For years, a swath of golf fans — many of whom inhabit various forms of social media — participated in a time-honored ritual. Around 3 p.m. on select Sundays, they’d tune into CBS’s golf coverage. By 3:30, they’d be shouting.
Into the television. Into the internet. Into the void. It didn’t matter, the plea was the same.
Show the golf!
Some Sundays were better than others, but the difference usually amounted to a change in volume, not tenor.
Then came last Sunday, and CBS’s coverage of the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.
For 11 straight minutes — the show’s first 11 minutes — CBS showed no live golf. Not a single shot. Rather, Sellers Shy began his second broadcast as coordinating producer of Golf on CBS with silence, then discussion, then more silence, then a commercial break, then more discussion.
Nightmare? Far from it. It was brilliant.
For 11 minutes — and, really, through the remainder of the Sunday broadcast — Shy and his team helped make the Farmers matter. Not because of the events that preceded the final round, but because of the manner in which they presented them to the audience.
With Patrick Reed’s controversial embedded-ball situation casting a cloud over the event, Shy faced an unenviable decision.
He could do the safe thing: begin the broadcast as CBS always does — with some music and a quick recap of the contenders’ rounds-in-progress, then return to Reed when the time was right.
Or he could do the right thing. His team could address a highly controversial situation involving the tournament leader at the onset of the show. His commentators could conduct an earnest, honest conversation about one of golf’s most sacred tenets. They could inform their audience, educate them and, frankly, illustrate the CBS golf team’s independence.
So, for 11 minutes — an eternity in broadcast television — Shy did the right thing. One by one, his squad did the rest.
“When it comes to Patrick, his talent and desire to be great as a player is widely recognized,” Jim Nantz said. “But there’s so much history involving him and the rules of golf.”
“Comparing these two examples, we’re talking about reputation,” added Nick Faldo, Nantz’s sidekick. “Rory has just been voted on the player policy board and, of course, Patrick had the bunker incident. As professionals, I know I have never and I have never seen another player — if it’s plugged, we go, hey, come and have a look at this. That for us is what caused the gray area.”
“The rule is correct but it’s because of that questionable intent that we’re going through this process now,” Ian Baker-Finch said.
“If there’s a problem, a gray area, just leave everything alone and then let the rules official determine,” Frank Nobilo said. “If that had happened, not only would it be a free drop but he would have got off scot-free.”
