Caddy Talk On TV???

Interesting to note that NBC has quickly jumped on the possibility of putting a microphone on some of the caddies to give viewers a greater appreciation of the kinds of discussions that take place between the golfer and his wingman.

Phil Mickelson The Inspiration For Something Other Than Mild Irritation

This comes as a result of the discussions that were overheard taking place between Phil Mickelson and his caddy Jim “Bones” Mackay at Doral last weekend. Two instances in particular were of great interest. The first was a talk about the risks of Mickelson turning the club over and playing right handed on 12. The other was their discussion on club selection at the 18th.

NBC has decided to do a bit of a test run at the Shell Open in Houston and will be looking at the logistics of the idea – in particular audio levels and broadcast worthiness of the discussions (offensive language could be a problem).

Golf Taking The Lead From Women’s Tennis

The women’s tennis tour has made a similar innovation this year on tour events outside the majors. They have allowed players the option of calling their coach to the sideline between games once a set. The proviso is that the coach is miked up and their conversation can be heard on TV.

I saw this in action earlier this year in Australia and it definitely gave the audience a good insight into how the players were handling pressure moments throughout their match, what tactics they were using, what it was about their opponents they were targeting etc.

The Pro’s And The Con’s

I think the idea has potential, and having worked as a caddy myself am always interested in the different approaches taken by the men on the bag. Each player-caddy relationship is different and this would be a great way for the public to get an idea of how that all works.

On the other hand I know from discussions with friends that there is a kind of mystique about this part of professional golf and in the pro sports era there are not many parts of any sport that aren’t well covered in the broadcasting and analysis. It would be a shame to lose that. And in the end it’s not going to be something that makes networks a pile of money in the long run.

What do you think? Post a comment and let us all know.

CC