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Fox Sports Gets Promising Early Reviews For U.S. Open Coverage Despite Rain Delays

Fox Sports on Thursday began its second year broadcasting the U.S. Open, and while it is "impossible to assess" FS1's performance on a day when there were three extensive weather delays, the "early signs were promising," according to Martin Kaufmann of GOLFWEEK. The weather issues seemed to illustrate the "wisdom of putting Brad Faxon in the 18th tower" alongside lead analyst Paul Azinger. The duo seemed to have a "good rapport during the live hits, and when Fox returns to live action, Faxon simply slides over to his duties as a hole announcer." Azinger also had enough time to "remind us why he's the best at his job, and also perhaps the most amusing." Meanwhile, when the first delay came, Oakmont Dir of Golf Bob Ford took on a "significant role" in the telecast. Ford has a "preternatural calm about him, like a favorite uncle sharing stories about his four decades at Oakmont." Alongside Ford was course architect Gil Hanse, who is "just a natural on television -- calm, thoughtful, insightful." But studio host Holly Sonders is still "struggling to find her place on the Fox crew." Sonders should "take a cue from her colleagues, chill out and simply try to enjoy the conversation." Her segments will "come off much better" (GOLFWEEK.com, 6/17). GOLF DIGEST's Alex Myers writes FS1 despite the delays "did a good job keeping the fans entertained with a variety of interviews and packages." When play resumed, the "additions of Protracers on 13 holes, mikes in the lip of every hole, new camera angles, and of course, Paul Azinger, all added to the coverage" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 6/17). 

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY: GOLF DIGEST's John Strege noted play on Thursday was suspended just four minutes into FS1's coverage, before it had "showed a single live shot." But the weather provided FS1 an "early opportunity to showcase its studio personnel." Hanse and Ford "did not disappoint." The delay also allowed Fox "time to show a promising new feature, 'Brownie Points,'" hosted by former European Tour player-turned-broadcaster Ken Brown (GOLFDIGEST.com, 6/16). BUSINESS INSIDER's Cork Gaines noted just 35 seconds into Buck's opening monologue, "rain and lightning were unleashed" forcing the weather horn to "not only stop play, but interrupt Buck's intro." After the horn, Buck "stumbled over his words a bit, and it is easy to wonder if it is because deep down he was really thinking, 'are you freaking kidding me?'" (BUSINESSINSIDER.com, 6/16).

TWITTER REAX FROM DAY 1: ESPN's Jonathan Coachman: "Just got to hotel and turned on us open. Thank god they brought in azinger and strange this year. SO much better already." KGMZ-AM's John Middlekauff: "Paul Azinger is SO much better than Greg Norman. This Fox broadcast is much improved from last year." Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee: "Just fantastic coverage so far at the US Open." Golf writer Dick Friedman: "If you are a golf geek, you are lovin' this rain-delay seminar on putting between Buck, Azinger and Faxon."

CHANGE IS GOOD: In California, Larry Bohannan writes viewers should "expect a better product" from Fox in '16. For starters Oakmont is a "better golf course to cover" than Chambers Bay for last year's Open. Chambers Bay was a "broadcasting nightmare." Not only had no one ever done a TV broadcast there but there were "places Fox couldn't even get its cameras." Oakmont has a "blueprint for how to broadcast the event," and has the look and feel of a "traditional venue." A big help will be "cutting down the number of voices around the booth." Last year it "seemed like there were 16 people passing the commentary from each other, so much so that no one person seemed to have a true presence" (Palm Springs DESERT SUN, 6/17).

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