Kevin Kisner would not have guessed his stock was starting to rise as his golf game was starting to age.
A year ago, he had finished out of the top 200 on the PGA Tour for the first time in 10 years as he struggled to find his form when NBC called and asked if he’d like to try his hand in the broadcast booth for The Sentry at Kapalua.
On Wednesday, NBC Sports announced Kisner would be the lead analyst for its portfolio of golf coverage that includes two majors and the Ryder Cup.
What makes Kisner with his homespun outlook and South Carolina drawl a good fit to follow Paul Azinger and Johnny Miller?
“I’ve wondered that myself,” Kisner said. “I think I offer a different perspective that is more player-centric. I’m not going to give you fluff because I’ve got an analyst’s job. I’ll tell it like it is. I’m not going to hinder my relationship with players, but I’ll tell you if you hit a bad shot or make a bad decision.”
NBC had what amounted to a game of musical chairs since splitting with Azinger after the 2023 Ryder Cup outside Rome. Kisner, Brandel Chamblee of Golf Channel, Luke Donald, Paul McGinley and Brad Faxon all had stints in the chair next to lead announcer Dan Hicks. The network did not want to rush to fill the role permanently.
The music stopped on Kisner.
“Kevin always shared frank and honest opinions about the game of golf during our various conversations through the years,” said Tommy Roy, the lead golf producer for NBC. “Those kinds of opinions and his engaging personality make Kiz a great fit for our broadcast team. He knows these players, he knows this game, and the audience will get to hear more of those opinions and that personality this season.”
Kisner is not done with his own game. With just over $29 million in career earnings, he is using a one-time exemption from the PGA Tour career money list to be exempt for 2025.
He is a four-time winner, including a World Golf Championship title at the Match Play and two other appearances in the championship match. He played in the Presidents Cups in 2017 and 2022 and was an assistant this year at Royal Montreal.
The plan is for him to work 10 tournaments, which would include the U.S. Open and British Open, the FedEx Cup playoffs and The Players Championship. He is likely to play at least two events during the Florida swing that NBC broadcasts.
He still considers himself a player and has seen signs that his swing is getting to where it was.
“They were so supportive of that, and that’s why I was willing to negotiate with them,” Kisner said. “They want me there for the big events that I’m not exempt into, and they’ve been accommodating if I do get in. It’s a great deal for me. NBC loves the idea that the weeks CBS is covering golf I’m playing, and hopefully playing great.”
He’s fond of saying about golf, “This ain’t no hobby.” Even so, he likely will be in a far more prominent role in the NBC booth than inside the ropes next year.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
