Pro’s interview gesture earns ‘mad respect’ from golf fans, CBS

Whenever the history of CBS Golf’s “walk-and-talk” segments is written, Jimmy Walker’s interview on Saturday at the RBC Heritage probably won’t earn a mention.

But maybe it ought to.

Nothing about the former major champ’s interview appearance with CBS on Saturday in Hilton Head came across as revelatory to those watching from home. He came on-screen on the par-4 16th hole, offered perfunctory chatter for a few minutes with Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman, and then was gone. But for those who’d watched the previous hour of the tournament’s coverage, Walker’s decision to appear in the interview at all earned major brownie points.

First some background: Walker wound up in Hilton Head mostly by accident. He’s playing the PGA Tour season on a special exemption for being among the top 50 earners in Tour history. Walker is No. 50 on that list — and in actuality, he’s No. 59 — but the departure of nine LIV professionals ranked above him gave him a surprise chance to hack his way back to full Tour status.

Walker had been playing well at the RBC when CBS approached him to be part of their walk-and-talk interview — well enough to snag a spot in Saturday’s final pairing — so he said yes, and agreed to chat during his walk from the 16th tee box to the fairway.

But then, as Walker made the turn for home on Saturday, the wheels started to come off. First came an ugly three-putt bogey on the 11th to squander the lead to a suddenly charging Matt Fitzpatrick. Then came a strange bogey on No. 14 after his tee shot bounced off the railroad ties next to the putting surface and back to dry land. The final straw appeared to come on the 15th, when he dumped a 3-iron off the trees and into the water, setting off an ugly bogey on one of the course’s few true birdie holes.

By the time he finally reached the tee box on the 16th, Walker had made bogey on three of his last five holes and watched his name drop precipitously down the leaderboard in the process. Nobody would blame him if he decided to turn down the CBS interview at the last second, instead focusing on getting his round back in form. But he didn’t do that. After plunking another wayward tee shot, Walker put CBS’s earbuds on and joined the conversation with Nantz and Immelman.

“Jimmy, the whole crew really appreciates you coming on with us here,” Nantz started, but before he could say much more, Walker was engaged in conversation about his tee shot, which seemed to be in trouble.

“Looking up at these guys, I hope I’m not … in the bushes,” he said with a laugh.

“I think driver’s too much [on this hole]. It brings right into play, and so yeah, that’s why I didn’t go for it,” he said again, looking down at his ball resting in a devilish lie in the bushes. “Now I’m kinda wishing I did.”

Walker, Nantz and Immelman talked for a few minutes about his round, his week, and his hopes for what still lay ahead (“I’d love to make some more birdies,” he said.) The conversation was not scintillating, but it was deeply revealing into the headspace of a contender in the midst of a chaotic stretch.

Eventually Walker returned the headphones and went back to his round, making a nifty par on the 16th and closing the day in a tie for fourth at 11 under. But his decision to join the booth was not lost on those at home who’d watched him struggle his way through the previous five holes.

It’s easy to forget sometimes that when it comes to golf TV, most players are incentivized to say no. But that’s part of what makes it so important that a chorus of players have continued to say yes to CBS’s walk-and-talk idea, which offers a perspective into the sport’s most important faces and voices that most fans have never had before.

It didn’t take long in the aftermath of Walker’s interview for the well-wishers to credit Walker for his effort. And, a few hours after that, another voice joined the chorus: CBS Sports analyst Trevor Immelman.

“Kudos to him for doing it,” Immelman tweeted. “Golf is a hard sport and he let us under the hood when things weren’t going his way. Mad respect from me. Hope he plays well tomorrow.”

That makes two of us.