In addition to notching seven wins on the PGA Tour over the course of three decades, Peter Jacobsen also became a mainstay in the world of golf broadcasting.
Remarkably, Jacobsen was one of the rare players who actually forged his TV career while still in the midst of his competitive heydey.
How did he do it? Jacobsen sat down with GOLF’s Subpar cohosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz at last week’s American Century Championship to tell the story.
“I had no idea I would ever get into TV,” Jacobsen said. “I had no thought about doing it.”
Turns out, TV executives had. Jacobsen said he got a call when he was still a young pro in his mid-twenties from NBC’s Don Ohlmeyer, who asked Jacobsen if he would be interested in participating in the network’s coverage of the Skins Game over Thanksgiving.
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“I said, ‘Sure!’ I’ve never passed up an opportunity like that,” Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen had no idea what he was doing, but went to Palm Springs, Calif., and ended up working alongside legendary broadcaster Vin Scully and Ohlmeyer.
“I just sat still, kept my ears open, listened and I learned,” Jacobsen said. “That was how I got into it, and I never looked back.”
Jacobsen maintained a successful competitive career while also broadcasting on the side, winning his final PGA Tour tournament in 2003, as well as the Senior Open in 2004 and the Senior Players Championship in 2005.
“Being able to be involved in the game from the other side while I was still playing was just a joy, and an opportunity to really learn both sides of the game,” he said.
Jacobsen, 69, competed on the PGA Tour Champions as recently as 2021, and continues to work as an analyst on Golf Channel’s coverage of PGA Tour events.
To listen to more interviews from Subpar’s visit to the American Century Championship, check out the full episode below.
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