USA TODAY International Edition
Azinger calls Tiger golf’s biggest character
NBC/Golf Channel’s new voice replaces Miller Paul Azinger is cackling again at the other end of the line. The 1993 PGA Championship winner with a giant personality has always enjoyed a good laugh, always been able to chuckle at himself. He’s always been quick with the needle, too, and always sees the glass as half full. A cancer survivor for 25 years, he continues to be a 58-year-old kid at heart. And right now, he’s downright giddy. “How good is golf going to be? How good is life right now with Tiger Woods in the mix?” Azinger said as he erupted in a long burst of joy, knowing he’s back in the vortex that is Tiger Woods. NBC Sports Network announced Monday that Azinger will replace Johnny Miller as the main voice in golf for NBC and Golf Channel, a contract calling for him to call 14 tournaments a year. Miller is a giant act to follow, Azinger will tell you, an outspoken analyst who took shots while he called shots, a voice who built legions of supporters and detractors. But just as when he faced Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Greg Norman, Woods and all others in years gone by, Azinger won’t shy from the challenge. “I’m not going to try and fill Johnny’s shoes. I’m just going to be myself, like Johnny was himself,” Azinger told USA TODAY. “Johnny was the first announcer to boo a bad shot except he never booed. That was who he is and that was so great about him. For me, I’ve done it for a long time, I’m comfortable, and I’m just going to be myself the best I can. “I’m just going to be myself, like Johnny was himself.” It’s worked so far, his outgoing nature, sense of humor and ability to analyze the golf swing and situations in a way one can understand have played well over the air. Azinger, who won 12 titles on the PGA Tour and captained the U.S. to victory in the 2008 Ryder Cup, was the lead analyst for ESPN and ABC Sports from 2005 to 2015, initially sharing duties alongside Faldo. Azinger joined Fox Sports as the lead analyst in 2016 and will remain in that capacity for the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open. “I’m still really enthusiastic about golf, just not as a competitor,” Azinger said. “My competitive juices went away at some point. But I still enjoy the game. I still know what it feels like to win and I know what it feels like to lose. I respect what it takes to be out there. “I want to take all that has been made complicated about the game of golf and try and make it simple and I want to do it on the air in the fewest words. I don’t want to tell the viewer what they just saw. I want the picture to be descriptive, and I’ll be informative.” Azinger said there will be a lot of good pictures to see, ticking off the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler as stars to watch. And one Tiger Woods. Azinger can’t wait to see what Woods has in store for the golf world in 2019 after his remarkable comeback this year that included victory in the Tour Championship, his first title since 2013. Azinger has had a long history with Woods. He played with him in the second round of Woods’ historic win in the 1997 Masters, signing for a 73 while Woods “shot a carefree 66.” Azinger was in the final group with Woods in the 2001 Memorial “when he shot 66 like he was falling off a log and won by seven. I was second with Sergio Garcia.” He partnered with Woods in the first match of the 2002 Ryder Cup, a 1-up loss to Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn. And he called most every shot Woods took en route to winning the 2006 British Open. Azinger watched a lot of Woods’ play this year. “I’m like everybody else who loves golf. I’m looking forward to seeing Tiger on the leaderboard again,” Azinger said. “And I’m looking forward to seeing all the players that said they wanted some of Tiger, we’ll see how they deal with it. “Tiger is a different entity all together. If he’s confident, and he has those black pants on and the shirt the color of blood, it’s a be-careful-what-you-wishfor moment. And we’ll see how the great players of today handle it. This generation of players is fearless. But I think great players go into character, and nobody goes into character better than Tiger Woods. When those spikes hit the parking lot, he’s a full-blown character right there, and it’s something to see.” And call.