SiriusXM’s Taylor Zarzour on the joy of broadcasting the Masters

SiriusXM radio will have a new yet familiar lead play-by-play voice for the 2026 Masters. Taylor Zarzour is stepping in when the tournament tees off at Augusta National on April 9.

Zarzour is replacing Mike Tirico, who is taking time off after a hectic schedule that included calling Super Bowl LX and hosting NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage.

This will mark Zarzour’s 13th straight year covering the Masters for SiriusXM and his 18th overall. Since 2022, he has served as the backup play-by-play announcer and also hosts SiriusXM’s pre- and post-round coverage. This year, he’ll be joined by Kevin Kisner, Brad Faxon, and Brendon de Jonge on the SiriusXM network, starting April 6.

We caught up with Zarzour to discuss the Masters and his first season as the voice of the Tennessee Titans.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Awful Announcing: What sets broadcasting the Masters apart from other golf tournaments?

Taylor Zarzour: “The commitment to perfection. Everybody seems to be the best version of themselves while they’re there. The joy that people carry while they’re on the ground. It’s just such a magical place, and it has an aura about it, and I think with that comes a responsibility to be your best and to try to describe how wonderful the place is. It’s nothing against the other tournaments, but the other major championships move around each year, so you don’t have the same backdrop that you come back to every year that you celebrate over and over again. There is a special quality that exists there that is unlike anywhere else I get to go.”

How would you characterize your style?

“I love trying to give little details about everything that’s happening, not just the shot. Vin Scully, I believe, was the greatest ever at broadcasting sports. He was so descriptive. He wouldn’t just tell you, ‘Sandy Koufax winds up and here’s the 0-1 pitch.’ He would tell you about the conditions in Los Angeles and what it felt like in the ballpark, and other things happening around the pitcher’s mound and the batter’s box. Painting a picture as succinctly as possible is important. No matter if you’re calling the Titans game or the Masters, describing what’s happening around the golfer, especially in a place that used to be a nursery, creates the perfect backdrop. It’s just so beautiful, and you have many opportunities to describe how pretty it is, but you need to do it in a succinct way.”

Is there a particular day of broadcasting at the Masters that you love?

“I love Thursday mornings when Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson go out to the first tee and hit the honorary shots to christen the Masters, if you will. That’s really special, but when everyone gathers around the 18th green and the patrons are all standing there on Sunday afternoon at almost 7 o’clock, with the sun about to set, the tournament is about to end, and the winner is about to finish the biggest moment of their career, that’s hard to top. Especially last year, when Rory won and did so in such an emotional, shocking fashion with all the ups and downs that came before. It’s indescribable.”

What else makes the end of the Masters special?

“I can’t think of anywhere else—maybe a church—where no one has their phone, and everyone is the most present they’ll ever be as a person. In this day and age, you’re so connected to your device that you’re looking at it every few seconds. (On Sunday at the Masters), thousands of people are all locked in on what’s happening in front of them. That used to be how our society was, and now there’s nowhere else that exists except Augusta National. It’s a really powerful thing to see the tournament finish and everyone so concentrated on what’s happening on the 18th green. I love that.”

What did it mean that Mike Tirico lobbied for you to fill in for him?

“Mike has been an incredible teammate. His schedule is busier in 2026 than in the past, but he said he hopes to return, and we really hope he comes back. He’s as talented as anyone in the game, and he’s an even better teammate. He’s always helpful to everyone. We have a workroom in our setup in the press building, and he’s right in the middle of it with the producers, other broadcasters, and engineers.”

What can you tell us about the team you’ll be working with next week?

“I’m excited. Kevin Kisner is going to be our analyst, and sitting next to him to get his expertise on the tournament, given that he grew up 20 minutes from the golf course, I think it’s going to be really cool. He’s doing great work for NBC. He played in the tournament eight times. Brad Faxon will be in there for a little while, and Brendon de Jonge will join us. His star is soaring in the broadcast space. We have all these people who are so knowledgeable about the tournament.”

Do you have a favorite memory of the Masters?

“Watching that with my dad when I was eight years old really made me obsessed with the game. Jack Nicklaus and his son, Jackie, 40 years later, are going to be with us on Thursday, and we’re going to do an interview with them, and it’ll be part of our Masters broadcast. It’s just crazy for me to comprehend that a little boy from Mobile, Alabama, 40 years later, would be sitting there with his heroes. The 1986 Masters is very special, and it’s very special for all of us that love the game.”

“Deep down I always believed that I had the game to win here at Augusta”

2025 @TheMasters Champion @McIlroyRory spoke with Taylor Zarzour after completing the career Grand Slam. pic.twitter.com/T9q12YP0k5

— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) April 14, 2025

Who will be this year’s champion?

“I think Bryson DeChambeau is the guy to beat. He has come close in the last couple of years. He played in that final pairing with Rory last year and had a real chance going into the final round. He’s playing the best golf of his life right now. I know Scottie Scheffler is the favorite. He looks like he’s needing to work a few things out with his swing at the moment, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Scottie found all of that at Augusta, given that he’s already won there twice.”

What was your first season with the Tennessee Titans like?

“I love the people I’m working with, and they’ve been so good to me. We’ve become like family. Dave McGinnis is like a big brother or an uncle; he’s just a joy to sit next to. The rest of our team has really embraced me, and it’s a lot of fun to work with them. Obviously, we want to win more games, and we believe that with the new coaching staff and the free agents they’ve brought in, that will happen. It really feels like the Titans are on an upward trend. So I’m super excited about what the future holds.”

Break some news for us: Who are the Titans planning to pick with the fourth overall selection in the draft?

“I wish I could. I think it’s either going to be a pass rusher or a running back, but I’m intentionally staying away from general manager Mike Borgonzi. That’s his call. I have a lot of confidence in him. He has done an amazing job building this roster.”