Jim Furyk relishes new role as Golf Channel analyst for The Players
Jim Furyk was a giant believer as a participant upfront scouting the week of a PGA Tour occasion.
Nothing’s modified now what he is watching and analyzing photographs as an alternative of hitting them.
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The 17-time PGA Tour winner and Jacksonville resident is in his second week of serving an analyst for Golf Channel’s protection of a Florida Swing occasion. I debuted final week on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and is working once more with anchor Terry Gannon for the early spherical protection of The Players Championship from 1-7 pm
Jim Furyk of Jacksonville (left) is engaged on Golf Channel broadcasts of The Players Championship this week with anchor Terry Gannon (proper).
Golf Channel’s eight hours are greater than the same old Thursday-Friday Tour protection so Furyk will make up for the 2 hours he misplaced on the air final week at Bay Hill due to a climate suspension. As common, he is tackling the chance with the identical depth he had as a participant.
He stated he has a newfound appreciation for profession broadcasters such as Gannon and NBC producer Tommy Roy.
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“They’re extremely talented,” Furyk stated earlier within the week from the NBC compound close to the 17th hole of the Players Stadium Course. “I always knew it was a difficult job but they make it look very, very easy. Terry, with all the moving parts of the show and the reads and stuff coming in… I was just very grateful to start doing this with him, as good as he is, and Steve Sands and Curt Byrum… what they do is quite incredible. It’s hard to explain until you’re in there. There’s a lot of moving parts, a lot going on in their ear and they’re smooth as silk, painting a great story.”
Other First Coast execs have given TV a attempt
Furyk is the most recent in a line of Tour gamers with First Coast and Golden Isles ties to offer broadcasting a attempt. David Duval had a gig with Golf Channel till he started taking part in PGA Tour Champions full-time. Davis Love III labored with CBS for a quick time. Mark McCumber and Rocco Mediate have additionally had their turns, and McCumber nonetheless works for PGA Tour Radio on Sirius.
Jacksonville native David Duval (proper) labored as an analyst for Golf Channel till he started taking part in full-time on the PGA Tour Champions.
Furyk believes that his perspective as a participant ― particularly one who had 23 begins and 5 high 10s in The Players Championship ― offers him one thing to supply TV viewers.
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“Guys like [NBC anchor] Dan Hicks and Terry set up the scene, and I see the shots and react,” Furyk stated. “I’m supposed to tell the viewer what’s happening and why. How can I give them knowledge about the golf course, about the shot that’s been hit. I think a golf professional who played competitively can do that. You just have to get comfortable with the camera and how everything works in the studio.”
Furyk stepping up his pre-tournament prep
Furyk is taking it significantly. He’s been strolling the Stadium Course, observing the place the pin positions might be, how agency or mushy areas of the golf course are and any delicate adjustments.
Furyk stated he is stepping up his preparation this week as a result of he stated the analysis and time he spent at Bay Hill wasn’t sufficient.
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“When I was a rookie on Tour, I prepared for tournaments in a certain way,” he stated. “And then I realized very quickly that there were veteran players who did that better than I did, and so I would play golf with them, play practice rounds, see how they prepared, and ask questions. I learned in 10 minutes the first day on camera [at Bay Hill] that I needed to prepare a little differently. Last week went really positive, but surely I have a lot to learn, and I want to keep improving and keep getting better. It’s just my nature, very competitive.”
Jim Furyk had 23 begins and 5 top-10s at The Players Championship.
Furyk stated he mentioned some constructive criticism after the primary spherical at Bay Hill with Roy and Gannon. For probably the most half, they confused extra eye contact with the host or digicam.
Furyk stated there have been different areas the place he acquired some steerage that had been delicate, however would make him higher.
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“There’s always going to be a little tidbits,” he stated. “I probably stepped on the on-course reporter a couple of times. The viewer wouldn’t know that. But the team knows that when it might not have been my turn to speak and it took me a second or two to realize it was my turn to speak when I wasn’t. But just learning those little cadence things… it’s not something I could have practiced for. That’s something you pick up on the fly.”
Furyk does not see himself as a Johnny Miller
Furyk stated he and Golf Channel will speak after The Players to see in the event that they wish to proceed the connection however he stated if broadcasting turns right into a second profession, the one factor he won’t be as an analyst is excessive with criticism, such as Johnny Miller.
“I thought when I played… I didn’t mind anyone saying it was a bad shot,” he stated. “I’m never going to question what someone’s got inside them. That’s off-limits, in my opinion. I don’t find myself backing off. It’s really to react to what I’m seeing, try to explain to the viewer why.”
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Furyk’s tackle 2026 Players
Furyk stated this week’s Players comes right down to who offers greatest with architect Pete Dye’s purpose of constructing it extra of a psychological check than bodily.
“Pete wants them to feel uncomfortable,” Furyk stated. “He wants them to be aggressive. You have to attack the golf course. Now, if you’re not playing well, it’s going to bite you. But if you want to win this tournament, you’re going to have to attack the golf course in certain areas and off the tee surely.”
Furyk stated he is amused on the notion that world No. 1 and two-time Players champion Scottie Scheffler is in a hunch.
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“It’s nuts,” Furyk stated. “I was thinking about it after the third round last week. He had a bad front nine, didn’t play very well, missed some greens, missed a bunch of putts. It didn’t look good. He was visibly frustrated. And then we went off the air, and I went home and I watched it on NBC, and he comes out, he birdies five of the next six and does Scottie-like things. We expect so much out of him, almost to be superhuman. That’s the way we talk about it him. We were expecting that from Tiger and that usually tends to weigh down on you. But every great player expects more out of themselves than we expect of them.”
Furyk stated he is not writing off his PGA Tour Champions profession however accidents have curtailed his schedule prior to now two years. He made one begin this season, in Hawaii, and it is unsure when he’ll play subsequent.
He will proceed his duties as host of the Constellation Furyk & Friends event, which moves to Ocean Hammock in Palm Coast in October.
This article initially appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jim Furyk embraces new role as Golf Channel analyst for The Players
