One of the biggest golf tournaments of the year gets ready to kick off with the U.S. Open from the Olympic Club in the San Francisco Bay Area. ESPN and NBC are certainly going to pay a lot of attention to the featured grouping of Masters champ Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods. Maybe Bubba can leave Tiger or Phil grasping for air like Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne. Expect to see plenty of defending champion Rory McIlroy and World #1 Luke Donald as well.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Open also means we’ll have to suffer through Chris Berman announcing golf on Thursday and Friday. Hopefully Scott Van Pelt has it written in his new contract that he can physically remove Berman from the booth at some point on Friday and take over the broadcast in full. Maybe SVP can muzzle Rick Reilly before he rehashes an old essay while we’re at it. At least we should get some good material for the end of the week, aside from the usual heavy breathing from Boomer. Thankfully, the capable NBC golf crew led by Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller will take us all through the pars, bogeys, and double-bogeys that are bound to happen on Sunday.
2012 U.S. Open Golf Championship
Olympic Club, San Francisco, CA
Thursday June 14 – Sunday June 17
NBC Host: Bob Costas Course Host: Dan Hicks & Johnny Miller Reporters: Gary Koch & Peter Jacobsen (Tower), Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing & Dottie Pepper Interviewer/Essayist: Jimmy Roberts
ESPN Host: Chris Berman with Roger Maltbie (Analyst) Course Hosts: Mike Tirico & Paul Azinger Reporters: Andy North, Judy Rankin, Bill Kratzert Hole Announcers: Scott Van Pelt, Curtis Strange, Terry Gannon & Sean McDonough Interviewer: Tom Rinaldi; Essayist: Rick Reilly
Thursday, June 14
Round 1: ESPN Noon-3PM & 5PM-Midnight; NBC 3PM-5PM
Friday, June 15
Round 2: ESPN Noon-3PM & 5PM-Midnight; NBC 3PM-5PM
Saturday, June 16
Round 3: NBC 4PM-10PM
Sunday, June 17
Final Round: NBC 4PM-10:30PM
If playoff is necessary: Monday June 18 ESPN Noon-2PM; NBC 2PM to conclusion
h/t Sammy!
