A fascinating new era in television golf coverage began Thursday when Fox Sports broadcast the first day of the US Open Championship, the first significant golf event the network has carried.
Whether it’s a fulfilling new era for viewers remains to be seen and heard, but the 38 hours of coverage Fox and Fox Sports 1 are dedicating through Sunday’s final round at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash., will provide a telling sample.
Fox, which often favors bells and whistles and loud distractions such as glowing hockey pucks, football robots, and Tony Siragusa in its live sports coverage, has never seemed like a network that jibes with the reverential hushed-tones sensibilities of golf.
It’s still to be determined whether the coverage ultimately proves to be to the network’s credit or to viewers’ chronic annoyance, but Fox, which reached a 12-year deal in 2013 to broadcast the US Open, has vowed to be true to itself as it begins its foray into golf coverage.
That means trying out technology that is not certain to enhance the broadcast, including the use of drones, as well as putting microphones in the cup on all 18 holes. Mark Loomis, the coordinating producer for the network’s coverage, said Fox’s emphasis on technology is intended to improve the viewer’s experience rather than interfere with it.
“First and foremost, our goal is to cover the event,” he said. “Anything we did along the way was figure out how to cover the event better. It’s not change for change’s sake by any means. And one of the things we can look at, for Chambers Bay specifically, is technology that will help us in Chambers Bay and that will carry over to any other events that we do.
“If there are 10 guys within two shots of the lead, we’ll be hustling around to golf shots. If there are fewer players or two or three people near the lead, we’ll have more time to stop and look around, so it’s a little bit dictated by what the story line is as well.”
Joe Buck, the lead announcer for Fox’s US Open coverage (and pretty much every other major sports event on Fox), acknowledged that golf viewers can be resistant to change but said he believes the network’s innovations and approach will prove satisfying.
“What a boring world it would be if changing things up was so frowned upon that they were scared to do it,’’ said Buck. “In 1994, everyone freaked out about Fox putting the score in the corner of the screen [during NFL games]. If we are going to go into this event worrying what the traditional golf fan thinks, we’re dead. Fresh eyes, a fresh perspective, a little energy and looking at the same format for a different angle are good things.”
While Fox’s approach deserves a fair shake, the irony of one of the bad things from Thursday’s coverage must be acknowledged. The broadcast lost access to its digital leaderboard, leaving viewers to guess (or follow along elsewhere) at players’ scores. It’s a reminder that for all of the new technology Fox intends to implement, it better make sure it masters the basics of a golf broadcast above all else.
Golden ratings
In his Sports Illustrated column June 1, sports media maven Richard Deitsch had seven other sports media writers predict the average viewership for the NBA Finals matchup between the Warriors and Cavaliers. My guesstimate, based on the aesthetic appeal of the Warriors and the star power of LeBron James, was the most optimistic: I figured on an average of 18.5 million viewers. Turns out the reality surpassed even that number. The six-game series, won Tuesday night by the Warriors, averaged 19.94 million viewers and earned an 11.6 household rating, surpassing the 2010 Celtics-Lakers matchup as the most-watched and highest-rated NBA Finals to air on ABC. Tuesday night’s Game 6 drew an average of 23.25 million viewers, peaking with 28.74 million at 11:45 p.m. as the Warriors clinched their first title since 1975. ABC has carried the finals exclusively since 2002-03.
Bright spots
Barring an improbable midsummer run akin to 1988’s Morgan Magic, when the Red Sox won 19 of 20 games, this is shaping up to be a lost season for the Red Sox. But while the team has struggled, NESN’s studio broadcast team has had more than a few winning moments, particularly when host Tom Caron is joined by analysts Dennis Eckersley and Steve Lyons. Eck and Lyons play off each other well with the ex-pitcher/ex-hitter dynamic, and the former remains arguably the most entertaining and authentic baseball analyst anywhere, national networks included. Last Thursday, after pitcher Wade Miley showed up manager John Farrell in the dugout, Eckersley had the line of the season: “Wait a minute. Are you on acid? What are you thinking about?” It was amusing, but the best part for frustrated Red Sox fans is that he was genuinely agitated by Miley’s behavior. It’s hard to imagine there’s another Hall of Famer out there who is as relatable to the common fan as Eckersley is.
Chad Finn can be reached at finn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeChadFinn.
