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JOHNNY MILLER TO CALL FINAL BROADCAST ON SATURDAY AT WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN AFTER NEARLY 30 YEARS AS LEAD GOLF ANALYST

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NBC Sports to Celebrate Miller’s Three Decades with the Network through

Special Tributes and Reflections During Live Third Round Broadcast

 

ORLANDO, Fla., (Jan. 23, 2019) – Johnny Miller will call his final broadcast next Saturday (Feb. 2) during NBC Sports’ live third round coverage of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, following nearly 30 years spent as the network’s lead golf analyst. The broadcast will celebrate Miller’s three decades in the 18th tower through special tributes and reflections during third round coverage from the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.

 

“Johnny Miller has been a fixture in television for generations of golf fans, with his pointed, unfiltered approach and commitment to always calling it like he sees it for the viewer at home,” said Tommy Roy, lead golf producer, NBC Sports. “Sundays on the PGA TOUR are all about crowning a deserving champion, so we’ll offer our reflections and gratitude to Johnny during Saturday’s third round coverage, as we celebrate his revered broadcast career.”

 

For Miller – a World Golf Hall of Fame member – the event is a fitting one to mark his final broadcast, as a two-time winner of the tournament in 1974-’75, helping to earn him the “Desert Fox” nickname for his success on “desert-style” courses over the course of his playing career.

 

NBC Sports’ plans to celebrate Miller’s career during Saturday’s third round coverage will center around dedicated tributes, reflections and other elements, including:

  • Anecdotes from PGA TOUR players (past and present) offering perspective on Miller’s impact on the sport and how it’s covered on television.
  • Reflections on Miller from fellow sports broadcasters across the industry.
  • A “thanks for the memories”-style tribute from other NBCUniversal personalities.
  • A special acknowledgment from Dan Hicks, Miller’s broadcast partner since 2000, on the symbolism of the Waste Management Phoenix Open being the analyst’s final broadcast.
  • Retrospective elements from Miller’s broadcast career, including memorable sequences, occasional divisive moments, and other highlights over the past 29 years.

 

Next week will represent the 20th consecutive (and final) year of Miller and Hicks sitting alongside one another in the broadcast booth, a record for the longest-tenured 18th tower tandem in broadcast golf. NBC Sports Group will carry nearly 20 live hours of tournament coverage from the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 31-Feb. 3. During Sunday’s final round broadcast on NBC, the network’s new lead analyst Paul Azinger will join Hicks during the closing stretch of the event, before making his official debut at the WGC-Mexico Championship (Feb. 21-24), where he’ll call all four days of coverage.

 

Waste Management Phoenix Open Airtimes (Eastern):

Thursday, Jan. 31        3-7 p.m. (Live)           GOLF Channel

Friday, Feb. 1              3-7 p.m. (Live)           GOLF Channel

Saturday, Feb. 2          1-3 p.m. (Live)           GOLF Channel

3-6 p.m. (Live)           NBC

Sunday, Feb. 3            1-3 p.m. (Live)           GOLF Channel

3-6 p.m. (Live)           NBC

 

Miller was named lead analyst of NBC Sports’ golf broadcast team in 1990 and quickly made his mark as the game’s most candid commentator, calling some of golf’s most memorable shots for the past three decades. Garnering eight Emmy nominations for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst,” Miller’s insight and frank approach have earned him both critical praise and viewer appreciation, as well as the respect and occasional raised eyebrow from those competing inside the ropes.

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF MILLER’S GOLF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • Golf Career:
    • World Golf Hall of Fame, inducted 1998
    • 1973 U.S. Open: Miller shot a 63 in the final round at Oakmont Country Club to win. This was the lowest round to win a major championship until it was tied by Henrik Stenson at The Open in 2016.
    • 1976 Open Championship: Miller beat Seve Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus at Royal Birkdale en route to being named “Champion Golfer of the Year”
    • 25-time PGA TOUR winner
    • 1974 Player of the Year
    • U.S. Ryder Cup wins in 1975, 1981
    • Three-time World Cup participant, winning in 1973, ‘75
    • Two-time All-American at Brigham Young University (1967-’68)
    • Gold Tee Award from the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association (1996)
    • Jack Nicklaus Golf Family of the Year Award, National Golf Foundation (1997)
    • Northern California Golf Association Hall of Fame inductee (2013)
    • Ambassador of Golf Award, Northern Ohio Golf Charities (2014)
    • Memorial Tournament Honoree (2016)
  • Golf Broadcast Career:
    • 29 PLAYERS Championships
    • 20 U.S. Opens
    • 14 Ryder Cups
    • 9 Presidents Cups
    • 3 Open Championships
    • 2016 Rio Olympics
    • First event: Bob Hope Desert Classic (January 18-21, 1990)
    • Farewell event: Waste Management Phoenix Open, Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2019. Miller won the Phoenix Open in back-to-back years in 1974-‘75.
    • Eight-time Emmy Award nominee for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst”
    • In 2019, 20 consecutive years Miller has sat next to Dan Hicks, NBC Sports play-by-play host, together sharing the record for the longest-tenured 18th tower tandem in broadcast golf.
    • Prior to Hicks, Miller’s previous broadcast partners included Bryant Gumbel, Charlie Jones, Jim Lampley and Dick Enberg.
  • Biographical Information:
    • Born and raised in San Francisco, resides in Utah
    • Turned professional in 1969 after graduating from Brigham Young University
    • Married to Linda Miller on Sept. 17, 1969.
    • 6 children, 24 grandchildren
    • Has contributed to the design of more than 30 golf courses, including Silverado Country Club in Napa, Calif., host of the PGA TOUR’s Safeway Open. Miller also serves as the event’s tournament host.

 

-NBC Sports Group-

 

NBC Sports Media Contact:

Jeff Szklinski

814-880-6933

Jeff.Szklinski@golfchannel.com

PAUL AZINGER JOINS NBC SPORTS GROUP

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Azinger Will Be Lead Golf Analyst on Golf Channel and NBC Tournament Coverage, Contribute to Golf Central’s Live From the Masters,

Golf Channel’s Instructional Platforms and Future Golf Films Projects

 

ORLANDO, Fla., (Oct. 22, 2018) – Paul Azinger will become NBC Sports’ lead golf analyst in 2019, following Johnny Miller’s retirement at the Waste Management Phoenix Open (Jan. 31-Feb. 3). The announcement was made by Molly Solomon, executive vice president, content, Golf Channel.

“For nearly three decades fans tuning into NBC Sports’ golf coverage have been accustomed to a lead analyst that told it like it was, and that mantra will continue with Paul Azinger calling the action from our 18th tower,” Solomon said. “Following Johnny Miller is a tall order. However, we’re confident in Paul’s ability to serve our viewers with candor and sharp insight, pulling from his decorated professional golf career and extensive broadcast experience.”

“I have great admiration for both the quality of NBC Sports’ coverage and commitment to great storytelling, as well as the network’s deep commitment to the game I love,” Azinger said. “It is a great honor to cover a tremendous slate of PGA TOUR and marquee events, including THE PLAYERS, The Open, Ryder Cup and Tokyo Olympics. Additional opportunities to contribute to instructional and historical projects, as well as Golf Channel’s top-notch news platforms, makes this the role of a lifetime.”

“Paul is one of the most perceptive minds in golf,” said Tommy Roy, lead golf producer, NBC Sports. “His innate ability to dissect the action in front of him and convey it to the viewer in such a concise, assured manner is what we value most across our tournament broadcast team.”

Additionally, Azinger will contribute to Golf Channel’s portfolio of platforms, ranging from Golf Central’s Live From the Masters alongside former colleague Mike Tirico; develop instructional content for both on-air and via Revolution Golf; and develop documentary projects for Golf Channel’s Emmy-nominated and critically-acclaimed Golf Films.

Azinger’s NBC Sports schedule in 2019, which will regularly include all four days of tournament coverage on Golf Channel and NBC, will kick off at the WGC-Mexico Championship (Feb. 21-24). NBC Sports will allow Azinger to continue to call The Masters for the BBC, as well as the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open on FOX.

Paul Azinger Bio:

After playing for Florida State University, Azinger’s professional career highlights include 17 worldwide wins, including 12 PGA TOUR wins and the 1993 PGA Championship, as well as captaining the victorious 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team. Following his breakthrough major championship victory at the PGA Championship at Inverness, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After battling the disease for months with intensive chemotherapy and radiation, he was able to return to golf and received the Golf Writers Association of America Ben Hogan Award in 1995, which recognizes a professional golfer who remains active in the sport despite serious illness or physical handicap. Azinger’s comeback was fully realized in 2000, when at the age of forty, he won the Sony Open in Hawaii.

From 2006-2015 he served as the lead golf analyst for ABC and subsequently ESPN. In 2016, he joined Fox Sports’ team for its slate of USGA Championships. Paul enjoys many hobbies off the course, including an affinity for poker and foosball, as well as maintaining a consistent schedule of all types of fishing. Azinger and his wife Toni reside in Bradenton, Fla., near their daughters Josie (son-in-law Sebastian) and Sarah Jean (son-in-law Tim). They are the proud grandparents of Campbell and Houston.

ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL

Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available to nearly 500 million viewers in more than 80 countries and nine languages around the world. Golf Channel features more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, including tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open, Olympics, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Digital and the NBC Sports App, powered by Playmaker Media. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; Revolution Golf, the largest direct-to-consumer digital platform in golf ; GolfAdvisor.com, the world’s largest golf course ratings and review resource for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour; and as the Official Media Partner of St. Andrews Links, the Home of Golf.

 

-NBC Sports Group-

 

NBC SPORTS’ JOHNNY MILLER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT AS LEAD GOLF ANALYST

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2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open in February

Will be Miller’s Final 18th Tower Call

 

ORLANDO, Fla., (Oct. 16, 2018) – On the eve of 30 years as NBC Sports’ lead golf analyst, Johnny Miller has chosen to make his final 18th tower call at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, which will be staged from Thursday, January 31 – Sunday, February 3.

“When NBC Sports approached me 30 years ago about a move to TV, I never could have imagined how it would lead to so many lasting relationships and countless memories made alongside a team of talented friends, both in front of and behind the camera,” Miller said. “I’m forever grateful to my family for their support during this fulfilling chapter of my life. As I say farewell to the 18th tower, I look forward to spending more time alongside my wife Linda, our children, and our 24 grandchildren. Soon it will officially be Miller time.”

Miller was named lead analyst of NBC Sports’ golf broadcast team in 1990 and quickly made his mark as the game’s most candid commentator, calling some of golf’s most memorable shots for the past three decades. Garnering eight Emmy nominations for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst,” Miller’s insight and frank approach have earned him both critical praise and viewer appreciation, as well as the respect and occasional raised eyebrow from those competing inside the ropes.

“When it comes to serving golf fans with sharp insight on what is happening inside the ropes, Johnny Miller is simply the gold standard,” said Tommy Roy, NBC Sports’ lead golf producer. “It has been an honor working with him, and while it might not be Johnny’s personal style, it will be fun to send him off at one of the PGA TOUR’s best parties at TPC Scottsdale.”

“Johnny Miller is the best golf analyst ever and he will be missed by millions of fans. Early in his career, he made a commitment to serve the fans by telling it like it is and for three decades he’s served those fans incredibly well,” said Mike McCarley, president, Golf, NBC Sports. “Whether they agree or disagree with Johnny, everyone wants to hear what he has to say. His unfiltered approach has not only been refreshing, but it’s what makes him great. He is a part of the fabric of NBC Sports, and as one of the most influential voices in golf, he will forever have a home here.”

“This truly marks the end of a broadcast era,” said Dan Hicks, NBC Sports’ play-by-play host, who – with Miller – owns the record for longest-tenured 18th tower tandem in broadcast golf (2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open marks 20 years). “Johnny changed the landscape of golf commentary and analysis with his unique, unfiltered and honest manner, which made for a deep connection with viewers at home. Johnny was always unpredictable, so there was never a dull moment with Johnny in the booth. To sit next to him will always remain one of the greatest honors I could ever have in this business.”

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF MILLER’S GOLF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • Golf Career:
    • World Golf Hall of Fame, inducted 1998
    • 1973 U.S. Open: Miller shot a 63 in the final round at Oakmont Country Club to win. This was the lowest round to win a major championship until it was tied by Henrik Stenson at The Open in 2016.
    • 1976 Open Championship: Miller beat Seve Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus at Royal Birkdale en route to being named “Champion Golfer of the Year”
    • 25-time PGA TOUR winner
    • 1974 Player of the Year
    • U.S. Ryder Cup wins in 1975, 1981
    • Three-time World Cup participant, winning in 1973, ‘75
    • Two-time All-American at Brigham Young University (1967-’68)
    • Gold Tee Award from the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association (1996)
    • Jack Nicklaus Golf Family of the Year Award, National Golf Foundation (1997)
    • Northern California Golf Association Hall of Fame inductee (2013)
    • Ambassador of Golf Award, Northern Ohio Golf Charities (2014)
    • Memorial Tournament Honoree (2016)
  • Golf Broadcast Career:
    • 29 PLAYERS Championships
    • 20 U.S. Opens
    • 14 Ryder Cups
    • 9 Presidents Cups
    • 3 Open Championships
    • 2016 Rio Olympics
    • First event: Bob Hope Desert Classic (January 18-21, 1990)
    • Farewell event: Waste Management Phoenix Open, Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2019. Miller won the Phoenix Open in back-to-back years in 1974-‘75.
    • 8-time Emmy Award nominee for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst”
    • In 2019, 20 consecutive years Miller has sat next to Dan Hicks, NBC Sports play-by-play host, together sharing the record for the longest-tenured 18th tower tandem in broadcast golf.
    • Prior to Hicks, Miller’s previous broadcast partners included Bryant Gumbel, Charlie Jones, Jim Lampley and Dick Enberg.
  • Biographical Information:
    • Born and raised in San Francisco, resides in Utah
    • Turned professional in 1969 after graduating from Brigham Young University
    • Married to Linda Miller on Sept. 17, 1969.
    • 6 children, 24 grandchildren
    • Has contributed to the design of more than 30 golf courses, including Silverado Country Club in Napa, Calif., host of the PGA TOUR’s Safeway Open. Miller also serves as the event’s tournament host.

 

ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL

Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available to nearly 500 million viewers in more than 80 countries and nine languages around the world. Golf Channel features more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, including tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open, Olympics, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Digital and the NBC Sports App, powered by Playmaker Media. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; Revolution Golf, the largest direct-to-consumer digital platform in golf ; GolfAdvisor.com, the world’s largest golf course ratings and review resource for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour; and as the Official Media Partner of St. Andrews Links, the Home of Golf.

 

-NBC Sports Group-