CBS Jimmy Walker interview caught the attention of the golf world Saturday on RBC Heritage.
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Whenever the history of CBS Golf’s “walk-and-talk” segment is written up, Jimmy Walker’s Saturday interview on RBC Heritage probably goes unmentioned.
But maybe it should be.
Nothing about the former major champion’s interview appearance with CBS on Saturday at Hilton Head came as a revelation to those watching from home. He appeared on screen at the par-4 16th, offered a few minutes of casual chat with Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman, and then walked away. But for those who have watched the previous hour’s tournament coverage, Walker’s decision to appear in the interview at all earns major brownie points.
First some background: Walker ended up in Hilton Head largely by accident. He played a PGA Tour season with special exception for being among the top 50 earners in Tour history. Walker is No. 50 on that list—and in fact, he’s No. 1. 59 – but the departure of nine LIV professionals above him gave him a surprising opportunity to return to full Tour status.
Walker had been doing well at RBC when CBS approached him to be part of their walk-and-talk interview – good enough to earn a spot in Saturday’s final pair – so he said yes, and agreed to chat during his ride from the 16th tee box to the fairway. .
But then, as Walker turned home on Saturday, the wheels started to come off. First came a lousy three-putt bogey on the 11th to squander a sudden lead against Matt Fitzpatrick. Then came the wacky bogey at No. 14 after his tee shot bounced off the railroad tracks next to the putting surface and back onto dry ground. The final straw apparently came on the 15th, when he threw the 3 iron off a tree and into the water, triggering an ugly bogey on one of the few true birdie holes on the course.
By the time he finally hit the tee box on the 16th, Walker had bogeyed three of his last five and watched his name plummet up the leaderboard in the process. No one would blame him if he decided to turn down a CBS interview at the last second, instead focusing on getting back in shape. But he didn’t do that. After hitting another stubborn tee shot, Walker plugged in CBS earbuds and joined in on the conversation with Nantz and Immelman.
“Jimmy, the whole crew Really appreciate you coming with us here,” Nantz began, but before he could say more, Walker fell into conversation about his tee shot, which seemed to be in trouble.
“Seeing these people, I wish I wasn’t … in the bushes,” he said with a laugh.
“I think the driver overdid it [on this hole]. It played right away, and yes, that’s why I didn’t do it,” he said again, looking down at his ball lying in the bushes. “Now I kind of wish I did.”
Walker, Nantz and Immelman talk for a few minutes about his round, his week, and his hopes for what’s still ahead (“I want to make another birdie,” he says.) The conversation isn’t scintillating, but it’s very revealing into the competitor’s headspace in the middle chaotic expanse.
Eventually Walker returned the headphones and got back into the round, hitting a good par on the 16th and closing the day in a tie for fourth at 11 under. But his decision to join the booth was not lost on those at home who had watched him struggle his way through the previous five holes.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that when it comes to golf TV, most players are incentivized to say no. But that’s part of what made it so important that a chorus of performers kept saying yes to CBS’s walk-and-talk idea, which offers a perspective into the sport’s most important faces and voices that most fans haven’t had before.
It didn’t take long after Walker’s interview for investigators to commend Walker for his efforts. And, hours after that, another voice joined the chorus: CBS Sports analyst Trevor Immelman.
“Kudos to him for doing it,” Immelman tweeted. “Golf is a tough sport and he lets us hide when things don’t go his way. Crazy respect from me. Hopefully he plays well tomorrow.”
That got us both.
