PGA Tour Professional Kevin Kisner Apologizes for Criticizing CBS Coverage
PGA Tour professional Kevin Kisner has made a surprising shift in his stance after facing backlash for his harsh criticism of CBS’s Masters coverage. Known as the lead voice of golf for NBC, Kisner initially took to the airwaves to express his frustration with the network’s broadcast delays during the tournament.
Kisner criticized CBS for being “way behind the action” by up to seven to 10 minutes in some cases. His remarks were met with a wave of public backlash, prompting him to backtrack and issue an apology. In a recent appearance on the Fore Play podcast, he acknowledged that he had crossed a line by publicly criticizing the production team.
“It is what it is, man, and I just have to apologize to the golf team at CBS,” Kisner said. “I crossed the line probably too much by talking about that whole content. And I know, from my short time in the business, how wild production is.”
He went on to explain that producing live television is an incredibly complex task, and everyone involved does their best. “NBC screws up all the time – we’re just trying to do our best. I went too far in being critical of them.”
Kisner also highlighted the efforts of CBS in promoting the game of golf. “Everyone’s trying to do their best, and I was too critical,” he added.
LeslieAnne Wade, former CBS Sports PR boss, tweeted about Kisner’s initial comments, suggesting that the golf television industry is a tight-knit community. She noted that this is not how the game is traditionally played or won. “Watching the back 9 closely on this…” she wrote.
Kisner admitted that he was juggling multiple roles as a broadcast analyst, part-time podcaster, and part-time player. “I feel like I am wearing so many hats… I am going to screw up. I probably shouldn’t have gone down that road at all.”
He reflected on the challenge of balancing his various responsibilities. “I could have just stepped out and said, ‘I was involved in the tournament, I don’t really need to have an opinion on it.’ Then we sit here all the time and I do have an opinion and I want to tell my opinions, so it’s an interesting line to walk.”
Kisner noted that he anticipated potential pushback from others once he returned to the NBC show. “I am sure we’re going to have people coming after us once I get on the NBC show now. I can handle it, it’s all good.”
He emphasized that his intention was never to hurt anyone. “I am not trying to hurt somebody when I have that opinion, that’s the craziest thing in the world. I was just frustrated as others and let it all come out.”
Kisner was working at Augusta National last week on behalf of SiriusXM Radio as Rory McIlroy clinched his second green jacket. He shared his experiences on Barstool’s Fore Play podcast, where he expressed his frustration with CBS’s coverage.
“They were literally showing s*** that I knew happened 10 minutes ago all day long,” Kisner said. “What are we doing? You have no commercials. Play live shots.”
Kisner also mentioned that the NBC production team prides itself on showing every shot possible live. “And when we don’t, we have to say, ‘a moment ago,’ because we are trying to make the whole movie make sense.”
Fan Frustrations Over CBS Coverage
Kisner wasn’t alone in his fury at CBS’s coverage. Fans watching at home found the experience marred by a series of broadcast errors. The network repeatedly lost sight of the ball during the most critical moments of Sunday afternoon.
Social media erupted as the production team failed to show the flight or landing spots of key balls as the battle for the green jacket reached its climax. One of the most glaring errors occurred on the final hole of the tournament, where the broadcast lost sight of McIlroy’s shot after he sent his drive into the right-side trees.
For over a minute, viewers were left in the dark about whether the reigning champion was facing a disastrous penalty or a manageable recovery on the 18th hole. Even when the ball was eventually located in a greenside bunker, the commentators seemed unsure if it belonged to McIlroy or his playing partner, Cameron Young.
The technical blunders didn’t stop there, as the network also managed to miss the visual of McIlroy’s final winning putt dropping into the cup. Due to a poorly chosen camera angle, the Northern Irishman’s own legs blocked the view of the ball entering the hole.
Critics labeled the coverage as the worst in recent memory, with some fans questioning if the camera crews were “in training” during the prestigious event. Beyond the 18th hole, viewers complained about long stretches where notable players were entirely absent from the screen, only for the broadcast to cut to random putts with no context.
