Mike Tirico joining NBC meant he had to give up his annual work at the Masters, which obviously airs across ESPN and CBS.
That was likely one of the tougher posts for Tirico to give up, and it was also a loss for viewers (though Scott Van Pelt is certainly excellent in the role there as well.) Now, though, Tirico is headed back to Augusta National, though he’ll be calling the action through an entirely different medium.
SiriusXM announced today that Tirico will be their lead play-by-play voice for the Masters, which this spring runs from April 7th through the 10th. (Andrew Marchand had the scoop first.) In addition to Tirico, ESPN analyst Curtis Strange will join the radio call for the weekend coverage, a nice little reunion for the former ESPN golf booth.
Steve Melnyk and Suzy Whaley were also announced as an analyst and on-course reporter, respectively.
From the release:
Mike Tirico will be the lead play-by-play voice. World Golf Hall of Fame member Curtis Strange and Steve Melnyk, who combined have competed in more than two dozen Masters Tournaments, will be the analysts. Melnyk will be the lead analyst for the Thursday and Friday rounds. Strange will be the lead analyst for the Saturday and Sunday rounds. Suzy Whaley, a trailblazer in her career as a player, golf executive and instructor, joins the SiriusXM team and will serve as an on-course reporter. Whaley will also be the analyst for SiriusXM’s live coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Saturday, April 2.
Tirico sounds as excited as you’d expect to return to one of the biggest events in the sport:
“Over the last 25 years I have been fortunate to cover so many unforgettable Masters moments,” said Tirico. “I am thrilled to reconnect with Curtis, Steve and the great team that has been assembled for the SiriusXM broadcast. It is always great to be at Augusta National and an honor to be a part of the Masters broadcast.”
Tirico’s ability to call multiple sports on television and radio is nearly unmatched, and he should have no problems adjusting his golf calls accordingly. It’s a very strong addition for SiriusXM, too; it’s hard to imagine adding a name with more gravitas to the position. Crucially, the Masters is one of the few weeks per year where more casual fans might actually feel compelled to seek out radio coverage if they’re driving during the action.
[SiriusXM]
About Jay Rigdon
Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.