Golf on TV for the U.S. Open
Golf on television may be unique to many sports with the extensive coverage given to the U.S. Open. With the combination of ESPN and NBC, there is wall to wall coverage for 4-days. Then you add in the Golf Channel coverage before and after the event, and you eclipse what is done in the other sports.
Golf Channel will cover the side-bar stories, with tours of the city, discussion with the grounds crew, and fun stories like the guy that caddied for Ben Hogan in the ‘50s at Oakmont.
The U.S. Open has also become the Super Bowl to golf for the presentation of new TV ads. The best new one was the “Baby Tiger” spot. It shows the Nike folks making a new club, and all of the detail. You then see the golf bag, and the camera opens up to show the name on the bag…”Baby Tiger.” All the clubs and the bag are miniature. Then the delivery truck pulls up to Tiger’s house with the gift for the new kid…very cute.
Two classics have also aired. The USGA may have the best spot of all time…The kid makes the hole in one and thinks nobody is there, then the greens keeper pulls up and the spot ends with the kid buying drinks at the 19th hole/vending machine. Then the new classic… The FedEx Cup spot with Trevor Immelman talking to him self in the mirror about winning the FedEx when Vijay walks in and asks if he’s OK…pretty good.
It will be a great weekend of golf, and the traditional finish on Father’s Day, enjoy it…
