Depending on your point of view, the announcement Sunday morning that Paul Azinger would no longer be the lead golf analyst at NBC Sports was either a surprising development or a long time coming. Opinions about the job that Azinger, 63, has done since joining Dan Hicks in the booth after the retirement of Johnny Miller in 2019 usually come in two flavors: love him or hate him. And it seems the latter group has been growing in numbers in the past year, with criticism on social media peaking this summer with a handful of publicized gaffes.
Perhaps that’s what led Azinger’s current contract being allowed to expire without an extension. “We want to thank Paul for his work with us over the last five years,” NBC said in a statement. “His insights, his work ethic and relationships in the golf industry are well known, and we appreciate what he brought to our team. We wish Paul the best in his future endeavors.”
Rather than give him one last broadcast to say farewell, Azinger’s call of the Ryder Cup in September at Marco Simone turned out to be his last with the network. It’s unclear who will be in the analyst chair next month at the Hero World Challenge, or when NBC resumes its regular PGA Tour broadcast schedule in 2024.
So who should pick up Azinger’s mic? Golf Digest writers mulled a handful of questions about the departure and what the network should be considering in finding a successor to join Dan Hicks in the 18th tower.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
