Jim Furyk joining Golf Channel as analyst on trial basis

Jim Furyk is giving TV a shot. The 2003 U.S. Open champion will work as Golf Channel’s lead analyst alongside Terry Gannon for the network’s weekday coverage of next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the following week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

Golf Channel has four hours of weekday coverage at Bay Hill (March 2-7) and two hours of weekend lead-in coverage before NBC takes over. At The Players (March 10-16), Golf Channel airs six hours of weekday coverage from 1-7 p.m. ET. Furyk, who will be in the booth for all of it, brings plenty of experience at both venues. He played the Arnold Palmer Invitational 13 times and The Players Championship 24 times during his career. He finished runner-up at The Players twice, including in 2019 when he lost to Rory McIlroy by one stroke in what turned out to be his final appearance at TPC Sawgrass. McIlroy returns this year as the defending champion, so Furyk will have plenty to talk about regarding the course and tournament history.

But the 55-year-old isn’t committing to anything long-term yet. He’s testing this out to see if he likes television work and if television work likes him back.

“It’s probably on a trial basis, see how much I like it, get a feel for it,” Furyk said, per the AP. “With any new endeavor, it’s a learning process. There’s a feel and flow for how the show is done. I’m focused on doing the best job for two weeks.”

However, according to Golf Digest, Furyk could have other opportunities — assuming his trial run goes well — as the season progresses.

“When you watch Jim Furyk compete … there is an unmistakable passion and intensity within him,” said Tom Knapp, executive vice president and general manager at Golf Channel. “Jim is one of the most accomplished golfers in recent history, and we’re thrilled to have him bring that competitive intensity into the Golf Channel booth.”

Furyk has done television work before, though it came while he was recovering from injuries. He was in the booth at The Players in 2004 while recovering from wrist surgery. Last year, while recovering from hip surgery, he contributed to Golf Channel’s coverage of The Ally Challenge alongside Paul Azinger from the PGA Tour Studios.

“I’ve built great relationships with the Golf Channel on-air team and producers over the years, and I’m looking forward to working alongside them and sharing my perspective with viewers across the country for these signature events,” Furyk said.

According to Golf Digest, Kevin Kisner will not be impacted by Furyk’s trial run. Kisner has been working as Golf Channel’s lead analyst since NBC brought him on as part of the network’s talent refresh in 2022. The network let Roger Maltbie, Gary Koch, and Paul Azinger go that year, replacing them with younger voices like Kisner, Smylie Kaufman, and Brad Faxon. Maltbie has since returned to golf broadcasting on a limited basis. He signed a deal in February to work five tournaments this season for Golf Channel and CBS, including Bay Hill and The Players.

Now it’s Furyk’s turn to see where he fits.