Beginning on Thursday, ESPN will have another alternate broadcast of the PGA Championship that is being played at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Last year, Joe Buck was involved. This year, it will be Matt Barrie and Michael Collins leading into the television coverage the first two days (11 AM-1 PM ET).
Barrie was a guest on the Fairways of Life with Matt Adams Golf podcast this week and he said the goal for the broadcast this week is for people to just enjoy golf being brought to them in a non-traditional way.
“We know that Thursday and Friday, we are the coverage leading into the coverage. We’ll hand it off to SVP and Jim Nantz. There’s a way to do it. There’s a way to have fun doing it. There’s a way to enjoy this sport with two guys sitting around watching and calling the coverage and having a conversation you and I would have.”
Barrie did not mention which specific guests will be on during the coverage, but he wants to prove that golf is more than just an old man’s game.
“That’s been the knock on the sport forever. How do we invite everyone in, watch a major championship together, and maybe laugh and have fun doing it? That’s the goal.”
While Barrie has been a part of golf coverage on ESPN for many years and is a familiar voice, he knows not everyone will be thrilled with the way he and Collins approach their coverage.
“I get it. There’s going to be people at 11 AM saying ‘What is this? Give me Jim Nantz! Give me SVP!’ It’s going to happen and I’m fine with that. I’m around the sport enough to know that I respect how it’s done and I always have, but let’s try something new. Let’s see if we can attract a younger audience and attract someone who may otherwise not think golf was fun or cool. I think we will have a good shot.”
