has dabbled in announcing over the years on ABC. He has no wins on other any tour. Hes just about on the limit for price, but if there is a player ready to storm the golf world, its going to be WillyZ. If we were to count the achievements of Carol Tshabalala, the 'First Lady Of Sports' since she started in sports broadcasting it would take us hours. Top South African commentator called up to AFCON Bafana Bafana may not be competing at the delayed AFCON tournament in Cameroon, but Mzansi does have a top commentator in 'action'. Golf has been lucky to have many outstanding voices, but I would also credit the presenters, those who front the coverage, the likes of Hazel Irvine, David Livingstone and Sarah Stirk, who are skilled at steering the ship and getting the most from their pundits. Thanks Al, Pingback: Ranking the 10 Best Golf Announcers and Commentators | NanSports, Who is the announcer on the European tour the takes deep breaths like He describes the situation, has the right balance of humor combined with keen insight, and he seems to be at every tournament every week. Dont forget to add with arrogance, self importance and deliveries that MANY of us golf fans refuse to tune into when they are announcing. Lebo is an award-winning sports anchor who was introduced to the world of sports in 2003 where she was a voice over artist and scriptwriter for the youth program Sportsbuzz. MLB. Tour wins: 74 Sadly, live golf is now relegated to the iPad and headphones, "I love some of his expressions, his anecdotes and links to how that would never happen in his day are classic.". All there 3 do is talk about when they used to be able to play! For those of us in the UK, the dulcet tones of Henry Longhurst, Peter Alliss, Alex Hay, Ewen Murray and Bruce Critchley have been indelible parts of many legendary moments broadcast on British television, whether it be on the BBC or Sky Sports. Home Tennis. They may even be called for, but they need to come off as constructive rather than destructive. CBC'S TOKYO 2020 BROADCAST TEAM. Im not sure if I am sucker for a foreign accent or stodgy in my ways. There may well be a time when Will Zalatoris turns full-on Scheffler. Another South African golfer who was at the top of his game during Tiger's dominance, Goosen was a player widely thought to be unflappable as shown by his 2004 US Open performance at Shinnecock Hills. golf club or driving range. But, I actually put her on this list for her other commentary work, most notably Playing Lessons with the Pros. I think the first Playing Lessons episode that I watched was with her and Ian Poulter. take that mike away from him. Sun City Resort is famous for hosting some of the most iconic events in South Africa, including the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge. In his defense maybe he was pressed for page space and didnt want to spend 1/2 of it explaining to the casual major network golf audience who those people are. In a nine-year stretch from 1949-1957, he won the Major four times, and that included four other top-10s. As well as contributing analysis, he commentated on the Russian Grand Prix that same season . And he's won everywhere. Sam now spends most of his time testing and looking after golf gear content for the website. But one thing that has not changed is the need for educated voices to enhance the pictures, those who add knowledge, insight and humour to proceedings, carrying the viewers along with them. Click here for more discussion in the Tour Talk forum. As a result he has always been the one family and friends come to for buying advice and tips. Her career in sports started while she was still in high school presenting Sportsbuzz. Frost also won on the Sunshine Tour, in Europe and in Japan. One of 30 courses in Zimbabwe, this 1993 Peter Matkovich design is regularly voted number one in the country by "Golf Digest.". Golf. Feel free to add your comments and share your perspectives of why I'm wrong and/or who I forgot. South Africa South African fans came up with two commentators that stood out to them. We have a wonderful eb and flow, ham and egg, team dynamic where Shawn gets the full base of the technique ingrained and Mu enhances and turbo charges the technique and fills in the gaps. Our final player on this list is Tim Clark. Seven's commentary line-up includes Australia's greatest-ever Olympian Ian Thorpe, whose nine medals across the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Games included a record five gold, and cycling golden girl Anna Meares, who won six medals including two gold across four Olympic Games. Golf commentators' clich of winning on back nine borne out on facebook (opens in a new window) . He also played for the International team in the Presidents Cup eight times, with the 2003 edition being of particular note. Swimming. One of the top golf instructors in the world, Peter Kostis knows his stuff with respect to the golf swing and how the game is played at the highest level. He does not rely on any kind of gag. The LPGA legend has a wonderfully calming tone on commentary, knows exactly when to say the right thing, and invariably adds a simple touch of wisdom. Date of birth: 1 February 1981. Compare that with 49-year-old Atwal, with a best of 49th place since 2021 and an average first-round placing of around 120th for his three starts in 2023, and Scott Brown, admittedly a former winner here, but now 719th in the world and who has, since September, withdrawn twice during tournaments, and missed his last two cuts (Pebble and Honda) ranking 99th and 136th for his first round he certainly looks wrong in every way. 3 on my list. South Africa was one of 17 African nations that abstained. Log In | We're based in South Africa and have set up countless exhilarating golf holidays for couples and groups of all sizes since 2004. As everyone complained about the unfairness of the set-up, Goosen kept ploughing along to win by two strokes from Phil Mickelson. Mpho Maboi Johnstone was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia and attended Christian Brothers College. He's knowledgeable about all phases of the game and has that Verne Lundquist type of likable personality. . Between his debut on the tour late in 2020 and today, WillyZ has recorded 11 top-10s, four runners-up and his sole win, and last completed start of 22, at St.Jude last August. Famous for his "better than most" call, which you can see above, Gary Koch is the best tower man in the game. Sorry to say, Peter Alliss has died today, aged 89, the greatest of them all. That's the argument for Faldo. He retired from pro golf in 2007 and moved into golf course design. Daniela Elser is a writer and a royal commentator with more than 15 years' experience working . Kass Naidoo regarded as an award-winning sports journalist and achieved her dream of becoming South Africa's first female television cricket commentator at the age of 27. "I enjoy those who avoid cliche, aren't hyperbolic, are keen to share their honest thoughts, and provide a touch of levity. I know she covers the LPGA, which I dont watch as much as I would like. Stephanie Sparks is one of those. he does do is provide smart insight combined with a strong golf resume all rapped in a pleasant voice with respect from his co-workers and the pros he works around. Further, Pepper doesn't pull any punches, as evidenced by her now legendary "chokin' freaking dogs" remarks at the 2007 Solheim Cup (although she uttered the phrase thinking she was off-air). "You can just tell the passion they have both for the sport and also for the job they are doing in bringing their thoughts and knowledge to golf fans. But, for me, Nick Faldo is the cream of the crop and seems to be only getting better. Course stats: Par 72; 7,249 yards. Chandhok has worked as a pitlane reporter for the BBC and Channel 4, moving to Sky Sports F1 in 2020. Please note that those networks included must have national exposure, not regional. "My wife hates golf - mostly because I play so much which irritates her. Anthony Alastair Johnstone (born 2 May 1956) is a Zimbabwean professional golfer. Published 28 February 23, A viral clip showed a golfer walking across her playing partner's line after a putt had been struck, By Elliott Heath Charl Schwartzel became the third South African winner of The Masters in 2011 thanks to a final-round 66 that saw him overturn a four-stroke deficit. ESPN holds rights to early-round and weekend morning coverage and airs supplemental coverage through its digital subscription service ESPN+ during CBS's weekend broadcast windows. Goosen also has wins on the Sunshine Tour, the Asian Tour and the European Tour (more than a dozen through 2010), to go along with his seven official PGA Tour victories (through 2010). To some, sports is still regarded as afield for men and not women. The latest event heads to Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey as the likes of Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer . The South African is in the commentary booth for most of the ATP Masters 1000 events. Regular media as well as social media in South Africa have much to say about the governing African National Congress (ANC). Submitted by Mary Christine Part 1: Intro Part 2: The wasteland Part 3: Societal collapse Part 4: Final outcome Part 5: Doing good 2. To qualify to register with the PGA you must have: Attained the age of 18 years. The new golf tour, also referred to as the Saudi Golf League, got underway on June 9-11 at Centurion Golf Club in London before the second event was stage in Portland.. Here is our ranking of the Top 10 golfers from that country, which will be updated as developments warrant. 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