Colourful and controversial ..but a round with Alliss was always pure gold
VOICE of Golf Peter Alliss always had a twinkle in his eye and a colourful – often controversial – phrase on the tip of his tongue.
From playing in eight Ryder Cups to teaching James Bond to play golf, he had many tales to tell to brighten up a dull afternoon’s play... or gently lull you to sleep.
And his passing at the age of 89 sees another great broadcaster from the golden – and different – age of BBC sport leave our screens for a final time.
Alliss was a fine player who won 31 tournaments and was invited to join the commentary team at the 1961 Open after a BBC employee overheard him tell stories during a plane trip back from Ireland.
His ensuing fame saw him invited to teach 007 Sean Connery to play golf for the Bond film Goldfinger in 1964.
He later hosted seven series of Around with Alliss, playing golf and chatting with the famous.
Alliss quit golf in 1969 to become a full-time commentator after suffering from the yips – and showed his selfmocking sense of humour by buying the number plate PUT 3 for his Bentley.
His mellifluous TV commentary combined his knowledge of the game with this affability and playfulness and complete absence of stats.
He also appreciated that silence can sometimes be golden.
Not everyone was a fan. There were calls for Alliss, then 73, to be pensioned off way back after the 2004 Masters when he incorrectly called a play-off as Phil Mickelson’s winning putt dropped.
And again after the 2015 Open at St Andrews when the camera focused on winner Zach Johnson’s wife Kim and he said: “She is probably thinking, ‘If this goes in, I get a new kitchen.’”
Alliss was from a different age and for many he personified a sport which did not permit female members of the R&A and Augusta National ational until into the 21st century.
In 2016, he told women men wanting to join Muirfield to marry ry a member.
But even if you did not agree with his views – and I often ten didn’t – he didn’t shy away from them.
And I found it difficult to dislike the man.
At the 2008 BMW
PGA at Wentworth, ,
Nick Dougherty – now w a Sky Sports analyst – branded Alliss’ stark criticism of his third round 77 “disgusting”. Along with the man from The Times, I went to the BBC trailer to get the doyen’s reaction. Alliss ( below) later recounted our visit where he denounced Dougherty as “thin-skinned” thin-skinned” in his book, Golf – The Cure for a Grumpy Ol Old
Man’. There was always an anecdote just a wedge away from Peter Alliss.
Shielding from home, his final commentary came last month in a BBC highlights programme as Dustin Johnson won the Covid-delayed Masters.
Next summer would have been the 60th anniversary of his first Open coverage in 1961 and he hoped to finally hang up his microphone after the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022.
Instead, Alliss joins a list of late greats including David Coleman, Sid Waddell, Harry Carpenter, Bill McLaren, Sir Peter O’Sullevan and
Peter Bromley. Only Murray Walker, still working in Formula One at the age of 97, now remains.
Actor John Cleese wrote on Twitter: “Sad to hear of Peter Alliss’ death. The most sane and comforting voice I ever heard. I always thought that I could cope with the end of the world if only Peter was commentating on it.”