Tag: Colt Knost

CBS’s Colt Knost trading in mic for bag as caddie at WM Phoenix Open

“I’ve known Taylor since he was in college. Just trying to help the kid out.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Taylor Montgomery must like his gravy lumpy because he has chosen Colt Knost to be his caddie this week at the WM Phoenix Open.

Knost, known as The Big Gravy, was a tour pro of nearly 15 seasons and 199 PGA Tour starts before retiring and becoming one of the best TV foot soldiers for CBS and host of the popular podcast “Golf’s Subpar.” Asked whether he lost a bet, Knost texted, “Haha no. I’ve known Taylor since he was in college. Just trying to help the kid out.”

Most years, CBS Sports broadcasts the WM Phoenix Open, and Knost has set up shop at the famous par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale the last few years, including when Sam Ryder made a hole-in-one. However, it’s a Super Bowl year – Jim Nantz will be on the call on Sunday – so NBC is handling the WM TV duties, which means Knost has the week off.

2022 WM Phoenix Open
In recent years at the WM Phoenix Open, Colt Knost has been planted at the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale for CBS with colleague Amanda Renner. (Photo: Golfweek)

Montgomery, 29, had a strong rookie debut on Tour last season thanks to a brilliant putting stroke. He enters the week at No. 82 in the Official World Golf Ranking. The former UNLV product has been using Australian Grant Booth as a caddie, but Booth, who also doubles as Montgomery’s swing coach, is a stick, too, and has been trying to make it in pro golf.

Phoenix Open: Photos | All aces on 16

“Obviously a great golfer,” Montgomery said of Booth, his caddie at the Sony Open in Hawaii. “Played in the Monday qualifiers and stuff. Hopefully you’ll see his name out here soon.”

Montgomery asked Knost to caddie this week a couple of months ago, and Knost, 38, is set to make his debut on the bag at a course he knows well. It’s where he announced his retirement as a player after the 2020 WM Phoenix Open. To borrow one of Knost’s own catchphrases, he’s about to “get amongst it” this week at TPC Scottsdale.

Montgomery was scheduled to tee off at 1:17 p.m. MT but first-round play was suspended due to unplayable conditions at 12:32.

Phil Mickelson and Colt Knost had a LIV Golf and OWGR debate on Twitter that ended abruptly

Lefty and Colt Knost went back and forth.

The LIV Golf League seeking Official World Golf Ranking points is a conversation that has been going on for nearly a year, and it’s one that will continue for some time.

LIV applied for OWGR points in July of 2022, but no decision has been made. That can take anywhere from 12-18 months, if not longer.

There have been plenty of debates on Twitter about whether LIV deserves points, but most of them have been from fans. However, Phil Mickelson and Colt Knost got into a debate Monday, and it ended rather abruptly.

Let’s get into it.

Knost decided to reply to a discussion started by a pro-LIV account about the OWGR.

Then Mickelson joined in. He has been slowly making a return to Twitter in recent months, but this is by far his biggest interaction, and he took a jab at Knost’s employer.

Then the back-and-forth really got going.

Then Knost extended an invitation for Lefty to come on his podcast (Golf’s Subpar).

Strike one. Next pitch, including Knost bringing Greg Norman into the equation.

Strike two. Well, Knost wasn’t done trying.

However, Mickelson didn’t respond, bringing their conversation to an abrupt end.

How many times does it take for Knost to invite Mickelson on his podcast and Phil responds? The world may never know.

[pickup_prop id=”33323″]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Watch: Colt Knost had a hilarious reaction to Tom Hoge breaking his TPC Sawgrass course record during 2023 Players Championship

Colt Knost watched on a phone from the golf course as his record was broken.

Tom Hoge had a record-setting performance Saturday during the third round of the 2023 Players Championship.

Hoge set a TPC Sawgrass course record, shooting 10-under 62 with 10 birdies and no bogeys. Nine players had previously shot 63 in Ponte Vedra Beach, most recently Dustin Johnson in the final round in 2022.

One of those with the previous record is Colt Knost, now a member of the CBS golf broadcasting team. He shot a 63 in the second round in 2016.

And he wasn’t too thrilled his course record is no more.

Knost was playing golf Saturday himself, and he watched on a phone as Hoge broke his record at TPC Sawgrass. His reaction is hilarious.

[pickup_prop id=”32352″]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler unsure about wearing live mic on CBS; who would Colt Knost like to see give it a go?

CBS is 2-for-2 with its mic’d up player segments.

CBS is 2-for-2 with its mic’d-up player segments.

Max Homa went first at the Farmers Insurance Open and he knocked it out of the park. The cherry on top was when he went on to win the tournament.

“Max sets the bar so high. He’s got one of the biggest personalities in the game of golf. He just gets it,” said Colt Knost of CBS Golf. “And so what he did, I think it shows golfers they can be normal dudes and still go out there and compete and be competitive and it’s not going to affect their play.”

Last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Keith Mitchell took a turn during Sunday’s coverage and he was solid, too.

The live walking and talking mic’d up in-competition segments have gotten rave reviews from fans and the plan is for CBS to continue doing these.

There’s a bit of negotiation that goes on between the TV network and the potential golfers. Many are showing interest.

“I think they’ve been great. So I think Max was really insightful in Torrey Pines and Keith Mitchell last week at Pebble. I thought they were very good,” Rory McIlroy said ahead of the WM Phoenix Open. “It’s very unobtrusive; you just put an AirPod in your ear and just have a chat with the guys in the studio.”

So would he sign up to be next?

[pickup_prop id=”31692″]

“It would take a little bit of convincing for me, but I’d certainly be open to it. But given the last couple of weeks and how well I think it’s been received, I’d certainly be open to it.”

Scottie Scheffler said he was asked to do it on the Korn Ferry Tour but declined.

“I usually try to do my best to stay in the moment and kind of forget about everything else that’s going on around me, so that would be something I’d have to really think about, which I haven’t done yet, but maybe I will more in the future. I haven’t been approached yet, so I haven’t really had to think about it,” he said.

Count Patrick Cantlay among those not interested.

“Probably not something for me, but I think it’s great that those guys who want to do it are able to give those insights while they’re out there playing,” he said.

So far, names have been revealed day of, a few hours before the segments. If the pattern holds, we’ll find out Saturday when CBS is on the air at TPC Scottsdale if we’ll get a third installment.

So who might be great at it?

When asked by Golfweek to tell us, as a fan, who he’d like to see wear the mic, Knost spoke of a few golfers in particular.

“I think Joel Dahmen would be fantastic. He’s hilarious. Him and his caddie’s interactions are great,” he said.

“I think it’d be cool to see with Jon Rahm, one of the best players in the world who’s also known for his fiery attitude and I think we’d see a different side of Jon Rahm, having him mic’d up.

“Jordan Spieth, he takes you through every shot whether he’s mic’d up or not. You can hear him and his caddie Michael Greller go at it. Jordan Spieth would be awesome.

“Those are three off the top of my head that I’d be very interested in seeing.”

Then another name popped into Knost’s head.

“Harry Higgs is obviously Harry Higgs. He’s hilarious, people love him, he’d be great at it.”

It’s a no-brainer why these peel-back-the-curtain moments have been so successful.

“All the guys, for them to think out loud and let the viewer hear what goes on and, you know, what happens when you’re not hitting a shot, that three, four-minute walk from your tee shot. I don’t think the people at home know what goes on during that time, are the players talking, is it quiet, are they talking about golf, are they talking about other things? Just to let the viewer in, I think it’s so cool and makes people want to watch the game of golf even more.”

[listicle id=778320098]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

CBS golf set at 16th hole at WM Phoenix Open to be replicated at four other PGA Tour events in 2023

CBS will have an on-course set for Knost and Renner at five PGA Tour stops in 2023.

The 2022 WM Phoenix Open is remembered as Scottie Scheffler’s first win on the PGA Tour.

But memory 1A has to be the Saturday hole-in-one on the 16th hole by Sam Ryder, the 11th ace on the iconic hole at TPC Scottsdale in tournament history. Carlos Ortiz made the 12th during Sunday’s final round, but it’s Ryder’s hole-out that stole the headlines.

The 15,000 fans in the coliseum – well, at least those who were actually watching the golf – had a great view of the Ryder shot, but perhaps the best seats in the house were occupied by the CBS Sports duo of Amanda Renner and Colt Knost.

For the first time last year, CBS built a set for the two just off the tee box for the third round coverage.

“That was all Sellers Shy,” Knost told Golfweek, crediting the lead producer for CBS Sports’ golf coverage. “I’m never scared to try something new.

“To try to describe the atmosphere down there makes it so fun much for us because it’s something that we don’t see anywhere else in the game of golf, 16 is so unique. It seriously is a party.”

So having this great set in a great spot on TPC Scottsdale is one thing. Dialing up a hole-in-one on live TV? Quite another.

“To have everything go as well as it did, to have Sam Ryder hit one of the best shots of the year last year and the mayhem that happened after made that and for us to be down there for all that, trying to call one of the coolest shots we’ve ever seen was just so much fun. Like, you couldn’t have drawn it up any better. It went so perfect. Everyone loved it and we saw one of the shots of the year.”

Knost admitted he “got a beer can to the shoulder” as thousands of aluminum cans and bottles came raining down. “Definitely got some beer on my head. I know Amanda did, too.

“Obviously we don’t want anyone to get hurt. … but getting some beer on us, it makes it that much more authentic. … it was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever seen in the game of golf.”

CBS will have an on-course set for Knost and Renner at five PGA Tour stops in 2023:

  • Feb. 11: WM Phoenix Open, 16th hole
  • May 13: AT&T Byron Nelson, 17th hole
  • June 10: RBC Canadian Open, 14th hole
  • July 11: Rocket Mortgage Classic, 15th hole
  • Aug. 12: FedEx St. Jude Championship, 14th hole

Knost says it’s key to have the set “on an easy hole, where we can have a cool reaction, where we can get hole-in-ones, or possibly hole-in-ones. Phoenix is an easy one.”

So the set was a hit. And so was the recent on-course, live talkback with a player on the course, as Max Homa demonstrated at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“It’s a change in the broadcast,” Knost said. “I think we’re starting to do some really cool things to make golf more fun on TV. Getting players to agree to be mic-ed up. … it’s all about trying new things because, to be honest, golf can be a little boring and we want it to be exciting.”

[vertical-gallery id=778022725]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]

Golf world reacts: Nick Faldo retires after 19 years as broadcaster

Nick Faldo retired after 19 years as a golf broadcaster. Here’s what his friends and colleagues had to say.

It’s the end of an era on the CBS broadcast.

After 16 years wearing the headset for the network, Sir Nick Faldo said goodbye from the booth during the final round of the 2022 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday. The six-time major champion, who has a deep history at Sedgefield dating back to his PGA Tour debut at the 1979 Greater Greensboro Open, was honored with a plaque behind the ninth green on the club’s Wall of Fame where he joins the likes of Charlie Sifford and Arnold Palmer.

The broadcast also featured a handful of messages from Faldo’s former and current colleagues both on and off the golf course, and it got to be pretty emotional at times. So much so that Dottie Pepper at one point joked, “Are you guys able to call this or do you want me to take it?”

Here’s how the golf world honored Sir Nick Faldo for his broadcast retirement.

What if Tiger Woods really plays the 2022 Masters? Here’s what others in the golf world are saying

If Tiger returns, improbably, it will mark one of the greatest comebacks the game has ever seen.

Sure, the PGA Tour is in San Antonio this week, and we’re in the middle of the year’s first major on the LPGA schedule, but the eyes of the golf world have been squarely focused on one thing — will Tiger Woods play the 2022 Masters at Augusta National?

Although speculation has been rampant, no official word had been given by Friday morning.

But if Tiger returns, improbably, less than 14 months removed from a car crash that could have taken his life, it will mark one of the greatest comebacks the game has ever seen.

While others in the golf world have had plenty to keep them busy this week, almost everyone has had an opinion on Tiger and his potential return. Here’s a look at a few:

Colt Knost Q&A on his growing TV role: ‘I honestly feel like this is what I was meant to do’

“Playing on Tour for eight years was just the thing that transferred me into being what I’m supposed to be doing and that’s being on TV.”

To borrow a phrase from his own vernacular, Colt Knost is about to “get amongst it” with CBS Sports. The 36-year-old former PGA Tour pro went from a part-time role last year to a full-time gig beginning this week at the Farmers Insurance Open. Knost, who also co-hosts the Sirius/XM Radio show “Gravy and The Sleaze,” with co-host Drew Stoltz, has become golf’s latest media darling.

“He has the perfect blend of humility with his self-deprecating humor combined with a true knowledge of the game, and his resume speaks to that being a U.S. Amateur champion and Walker Cupper,” Sellers Shy, lead producer at CBS, said of Knost. “Plus, he has an incredible relationship with today’s players.”

Perhaps no commentator has his pulse on the Tour better than Knost – check out his podcast Sub Par (also with Stoltz) if you haven’t already. He also continues a youth movement at CBS that began with the remaking of its broadcast team a few years. Expect him to become one of the faces of CBS’s golf coverage for years to come.

“I honestly feel like this is what I was meant to do,” Knost said. “Playing on Tour for eight years was just the thing that transferred me into being what I’m supposed to be and that’s being on TV.”

Colt Knost expanding role as on-course reporter for CBS golf broadcasts in 2022

Colt Knost has a gift for you this holiday season.

Colt Knost has a present for all of you this holiday season. It’s more Colt Knost.

The 36-year-old retired from his career as a professional golfer two years ago and has since found great success as a broadcaster on TV, as well as a co-host of the “SubPar” podcast with Drew Stoltz. On Tuesday, Knost took to Twitter to share to the delight of his followers that he’d be expanding his role on the CBS golf team as an on-course reporter.

“I cannot wait to be walking the fairway with the best players in the world and interacting with you incredible fans. Happy Holidays and I’ll see everyone at Torrey Pines,” said Knost.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

PGA Tour says $40 million Player Impact Program ‘winners’ won’t be revealed. Twitter-verse expresses its dismay.

“We don’t have any intention on publicizing it,” said commissioner Jay Monahan.

We may never know if Jim Herman wins the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program, at least that’s the way the PGA Tour would like it.

During his State of the PGA Tour press conference in Atlanta ahead of the Tour Championship on Tuesday, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed that the Player Impact Program, which was approved this year and features a $40 million bonus pool for the most popular players, won’t conclude at the end of the FedEx Cup season on Sunday but rather run through the end of the year. Despite the program being designed to compensate players who are judged to drive fan and sponsor engagement, Monahan said, “we don’t have any intention on publicizing it.”

That seems counterintuitive but when asked for an explanation, Monahan said, “To us, it’s a program that we created, was created by our players, with our players, for our players, and that’s, that’s what we decided that we were going to do when we created it.”

The FedEx Cup, one could argue, also fits that description but the up-to-the-minute standings are recited by TV announcers almost as soon as each week’s winner holes the final putt.

Monahan noted that there are five different criteria, each weighted equally in calculating how the bonus money will be distributed among the top 10 players, with the player deemed most valuable receiving $8 million.

No player has shamelessly campaigned for a share of the $40 million quite like Herman, a 43-year-old journeyman pro who has built a Twitter following ever since he first tweeted about the PIP news a day after Golfweek broke the story on April 20: “My ship has come in!”

Twitter did not react well to the news that the megastars finishing in the money won’t be revealed.

Trevor Immelman

Colt Knost

Max Homa