Kevin Kisner, middle, joins Curt Byrum, left, and Dan Hicks, right, in the booth at the Sentry. | PGA Tour Twitter
Kisner nailed his broadcast debut and the fans who tuned in for the Sentry coverage agree. Could golf turn into a hobby for him?
There is a new voice for NBC’s coverage of The Sentry in Maui this week.
Four-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Kisner made his broadcasting debut on Friday during the second round of play, and it went fantastic.
The masses loved his commentary.
Kisner provided a perfect balance of nerdiness and humor while not over-talking either. He certainly made mistakes, but in sum, his debut was a great start.
Accordingly, after his maiden broadcast, in true Kisner form, he took to Twitter to troll those who thought he would not make it.
It seems Kisner enjoyed his time on air, and Golf Channel did as well. They even created a highlight reel for him to show how good he was on air.
Kisner’s appearance was the talk of the town on “Golf Twitter.”
While some did not enjoy the South Carolinian on the broadcast, those individuals were in the minority.
Most fans loved Kisner on the broadcast. He was a natural, and it did not go unnoticed.
The reactions to his debut should boost his confidence as he heads into the rest of the weekend.
Kis is predictably great in the booth.
Really good golf nerd stuff and not just doing an impression of an announcer. Not trying too hard to be funny. Got good anecdotes about each player.
Way in.
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) January 6, 2024
“This ain’t no hobby” is one of Kisner’s iconic quotes he made in his career. Now, others are using it to describe his broadcasting abilities.
Could golf become a part-time gig for him now?
It does not seem like it, as the former Georgia Bulldog still has that competitive drive in him.
The Kevin Kisner broadcasting career is officially underway. This might actually be a hobby for him now.
— Wes Sanderson (@Wes_Sanderson98) January 6, 2024
Since NBC and Paul Azinger parted ways, the broadcast company has tried out a few different analysts. Kisner is not giving up on golf yet, but people would love seeing him in the booth full-time.
Kevin Kisner doing a very good job as NBC golf analyst replacing Paul Azinger. Great humor, telling me things I don’t know(which is a lot) Friday night golf from Maui is great to watch…
— Brad Cesmat (@bradcesmat) January 6, 2024
@NBCGolf Please keep Kevin Kisner on the broadcast! Really cool to hear a different voice,but laid back & hilarious thoughts. Finally! #KeepKis
— RWL8 (@RWL181) January 6, 2024
“Let’s get the party started,” Kevin Kisner is his debut in the Golf Channel booth
— Cameron Jourdan (@Cam_Jourdan) January 6, 2024
Kisner will continue to appear on the broadcast team this weekend for NBC.
Will the 39-year-old join them in the future? The answer to that is yes.
NBC has tabbed him to help broadcast the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February.
His laid-back attitude and personality seem to be what people like. Kisner’s dry humor and quick wit added something to the coverage. Will it last? It is uncertain because Kisner is not retiring. Yet, his broadcasting debut proved to be a great addition to the first PGA Tour event of 2024.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.