Faxon Joins as Hole Announcer and Contributor to NBC Sports’ Golf Studio Coverage; Curt Byrum to Serve as Hole Announcer
Kaufman Joins John Wood, Notah Begay III and Arron Oberholser as On-Course Reporters
Damon Hack and Cara Banks to Serve as Reporters
Play-by-Play Voice Dan Hicks and Lead Analyst Paul Azinger Return for Fifth Consecutive Year
STAMFORD, Conn. – NBC Sports today announced its NBC golf commentary team for 2023, which includes PGA TOUR winners and newcomers Brad Faxon and Smylie Kaufman as well as new assignments for many returning commentators.
An eight-time PGA TOUR winner, Faxon is joining NBC Sports’ team as a hole announcer and will make his on-air debut at the Honda Classic next month. Faxon will also contribute to Golf Central and Golf Central Live From studio programming on GOLF Channel. He previously worked with NBC Sports in 2010 as a hole announcer and from 2013-14 as a studio analyst, while also providing commentary on Sky Sports. Click here for more on Faxon.
Longtime NBC Sports golf analyst Curt Byrum will serve as a hole announcer this year. A 22-year veteran with NBC Sports, Byrum will start his new assignment at this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Kaufman, a PGA TOUR winner who made his NBC Sports on-air debut at several events in 2022, will join John Wood, Notah Begay III and Arron Oberholser as on-course reporters throughout the season. Wood and Kaufman will walk the course this week at Kapalua Resort in Maui. Begay III will begin his year at the Honda Classic and Oberholser will start his assignment at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
Longtime GOLF Channel commentators Damon Hack and Cara Banks will serve as golf reporters this year, conducting interviews with players, family members, executives and more, in addition to continuing in their current roles. Hack will continue to co-host Golf Today on GOLF Channel, while Banks will also anchor studio coverage of Golf Central and Golf Central Live From on the network. Banks’ first reporter assignment will be at the Honda Classic while Hack will begin at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The 18th tower duo of Dan Hicks (play-by-play) and Paul Azinger (lead analyst) return to lead NBC Sports’ golf commentary team for the fifth consecutive year.
“We have the deepest roster in the game and are excited to showcase our new voices in Brad and Smylie as well as familiar faces in new roles as we start the 2023 PGA TOUR season this week at Kapalua,” said Molly Solomon, Executive Producer, GOLF Channel. “We can’t wait for the year ahead with a loaded schedule of championships at outstanding venues: THE PLAYERS, USGA and R&A Championships, all five women’s majors, the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup on NBC, USA Network, GOLF Channel and Peacock.”
NBC Sports’ 2023 golf coverage gets underway this Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 5-8, with the Sentry Tournament of Champions from Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii, on NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock. More information will be provided in a press release later this week.
Last week, NBC Sports announced its 2023 PGA TOUR broadcast schedule, totaling more than 450 hours of live tournament coverage across NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock. Click here for more details.
Matt Potolski
203-356-2719
Matt.Potolski@nbcuni.com
