Brandel Chamblee recently compared trying to replace Johnny Miller as lead analyst on NBC Sports to following late comedian Robin Williams on stage.
“It’s just not going to look good no matter who you are because Johnny was a god at that role, and I think that was probably – it’s going to be troubling for anybody in that role,” he said in an interview with Golfweek in March.
Well, Chamblee will get to experience that feeling for himself as NBC announced on Monday that the 61-year-old Tour pro turned broadcaster will work alongside lead golf play-by-play voice Dan Hicks at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (No. 2 course) across NBC, Peacock and USA Network.
Mike Tirico will also work alongside analyst Brad Faxon in NBC’s four-man booth.
“This year we began utilizing an odd/even system of hole assignments for our commentator pairings,” said Sam Flood, executive producer and president, production, NBC Sports. “Our new approach lets our play-by-play announcers give more context for what’s happening, while creating more opportunities for our analysts and on-course reporters to engage with each other and break down the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ before and after each moment.”
Chamblee has been a staple of Golf Channel’s “Live From” show after the completion of play at the majors. Speaking in March, he said he wasn’t opposed to doing double duty.
NBC has been rotating broadcasters this season since deciding not to renew Paul Azinger’s contract.
NBC also announced that Jim “Bones” Mackay and Roger Maltbie will return as on-course reporters and Gary Koch will serve as an analyst. Mackay was lead analyst at the Mexico Open and worked on Golf Channel’s coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. He and Justin Thomas parted ways in April, and he hasn’t hooked up as a caddie for a new player yet. Maltbie and Koch worked at the Players Championship in March during the opening two rounds.
In all, NBC will provide more than 200-plus hours of programming of the U.S. Open, held June 13-16.