It’s a theme that has become all too common in sports journalism: cutting back on in-person coverage. We know the reason. Outlets are looking for any way to save a few bucks, and sending reporters on location can be expensive.
Just recently, TNT was ridiculed for opting not to send announcers to select first round NHL playoff games, citing the difficulties of traveling to Canada and their crews being spread thin with concurrent NBA playoff coverage. But we all know, the real reason was saving money.
But TNT is far from the only outlet guilty of these decisions. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote broadcasts have become increasingly commonplace as a way to reduce production costs. And while these broadcasts are sometimes comparable to an on-site production, there is a definite loss of quality due to the absence of an in-person presence.
There’s a reason why the most important sporting events don’t have announcers calling games off of monitors, and sideline reporters who are physically feet away from the athletes on the field. You can simply convey more of the story when you’re there, in the action.
That’s why it’s commendable when a network decides to invest in on-site coverage, even when it doesn’t have to. Golf Channel is doing just that.
Monday is Golf’s Longest Day. For the uninitiated, that’s the colloquial name for the final round of U.S. Open qualifying, where 36-hole events are contested across 10 different qualifying sites all across North America. And this year, just as it has done the past seven years, Golf Channel has an on-site presence at every single one.
It’s a remarkable feat for a niche sport on a niche network. Ten different reporters. Ten different crews. Over 100 individuals spanning from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Walla Walla, Washington, all covering a qualifying event in which very few household names are even competing. It’s the type of coverage that makes golf diehards giddy, but doesn’t even register for the vast majority of sports fans.
And that’s why it should be celebrated. Golf Channel has no obligation to pour as many resources into Golf’s Longest Day as it does, but doing so gives the sport’s biggest fans the coverage they deserve.
“If you’re a golf fan, Golf’s Longest Day needs to be circled on your calendar, and we treat the day as such with comprehensive programming and production resources to bring it to viewers around the country on Golf Channel,” Tom Knapp, EVP of Golf Channel, told Awful Announcing.
This isn’t just some hour-long special either. This is 10 hours of live coverage, first from noon to 2 p.m. ET, then from 4 p.m. to midnight ET, covering every single U.S. Open qualifier all the way until its conclusion. That means live golf shots, interviews, and updated leaderboards from ten different sites, all for players the average golf fan has probably never heard of.
To say that this type of undertaking is uncommon in 2025 is an understatement.
And it’s not like Golf’s Longest Day comes at a very convenient time for Golf Channel. Less than 24 hours before its coverage began on Monday, Golf Channel wrapped up extensive coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open in Wisconsin. That means much of the network’s workforce went from producing a major championship to producing a 10-hour live show across ten different qualification sites overnight. Not to mention, the actual U.S. Open is only a week away.
No doubt, Titleist, which is the presenting sponsor for Golf’s Longest Day, likely makes the financial burden a bit more bearable for Golf Channel. But can we appreciate just how insane this is? Over 100 people deployed from sea to shining sea, all covering a sporting event that probably won’t even get a mention on SportsCenter. That’s wild!
No longer should sports fans accept when television networks, newspapers, or digital outlets refuse to send journalists to cover an event in person. If Golf Channel can afford to do this, TNT should be more than happy to send some announcers to Winnipeg for a playoff game.
Who knows whether Golf Channel’s investment in Monday’s coverage pays off on the balance sheet, but one thing is certain: the network’s investment earns itself an immense amount of goodwill among the sport’s most fervent fans. And other outlets should take notes, this is how you properly cover a sport without cutting corners.
Bravo, Golf Channel.