• We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas from all at Golf Monthly. Thank you for sharing your 2025 with us!

Gary Lineker fronts BBC golf.

Give Linn-acre (Mick Shannon 1986 world cup!) some credit, he has gone from downright awful 3 or so years ago to being not bad now. He's not in Steve Ryder's league at the Masters but if you watch his little segment with Sam Torrance on the BBC sport website he comes across much better than he used to and I don't mind him anymore on golf. Fortunately he has a perfect commentary team to hand over to - Alliss, Brown and Grady. I will exclude Torrance because he annoys me with his exaggerations and over-use of terms such as 'incredible' and 'magnificent' when someone rolls in a bog standard 2 footer.

I like it best when they send Ken out to test the greens and bunkers, he really conveys the problems the pros face with difficulty that we just dont see on 2D tv.
 
How about a certain Sam Torrance in the studio? That man has it all, charisma, knowledge of the game & players, storries, tour insight etc.
Click to expand...

I agree entirely and was going to post the exact same point if someone hadn't already done so. Just check out the video of the hole in ones at the par 3 comp that was linked in another post, Torrance seemed far more natural in front of the camera and basically took over from Lineker who had little to add to the commentary.

I have nothing against Lineker as a person, a golfer or a football presenter but it would be impossible to reasonably argue against the sentiments in regard to his failings already mentioned in this thread. He unfortunately is not suited to the job in the slightest,
 
I am not a Lineker fan either. Perhaps it is a North/South issue. I think that introducing/presenting a golf programme is a completely different issue from commentating. I look forward to the BBC's coverage of golf especially the Allis, Brown and Torrance banter, but not the Lineker introduction.
Now that ITV have lost F1, the BBC should try and get Steve Ryder back along with Hazel Irvine to front the show. As for Faldo, he is a knowledgeable commentator, but his sense of humour is non-existant, although nobody seems to have told him that!
 
Err........I dont mind Lineker, but Sam T would be superb me thinks.

Given the current choice of presenters, surely Di Stewart should be up there ??

She gets my nod...... :D ;)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately Di Stewart works for sky. I'm not sure they'd release her to front the BBC coverage. Same with anyone on the golfnight team. Though anything would be an improvement upon the wooden presentation Lineker provides.

Mys suggestion would be for Spoony to front the BBC golf. This would mean a fresh outlook & get many more interested in the game.Okay there are times when even he is cringesome, but not half as much as Lineker & at least spoony is a professional presenter & is so enthusiastic & pasionate about the sport its unbelievable.

Or perhaps instead of Di Stewart, who is locked into sky coverage, how about Jodie Kidd, to either co-host or host in her own right.

Must admit I did prefer Hazel Irvine as a presenter of those who have fronted over recent years.

Though if I were to choose an ex golfer it might be the likes of Mark James, for instance. He'sa great commentator & I really do think you need more than a front person to host a program like this.
 
Like the idea of a new look to the presentation. The problem is that the BBC is obsessed with the cult of personality and insist on having ex sportsmen or celebs in the place of presenters or jounalists.

Others I would suggest that are a bit out of the ordinary are Vernon Kay, great presenter who loves his golf, Peter Alan from 5 Live, another keen golfer who does a great interview and a really off the cuff suggestion, Simon Mayo who does a great job presenting from The Open on 5 Live, is informative and provides a good interview.
 
Get Wayne Riley on the case,best guy on T.V for golf,I could listen to him all day.I have often wondered where he works when Sky don't cover the event or indeed what he does when Sky has the US OPEN And PGA on as I think I am right in saying he is never on during these events?Possible contracted to Aussie T.V?
 
What is needed is a professional presenter to front the show before handing over to the experts.

Ryder was great as the presenter who had a bit of knowledge and the expert team of Brown, Allis, Torrance and Grady did the job for me.

Get Jeff Stelling from Sky Sports on!!!!!
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
Gary doesn't bother me. I'd rather a bland and non-specialist front-man than that awful know-it-all prat on the Formula 1. I expected him to be out of a job.....
 
OOOOHHHH.....don't get me started on Lineker.

Why oh why oh why does he constantly interrupt more knowlegable and charismatic studio guests in the middle of an interesting comment or anecdote with his typical footballer's inane "supposed" witty contributions.

He made it perfectly apparent during his stint on "They think it's all over" that he has the social skills and wit of a pre-pubescent schoolboy...and frankly things haven't got much better now that he's on the golf. I'm betting he'll try to do an interview in Spanish before the tournament is over again. Why? He can't string two interesting words together in his native tongue (dressing room).

Like the Craw, this is the one time in the year I feel morally obliged to e-mail the BBC frequently pointing out they're wasting my licence fee. Bring back that bird on the test card that was holding the chihuaha. She had more charisma.

Harumph.

Disgruntled, Edinburgh.
 
Was watching a bit of the coverage last night , my missus was reading a book on the sofa next to me , well I turned the sound off. That boring waste of space Linekar was really putting me off the golf. My missus pipes up 'thank god for that , that man has such a boring voice I couldnt concentrate on my book'

I wont be listening to his 'commentary' and might even put the radio coverage on and watch the pictures (like I do with the cricket)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Sir Scoop-A-Lot
Golf DNA @ Golf Studios Subiton
Replies
3
Views
5K
Sir Scoop-A-Lot
Sir Scoop-A-Lot
MikeH
Golf Monthly forum - please read this
2 3
Replies
43
Views
8K
Mark_G
Mark_G
Top