NBC’s Johnny Miller says he and CBS golf analyst Nick Faldo have an “older brother-younger brother” type of relationship.
And the analogy applies, even though the two don’t look alike, sound alike or think alike. A sibling rivalry, if not a simmering rivalry, has developed after two recent polls showed Faldo to be favored among players and a select group of viewers.
When Sports Illustrated’s PGA Tour player survey gave the nod to Faldo in a blowout (82 percent to 18 percent), it was as shocking as news of a John Daly domestic dispute. Of course the players would retaliate against Miller, who once said Ryder Cupper Justin Leonard “needs to go home and just watch it on TV.”
It was harder to dismiss the results of a SportsBusiness Daily poll, in which 72 percent of the 755 respondents said they preferred Faldo.
Asked about that Tuesday, Miller replied: “The polls … I don’t even pay that much attention to them. Golf needs both of us to do really well to grow the game. So I hope he knocks ’em dead.
“You want to argue what’s better — vanilla or chocolate? I don’t know. I am who I am, like Popeye. And the same thing with Faldo. He has his English humor. And he had a great [playing] career. We fight a lot together, but in a nice way, and we respect each other.”
Fortunately for golf fans, neither commentator is vanilla. Faldo is wry, witty and quick to ask “What was that? ” after an errant shot.
Miller is fearless. He hammered Phil Mickelson for his shot selection during the 72nd hole of last year’s U.S. Open, saying Mickelson looked as if he had “aged five years” during the double-bogey debacle.
Miller “knows what goes through our heads,” Vijay Singh told HBO’s Bryant Gumbel for a “Real Sports” piece that will makes its debut June 20. “A lot of times we just don’t want to hear the truth.”
Miller will be in the spotlight more than ever this week. His defining moment — and one of golf’s greatest moments — came when he fired a final-round 63 to win the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont, site of this year’s championship.
Producer Tommy Roy said there had been so much recent media coverage of that historic round that NBC plans to downplay it to “concentrate more on what’s happening here.”
Miller also has downplayed his rivalry with Faldo, though he was pleased when a reporter told him during a conference call, “You are the best golf commentator.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you to say,” Miller replied.
Tee to green
NBC supplements its live coverage (2-4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) with Thursday’s “Today” show at 7 a.m., co-hosted by Matt Lauer. … ESPN’s first-round coverage begins 9 a.m. Thursday and will be simulcast at ESPN360.com. Mike Tirico will share host duties with Chris Berman. … DirecTV offers a U.S. Open mix channel (216) featuring four choices on one screen. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, viewers can sample the national telecast, featured holes and groups, player interviews and a loop of highlights. … The Golf Channel, featuring analysts Frank Nobilo and Dottie Pepper, will have a wrap-up show each day from 6 to 8 p.m.
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tgreenstein@tribune.com
