Welcome to another edition of the Hot Mic, GOLF’s weekly media column dedicated to the people (and stories) behind the action you watch each week.
If nothing else, the Hot Mic prides itself on sharing the stories of golf’s great storytellers.
It should come as no surprise, then, that this column has spent a considerable amount of time discussing one David Feherty. Feherty is not only one of golf’s best storytellers, he’s one of the sport’s most enjoyable figures — a gifted entertainer with a keen sense of comedic timing.
These are the skills that have served Feherty well (and at times, too well) during his broadcast career. They are the skills that have turned him into a golf television mainstay and a beloved member of NBC and SiriusXM’s golf coverage.
Hot Mic: David Feherty announces next move, new show
So, when the Hot Mic was granted the opportunity to speak with the man himself at a recent charity event for the Generational Group, we figured the best use of our time with Feherty would be to let him do what he does best. Over the span of a few minutes, we challenged Feherty to share his best stories with us from a career in golf. Below is a collection of some of our favorites from our conversation, including his (hungover) best round ever, and his most embarrassing shot. You can check out the full video above.
(Ed. Note: A special hat tip to GOLF’s Tiffani Lynch, who conducted the interview with Feherty … and managed not to laugh audibly.)
David Feherty’s best round of golf ever:
“It was under a monumental hangover, I’m not proud of that part of it. It was on the eastern coast of Spain, the Catalan Open. I thought that I was going to miss the cut, so I went out with a friend of mine, and we kinda tied one on. Got in around 3/4 in the morning, and noticed I was first on the draw sheet the following morning.”
“I got in the shower and got changed and went back out almost immediately and shot 61. I went from just making the cut to tied for second, so I behaved myself the following evening and then shot 75 the next day. Serves me right.”
His most embarrassing shot:
“I remember the first time I played with Seve. Seve was one of those guys he was a nightmare to play with. He was always jingling his change and moving his feet around. So I moved it over to the part of the tee where I couldn’t see his feet from underneath the bill of cap, and I clean-shanked a four-iron. I’m on my follow through and I’ve just realized that I’ve shanked it. And Seve is right here, just about to hit his shot. And the ball goes right into a tree just short of the 17th green and vanished. So the ball lands on the tee behind us. Seve turns me and says, ‘I’m sorry, you’re away.”
“So that was fairly embarrassing.”
His best fan interaction as a broadcaster:
“I was working for CBS at the time and I was following Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship. We’d had a torrential downpour, there was a fan, a big fella, and I’m walking past him and his feet went out from underneath him. He slid the whole way down the bank and landed right in front of me to where I had to step over him. He looked at me and he said, ‘Feherty!!!!!’ He didn’t even spill his beer, which I thought was a magnificent athletic achievement apart from anything else.”
News and notes
CBS Promotes Colt Knost
The Big Gravy himself, Colt Knost, announced Tuesday he is expanding his on-course reporting role with CBS in the new year. The move, which will elevate his live TV coverage into a more full-time role, comes as no surprise to keen viewers. Knost has been one of golf television’s great success stories over the last year. A sharp analytical mind and jocular on-air personality, Knost’s media ventures (including his podcast for GOLF, Subpar) have given him a burgeoning second golf career (and we’d imagine it doesn’t hurt to come recommended by Justin Thomas).
Jim Nantz heads to the hall
Speaking of talented storytellers — a hearty congratulations to the don of golf television, Jim Nantz, for being named to the National Sports Media Association hall of fame last weekend. Nantz, who has been with CBS since the 80s (!), returns for another year on the network’s PGA Tour coverage in 2022.