Watching Golf – European Style
I was watching the final round replay of the 2006 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the Golf Channel, and while I’ve watched European tournaments before, something just clicked today when I was watching and I really enjoyed their presentation of broadcasting golf tournaments.
Renton Laidlaw is the play-by-play announcer and Warren Humphreys is the analyst, and from my observations, they’re the perfect couple. One thing to note however, is that the Europeans have a completely different (almost 180 degrees out) style than their American broadcasting counterparts. It used to bug me when watching the EPGA (European PGA) tournaments because they didn’t seem to do much broadcasting or analyzing of the golf that was being played.
However, it became very clear that they only say something when the action on the golf course dictates that something should be said. What a country! There were many times during the broadcast when all you hear is the background noises of birds, or trains, or airplanes, as the camera follows the golfers on each hole. It’s actually quite calming in fact, to be able to watch without having to anticipate what the talking heads are going to say.
I hope they don’t feel the pressure to “be like the American broadcasts” because what they offer is already an excellent choice.