Johnny Miller (left) and Nick Faldo will be in the booth together at Kapalua.
Johnny Miller and Sir Nick Faldo, who share eight major championship titles and are the two pre-eminent names in golf television today, will work an entire tournament together as co-analysts for the first time at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Jan. 6-9, the PGA TOUR’s 2012 season kick off exclusively on Golf Channel.
The Hyundai Tournament of Champions — which will finish on a Monday night in primetime for the first time — will be the first of three consecutive tournaments covered exclusively by Golf Channel to begin the year (Sony Open in Hawaii, Jan. 12-15; Humana Challenge in Partnership with the Clinton Foundation, Jan. 19-22). The Sony Open also will air in primetime from Hawaii.
Miller: “It’s great repartee when Nick and I are together. It’s kind of an older brother-younger brother dynamic. We’re not afraid to challenge each other.”
Faldo: "I was really looking forward to a stress-free start to the new season. Now this news. Oh well, never mind. At least I’ve got two weeks in Hawaii watching the PGA TOUR, and let’s just say some lively debate. Should be fun."
Will this collaboration be a sign of things to come? Golf Channel president Mike McCarley told USA Today that “we’ll see how it works, what kind of hijinks ensue . . We’ll have to check if it’s safe to release these two into the wild."
McCarley added that Miller, “like any great analyst, lacks a filter between his brain and mouth so you never know what will come out — but you know it will be interesting."
Miller, a veteran of NBC Sports’ golf coverage since 1990, and Faldo, lead analyst for PGA TOUR coverage on Golf Channel and CBS since 2007, will join Golf Channel on NBC play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks in the booth for all four days of 2012’s inaugural tournament.
Golf Channel’s exclusive coverage will begin Thursday, Jan. 5, with a special two-hour edition of Golf Central from Maui, Hawaii, which will preview the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with player interviews, and participation from Golf Channel and Golf Channel on NBC personalities, including Miller and Faldo.
Golf Channel’s coverage of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions will include 17-1/2 live hours from Hawaii — with the majority in prime time (see schedule below).
Joining Hicks, Miller and Faldo for the telecast will be Terry Gannon, Frank Nobilo, Mark Rolfing, Jerry Foltz, Curt Byrum and Kelly Tilghman.
