Buck revealed that they were in Mexico in July and decided to play golf.
Thanks to an Adam Schefter injury report on fellow ESPN reporter Michelle Beisner-Buck, her husband Joe Buck decided to take to X (formerly Twitter) to break down how he accidentally broke his wife’s ankle with a golf shot.
Joe revealed that he and Beisner-Buck were in Mexico back in July and decided to play golf. She ended up doing a headstand near the tee box on the course for good luck, and when he teed off, she did a split.
You can guess what happened next. He hit a drive into her ankle and “shattered it,” per Joe. There was “severe” nerve damage, too.
She got surgery, but didn’t blame him. Watch them retell the tale:
Here’s the truth @AdamSchefter the whole truth and nothing but the guilt-ridden brutal truth! My wife is one amazing, tough woman. And she has not for one second pinned this on me. Or added to my mental load. While I have. Fluke stuff. Probably lucky it wasn’t worse! pic.twitter.com/1SCEhJv3t7
Seven college golf tournaments will be on TV this fall.
NBC Sports announced its college golf schedule for fall 2024, featuring more than 180 hours of broadcasting on Golf Channel and Peacock.
Events kicked off this week with the Folds of Honor Collegiate, and the final of seven broadcasts this fall will be Nov. 11-13 at the SWA Showcase at Cedar Crest in Dallas.
There will be an extra 30 hours of college golf coverage this fall compared to last fall and compared to the spring, a bonus for fans of the sport. And coverage kicked off Monday from the Folds of Honor Collegiate in Michigan.
The Folds of Honor will be live from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET and again from 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday to wrap up coverage. Up next, Golf Channel heads to Blessings Golf Club in Arkansas, where coverage will be live Sept. 30-Oct. 2 from 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. ET.
Then, coverage heads to New Mexico for the inaugural NB3 Collegiate Match Play, where two days of coverage will be shown. On Tuesday, Oct. 8, the broadcast will be from 5:30-8:30 p.m. ET and on Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Next is the St. Andrews Collegiate in Scotland, where coverage will be from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. ET from Oct. 14-16. After that, it’s time for the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, where live coverage will happen from 5-8 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 21 and 4-7 p.m. ET on Oct. 22-23.
Then to close the year, the SWA Showcase at Cedar Crest will be live from 2:30-5:30 p.m. ET from Nov. 11-13.
It’s been nearly six years since the first edition of The Match, the made-for-TV series of silly season golf events featuring everyone from PGA Tour legends to current NFL and NBA all-stars.
In that time, golf fans have been treated to seven different matches, most recently the first to be played using a mixed-team format.
Even though the first edition of The Match – Woods vs. Phil Mickelson in November 2018 in Las Vegas – didn’t quite live up to the hype, it proved there was a market for the competition. Over the years the matches have grown into charitable causes benefitting COVID-19 relief and HBCU’s while still providing golf fans a unique product outside of 72-hole stroke-play tournaments.
Representatives of all four players confirmed their involvement to Golfweek.
Golf’s long-simmering civil war is about to become prime-time entertainment.
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will face Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a made-for-TV match later this year, Golfweek has learned.
The contest pits the two biggest stars on the PGA Tour against the most high-profile figures on LIV Golf, and will be widely interpreted as indicating a potential thaw in relations between the once warring camps.
The event will be held mid-December in Las Vegas and will air on TNT, which is owned by Warner Brothers Discovery. TNT previously broadcast nine editions of The Match, the series of exhibitions that launched in 2018 with Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson. McIlroy, Koepka and DeChambeau have all appeared in versions of The Match, but it’s unclear if this latest battle will be a continuation of that series. Four previous Matches were held in Las Vegas, three at Wynn Golf Club and one at Shadow Creek.
McIlroy confirmed his participation after an inquiry from Golfweek.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Scottie in what promises to be an exciting duel against Bryson and Brooks in Vegas this December,” he wrote in a text message. “This isn’t just a contest between some of golf’s major champions; it’s an event designed to energize the fans. We’re all here to put on a great show and contribute to a goodwill event that brings the best together again.”
Representatives of the other three players also confirmed their involvement to Golfweek.
“Brooks and Scottie are very excited to be a part of this unique event and look forward to sharing more soon,” said Blake Smith, who represents both Koepka and Scheffler.
Brett Falkoff, the agent for DeChambeau, said: “Bryson looks forward to competing in Las Vegas this December in an event that is sure to provide great entertainment for the fans.”
The prime-time special is being produced by Bryan Zuriff’s BZ Entertainment — which developed The Match series — and EverWonder Studio, which was founded last year by Ian Orefice, is run by former CNN chief Jeff Zucker and is funded by RedBird IMI. Two sources say the players will receive an appearance fee but will not compete for prize money.
The PGA Tour declined to comment on the event. The Tour has been engaged in negotiations with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund — which bankrolls LIV — since signing the controversial Framework Agreement 15 months ago. Earlier this summer, the Tour appointed a committee to handle those talks directly. McIlroy is among a number of players who sit on that committee.
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy fist bump on the 18th green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at Colonial Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
In response to a later question about how the Tour and PIF have prioritized talks, Monahan said the sides were “really starting to talk about the future, future product vision and where we can take our sport.”
The Vegas match features a lineup of stars who share layered rivalries. McIlroy and Koepka were tied at four major victories each until Koepka won a fifth at the 2023 PGA Championship, while DeChambeau narrowly edged McIlroy in a heartbreaking finish to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June.
Meanwhile, Scheffler has established himself as the undisputed world No. 1, with seven PGA Tour wins this season, culminating in the FedEx Cup title last weekend, which came with a bonus of $25 million.
(Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify Jeff Zucker’s involvement in the project.)
Celine Boutier has lived in Texas for eight years, but no one in the Olympic field is more familiar with Le Golf National than the 30-year-old Frenchwoman.
“I definitely know it with my eyes closed,” said Boutier, whose family home is 40 minutes away.
A six-time winner on the LPGA, Boutier broke through with her first major championship on home soil at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship, becoming the first Frenchwoman to win the LPGA’s fifth major.
Currently No. 7 in the world, Boutier will be the fan favorite Aug. 7-10 when the women’s competition heats up in France at the Olympic games.
“You definitely have to be a really good ball-striker to be able to have a chance there and to be able to control your ball,” she said of 2018 Ryder Cup venue. “I think it’s a great test.”
One of several LPGA players who took part in Friday’s opening ceremonies on the Seine River, this marks Boutier’s second Olympic Games. Fans can gain more insight into the former Duke star by watching a recently released “Playing Lessons” episode on NBC’s GolfPass. The two-part program, taped last March at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, is hosted by PGA Tour caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay. Golfweek was on the scene in Florida as the pair met for the first time to film.
Boutier isn’t big on technique. She leaves that to her younger brother Kevin, a Lead Master Instructor at The Jim McLean Golf School in Miami. Not that she likes to talk instruction with him either.
“Just in general, I don’t like to talk about swings. I may also be a little bit scared of what he might say, so I’d rather not inquire about it,” she said with a laugh.
Scenes from Celine Boutier’s appearance on GolfPass show “Playing Lessons” at Omni ChampionsGate on Monday, March 18, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Cy Cyr / GolfPass)
This episode of “Playing Lessons” is less about technique and more about strategy, as Boutier walks Mackay through her routines and how she goes about selecting which type of shot to hit. Mackay, who spent most of his caddying career with Phil Mickelson, carried the bag for Boutier as they played three holes, talking about her career in between shots and what goes on inside the ropes.
This marks the fourth season of “Playing Lessons” and Mackay became a regular host of the series after being called to fill in for a Jon Rahm episode in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they both live. Mackay, who also works as an on-course reporter for Golf Channel/NBC, agreed to give hosting duties a shot.
“I was pretty horrible,” said Mackay of that first stint. “I mean, you saw me do three or four takes of things today. That day, when I tried to introduce the show, I bet you we did close to 20 takes. So my level of comfort was really, really low. But we had so much fun. And you know, it’s like a little family out here. We have this crew of the same folks that do virtually every show, and it’s fun. We put the band back together, and we go here, and we go there. But that Jon Rahm experience was something that took me a little while to get over because I had a lot to learn.”
Kevin Schultz, senior director of golf content, notes the humble Mackay tries to stay in the background. He’s raking bunkers and repairing divots for the show, as the personable caddie has done for decades on Tour. But hosting a show puts him front and center, and that some getting used to.
“He’s helped us get players,” said Schultz of the show’s top-tier guests, “because they want to do it for Bones.”
While Mackay spends most of his time on the men’s side, he has called the action at women’s majors as well as the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. LPGA guests on “Playing Lessons” include major champions Patty Tavatanakit and Sophia Popov as well as the inspirational Haley Moore.
“I just love how in control the women are, you know,” said Mackay. “There’s no length being sacrificed here. But whether it’s in ‘Playing Lessons,’ or I remember doing TV at the Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink, and Jennifer Kupcho hit 18 greens in regulation one round. I remember thinking to myself, if the men were playing out here today from the same tees, how many guys would be able to hit 18 greens in regulation, and it wasn’t going to be many. I just remember just being blown away by that ball-striking feat and how good everybody is.”
During the episode with Boutier, Mackay and senior producer Chris Graham put the French star in a fairway bunker and asked her to show how she’d advise players of varying handicap levels to proceed. Boutier hit three different shots, saving the more aggressive approach for the elite player til the end, when she hit it to 3 feet.
Scenes from Celine Boutier’s appearance on GolfPass show “Playing Lessons” at Omni ChampionsGate on Monday, March 18, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Cy Cyr / GolfPass)
Boutier hasn’t competed since the Evian, taking time to prepare for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of enjoying an Olympic Games so close to home.
While winning a major in front of a French crowd gives her more confidence, Boutier said it does nothing to minimize the pressure she feels.
“I feel like every season you start from scratch,” she said, “every week you start from scratch. It doesn’t really matter what you did before.”
Smoltz said it was the scariest trauma he has endured.
Getting hit in the head might be the jolt John Smoltz needs to win this week at Edgewood Tahoe.
Year in and year out, Smoltz has been one of the top contenders in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, but he has never won at Edgewood.
Smoltz, who played Major League Baseball for 21 seasons and is now a TV announcer for MLB, said it was the scariest trauma he has endured.
“I’ve never been hit, played a million rounds. I got hit right above the eye, 100 miles an hour. Had to go to the hospital,” Smoltz said Thursday at Edgewood. “I think what it did, it knocked out my brain of doubt. So maybe I have no more doubt. But I am very fortunate to be here. Honestly, I have been playing good as ever since I got hit in the head three weeks ago with a golf ball.”
He’s also fortunate the MLB All-Star game is next week, instead of the week before the celebrity golf tournament, as it usually is.
“Typically I fly in after the All-Star Game and try to put everything together. So I’ve been here this week, and it’s been enjoyable,” he said.
The winner receives a special red cardigan and bragging rights.
Jimmy Fallon and DJ Khaled are not participating in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe this week, but they will be competing in a special challenge golf match on Saturday.
Fallon is the host of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and Khaled is a Grammy-nominated producer and record executive. The two discussed the event on Fallon’s show.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=442621752085027
Fallon vs. Khaled will begin on the par-3 17th hole at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and will be a four-hole match (holes 17 and 18 twice), with the winner receiving a special red cardigan and bragging rights. The match will take place following the conclusion of Saturday’s third round at approximately 3:30 p.m.
The special challenge match will be open to the public, with spectators purchasing tickets to the American Century Championship Saturday having access to watch Fallon vs. Khaled.
“You just needed me around. You did it better than me.”
PINEHURST, N.C. – Johnson Wagner keeps making great TV on Golf Channel’s Live From show.
He’s been a great addition to the show, reproducing the pivotal shot of the day and Sunday’s shot was obvious but it couldn’t have come off much better. Johnson set up in the 18th hole bunker where Bryson DeChambeau had to get up and down from 55 yards to win the 124th U.S. Open.
Wagner wielded a 50-degree wedge and demonstrated just how hard a shot DeChambeau executed to near-perfection.
“That clubhouse is looking at me, Brandel,” Wagner said as he blasted out. “Sit. Sit, sit.”
He sent the ball over the green and joked, “I was worried about hitting a window.”
.@Johnson_Wagner re-creates Bryson DeChambeau's winning bunker shot with some help from Bryson himself! 😂👏 @b_dechambeau
And then DeChambeau appeared out of the darkness cradling the U.S. Open trophy and told Wagner, “I want to see you hit one more.”
“What goes through your mind when you’re hitting a 50-yard bunker shot?” Wagner wondered.
DeChambeau explained how he splashed to 4 feet to set up the winning putt. “I was playing a huge explosion shot, chunk and run. If anything I was going to come up short,” he said of what he dubbed “the greatest shot of my life.”
Wagner’s take two was a beauty, stopping a foot or so away.
“That’s perfect. You just needed me around,” DeChambeau said. “You did it better than me.”
“Player B is always better than Player A,” Wagner said.
Expect Wagner to be the first of many to attempt to re-create DeChambeau’s heroics. The roof and windows of Pinehurst’s clubhouse behind the green may have shots incoming for quite some time.
Bryson DeChambeau poses with the trophy after winning the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2) in Village of Pinehurst, N.C. on Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)
Could he be considered a possible golf analyst? He’s certainly got the connections.
When contract talks between basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and TNT stalled a bit in 2022 there was talk that LIV Golf considered bringing Barkley in as a golf analyst.
The “Inside the NBA” star said after Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday that next season will be his last with the program – and that after the 2024-25 season he will be done with NBA television in its entirety.
Barkley has not been afraid to share his perspective as TNT’s parent company has tried to retain its ability to broadcast NBA games beyond next season. According to multiple reports, ESPN, Amazon and NBC are primed to be the rightsholders in the league’s next broadcast contract.
“There’s been a lot of noise around our network the last few months. And I just want to say – I’ve talked to all the other networks, but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said. “But I have made the decision myself. No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me. My heart is full with joy and gratitude.”
Barkley said he wants to “pass the baton” to another generation of analysts, such as Vince Carter and Jamal Crawford, at the end of next season. He also said that he was done giving interviews about his future prospects.
“No, they haven’t offered me anything,” Barkley told Golfweek after walking off the 18th green at a 2022 LIV Golf pro-am at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. “My number one priority is Turner, and I’m not gonna keep Turner in limbo. So that’s my priority.”
“They’ve given me everything I have,” Barkley said at the time.
Former NBA player Charles Barkley hits a tee shot during the LIV Invitational Pro-Am at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
No stranger to celebrity and pro-am events, Barkley has been a unifying force, appearing on TNT’s “The Match” and showing up at both PGA Tour and LIV Golf events. Could he be considered a possible golf analyst? He’s certainly got the connections.
“I’ve got friends on both tours, it was great to see some of my friends I haven’t seen in a minute like Brooks, Bryson, Pat Perez, I wish these guys great success,” Barkley explained. “I’m gonna support LIV, I’m gonna support the PGA Tour. But like I say, as of now, I don’t know anything. I haven’t been asked anything. I wish I could give somebody an answer, but I don’t know anything.”
Barkley, who has made it known he enjoys playing, watching and commentating on golf, has impressed those in the game with his attention to detail.
“I had dinner with him,” said Stan Utley, who captured the PGA Tour’s 1989 Chattanooga Classic. “I asked him this question, I said, ‘Do you work harder at golf than you did basketball?’ and he said, ‘Absolutely.’ I really don’t think people realize how much he loves golf and how much time he spends playing and practicing. I really do think he practices a lot.”
