PGA Tour on CBS
Also known as	Golf on CBS
Genre	American golf telecasts
Presented by	Various commentators
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	70
Production
Production location	Various tournament sites
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	180 minutes or until tournament ends
Production company	CBS Sports
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	April 7, 1956 (1956-04-07) – present

PGA Tour on CBS (orGolf on CBS) is the branding used for broadcasts of thePGA Tour that are produced byCBS Sports, the sports division of theCBS television network in theUnited States.

CBS Sports has been a carrier of PGA Tour golf since 1970.^[1] CBS was the Tour's primary television partner from 1970 to 1998, carrying 20 and more events per season. CBS shared duties as primary Tour carrier withABC Sports from 1999 to 2006, covering around 15 events per season. CBS regained its primary status in 2007, once again covering 20 or more events per season, and has remained so ever since.^[2] CBS also holds broadcast television rights to two of the fourmajors, theMasters Tournament andPGA Championship.^[3] CBS has long-term deals for the PGA Championship^[4] (initially from1958 to1964^[5] and again starting in1991). Meanwhile, the Masters operates under one-year contracts; CBS has been the main television partner every year since1956.^[6]

Frank Chirkinian was known as the 'father of televised golf' for the impact he had on golf broadcasting. He came to the attention ofCBS after he impressed with his direction of the1958 PGA Championship. Recruited by the network, who had no one with expertise in the relatively new field of golf broadcasting, he went on to be executive producer of CBS's golf coverage from 1959 to 1996.^[7][8] During his time at CBS, he was nicknamed "The Ayatollah" for his brusque, uncompromising approach to directing broadcasts.^[9] Chirkinian was particularly well regarded for the coverage of the Masters Tournament that he oversaw for four decades, working closely with the management ofAugusta National to ensure they were satisfied.^[10] Following his retirement, he remained a consultant to CBS for golf coverage.

Chirkinian was responsible for a number of innovations in the television presentation of golf. He ensured as manymicrophones as possible were placed around the golf course to pick up the sounds of the tournament and golfers' conversations, rather than having commentators talk over silent footage. He showed as many golf shots as possible, cutting quickly from player to player to keep up the pace of the broadcast, unafraid of focusing on the game's stars. The use of multiple cameras was introduced during Chirkinian's tenure, including high-angle cameras mounted in trees and onblimps for the first time. Chirkinian said that he was most proud of being the first to display golfers' scores relative to par, rather than cumulatively, making it simpler to work out how they were faring relative to the rest of the field. Most of all, Chirkinian thought it important to allow coverage to focus on golfers and the shots they made, and was critical of recent innovations in golf broadcasting that he saw as distracting and unnecessary.

Since 2004, all of CBS's golf broadcasts^[11] outside of the Masters have featured superslow motion video of golfers' shots from a super slow motion camera used for swing analysis byPeter Kostis.^[12] The camera was known as "CBS Swing Vision" during its first year; it gained sponsorship fromKonica Minolta the next season, an arrangement that has lasted over a decade. The feature was known as the "Konica Minolta SwingVision camera" in 2005, the "Bizhub SwingVision camera" from 2006 to 2008, and the "Konica Minolta Bizhub SwingVision camera" since 2009. The camera is actually provided by Tech Imaging Services,^[13] not Konica Minolta, which merely sponsors the feature to promote its Bizhub line of printers (Konica Minolta was previously well known as a still-image camera manufacturer but sold that product line toSony in 2006).^[14] The cameras are present and used at the Masters, however they are not branded or sponsored.

In 2021, CBS adopted several new features in its golf broadcasts, including adding arules analyst to its broadcast team, and adopting a persistent leaderboard displayed in the bottom-right of the screen (a feature introduced byFox during itsU.S. Open telecasts).^[15] In the 2023 season, CBS began to experiment with technology that can predict where a ball will land while in-flight, and live in-game interviews with players (particularlyMax Homa during a hole at theFarmers Insurance Open).^[16][17][18]

CBS has televised theMasters Tournament in the United States every year since1956,^[19][20] when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes. Because of resistance from the tournament organizers, 18 hole coverage did not begin until 2002 (coverage generally joining with the final group on the fifth or sixth hole all four days), but by2006, over 50 cameras were used.USA Network added first- and second-round coverage in1982, which was also produced by the CBS production team.

The previously independent USA Sports became part ofNBC Sports throughNBC Universal in 2004, meaning the cable and network coverage of the Masters was split between rival companies. However, the broadcast continued to largely be produced in association with CBS Sports — an arrangement that continued with the move of its rights toESPN in 2008.

In2005, CBS broadcast the tournament withhigh-definition fixed and handheld wired cameras, as well asstandard-definition wireless handheld cameras. In2007, CBS added "Masters Extra," an hour's extra full-field bonus coverage daily on the internet, preceding the television broadcasts. In2008, CBS added full coverage of holes 15 and 16 live on the web.

WhileAugusta National Golf Club has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so on successive one-year contracts.^[21] Due to the lack of long-term contractual security, as well as the club's limited dependence on broadcast rights fees (owing to its affluent membership), it is widely held that CBS allows Augusta National greater control over the content of the broadcast, or at least perform some form ofself-censorship, in order to maintain future rights. The club, however, has insisted it does not make any demands with respect to the content of the broadcast.^[22][23]

There are some controversial aspects to this relationship. Announcers refer to the gallery as "patrons" rather than spectators or fans ("gallery" itself is also used), and use the term "second cut" instead of "rough" (however, the second cut is normally substantially shorter than comparable "primary rough" at other courses).^[22] Announcers who have been deemed not to have acted with the decorum expected by the club have been removed, notablyJack Whitaker^[24] and analystGary McCord.^[22] Whitaker referred to the gallery at the end of the 18-hole Monday playoff in1966 as a "mob" and missed five years (1967–1971);^[24] McCord last worked on the Masters telecast in1994, being banned that summer after using the terms "bikini wax" and "body bags" in his descriptions.^[25] There also tends to be a lack of discussion of any controversy involving Augusta National, such as the2003Martha Burk protests.^[23] However, there have not been many other major issues in recent years.

Twice, CBS colleagues who had left the network after doing their final NFL games formally signed off at the Masters. In 1982, afterVin Scully announced he would leave CBS after calling his final NFL game (theNFC Championship Game between theSan Francisco 49ers andDallas Cowboys) to eventually join NBC, he stayed to conclude his CBS career in1982. In1994, after CBS had lost the rights to theNational Football Conference toFox (wherePat Summerall and his broadcasting colleague,John Madden would soon move over to) prior to the1994 NFL season. Summerall stayed at CBS to make the 1994 Masters his final broadcast for CBS, where he was a mainstay for over 30 years.

Summerall signed off the broadcast thus, surrounded by the other CBS commentators that were working the tournament:

So, on behalf of our entire broadcast group, for the last time, I'm Pat Summerall saying[to the others] "So long"?[the other commentators speak all at once, wishing Pat well] Thanks, guys.[to the audience] I'll miss you.

AsAugusta National Golf Club has its own television contract with CBS, and is separate from the PGA Tour, the contract carries different regulations than other tournaments.

Commercial interruptions are restricted compared to most television programming. A typical hour of television in daytime or primetime carries 38 minutes of programming and 22 minutes of commercials; in contrast, Augusta limits the time allocated to commercials to four minutes per hour (as opposed to the usual 12 or more). This is subsidized by selling exclusive sponsorship packages to three companies.^[21] In the immediate aftermath of the Martha Burk controversy, there were no commercials during the 2003 and 2004 broadcasts,^[22] although international commercial broadcasters continued to insert their own commercials into the coverage.The Players Championship began imposing a similar rule in 2007 and theU.S. Open attempted to follow suit to a lesser extent in 2005, and has done so again with a new contract in2015. However, CBS' own coverage of thePGA Championship has been maligned in recent years for having excessive commercials.

The club also disallows promotions for other network programs, except an on-screen mention of60 Minutes should the final round run long, or right before the coverage ends.^[21] Other broadcast material not allowed include sponsored graphics used in regular PGA Tour events, blimps and on-course announcers.^[21] There is also typically no cut-in for other news and sports, either from CBS or its affiliates, unless it is urgent breaking news or severe weather coverage. CBS uses "Augusta" byDave Loggins as the event telecast's distinctive theme music.

Augusta National has placed significant restrictions on the tournament's broadcast hours compared to other major championships, perhaps to increase the tournament'sratings, or to reward ticket-holders. Only in the 21st century did the tournament allow CBS to air 18-hole coverage of the leaders, a standard at the other three majors.^[22] Only three hours of cable coverage is scheduled for the early rounds each day (CBS has a highlights package that airs in late night on Thursday and Fridays during the tournament). International broadcasters do not receive additional coverage, although they may take commercial breaks at different times from CBS orESPN. As noted before, an additional hour of coverage each day is streamed online.^[21]

^[26][27]

Annual coverage

• Farmers Insurance Open (1999–present)
• Waste Management Phoenix Open (1973–present)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (1979–present)
• Genesis Invitational (2007–present)
• The Masters (1956–present),Major championship
• RBC Heritage (1970–present)
• Zurich Classic of New Orleans (2003–2019, 2021–present)
• Wells Fargo Championship (2003–2019, 2021–present)
• AT&T Byron Nelson (1979–1987, 1999–2019, 2021-present)
• PGA Championship (1958–1964, 1991–present),Major championship
• Charles Schwab Challenge (1979–present)
• Rocket Mortgage Classic (2019–present)
• Memorial Tournament (1976–1987, 1999–present)
• RBC Canadian Open (1970–1987, 2007–19, 2022-present)
• Travelers Championship (1970–1981, 1984–99, 2003–2005, 2007–present)
• John Deere Classic (1999–2002, 2007–2019, 2021-present)
• 3M Open (2019–present)
• Wyndham Championship (1979–2002, 2007–present)
• Mexico Open (2022–present)
• Scottish Open (2022–present)

Tournaments alternated withNBC

During CBS Super Bowl and NBC Olympic years, a tournament on the affected network airs on the other network. NBC tournaments air on CBS during years of the Winter Olympic Closing Ceremony, and CBS tournaments air on NBC during years CBS has the Super Bowl. Furthermore, starting in the 2021-22 season, the two networks will alternate the PGA Tour Playoffs.

• CBS Tournaments airing on NBC because of Super Bowl
  • Phoenix Open:2007,2013,2016,2019,2021
  • Los Angeles Open:2010
• NBC Tournaments airing on CBS because of Winter Olympics
  • Honda Classic (2018)
  • WGC-Dell Match Play Championship (2010,2014)
• Alternating Between the Two Networks Annually Starting in 2022 (CBS will have them in odd-numbered years)
  • St. Jude Championship (1979–1998, 2007–2021, 2023-),Playoff event
  • BMW Championship (2023-),Playoff event
  • Tour Championship (2023-),Playoff event

LPGA

• Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (2021–present)
• Meijer LPGA Classic (2021, 2023–present)
• Dana Open (2016, 2023–present)

• QBE Shootout (1989–2006)
• Presidents Cup (1994,1996 and1998).
• Valero Texas Open (2016–2018)
• Quicken Loans National (2007–2015)
• AT&T Classic (2007–2008)
• Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (2003)
• The International (1986–2006)
• Buick Open (until 2006)
• Valspar Championship (2021)
• Palmetto Championship (2021)
• WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational (1976–2021),World Golf championship
• Workday Charity Open (2020)

CBS has covered nearly every event on the PGA Tour schedule at some point in time, being the Tour's main television partner since the early 1970s.

Champions Tour

• Senior Players Championship (2003–2006)
• Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (2007–2013)

LPGA Tour

• Kraft Nabisco Championship (2006–2010)
• LPGA Championship (1994–2005)
• Ginn Open (2006–2008)
• Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (2008)
• HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship (2005–2007)
• Cognizant Founders Cup (2022)
• ShopRite LPGA Classic (2022)
• CP Women's Open (2022)

CBS' PGA coverage has used several different pieces of music throughout its history. The current theme music was introduced in 2015 and was composed byHelmut Vonlichten. From 2003-2014, aYanni composition, "Fanfare," has been used as the theme for the broadcasts. Past theme music has included "Take It From The Top" byEarl Klugh (mid-1980s) and "St. Ives Theme" byLalo Schifrin (late 1970s to early 1980s). As with the Masters Tournament (see above), the PGA Championship uses its own distinct theme music, which has included "The Gift" by David Barrett (1991–2002) and "Burlingame" byE.S. Posthumus (2003–2014).^[28] CBS has also used "The Thrill of Victory" by E.S. Posthumus on its coverage of the Masters, along with several pieces by David Dachinger in a collection titled "Master Works".

In 2015, both the PGA Tour and PGA Championship coverage began using new theme music. The PGA Tour broadcasts began using "Tour of Champions" by Helmut Vonlichten as the theme music. The PGA Championship telecasts began using a separate Von Lichten composition, the name of which has not been revealed. TNT also uses a different version of the Von Lichten PGA Championship theme, composed by Trevor Rabin.

On Saturday, January 30, 2021, CBS debuted a new theme song ("Fairway to Greatness" by Helmut Vonlichten) for its coverage at Torrey Pines in San Diego, kicking of its 64th season of coverage.^[29]

• Official website
• Steady hands, radical change mark golf's 60 years with CBS

• CBS Sports
• CBS original programming
• Golf on television
• 1951 American television series debuts
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