Oh, what a glorious day in the world of golf broadcasting, where the folks at CBS Sports once again prove they’re less “neutral observers” and more like the PGA Tour’s personal cheer squad, pom-poms and all.
Picture this: It’s Sunday, and the Genesis Scottish Open is wrapping up at the Renaissance Club in Scotland. The field is stacked: think Rory McIlroy, the eternal golden boy, strutting around like he’s about to add another trophy to his mantle. Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman, the dynamic duo of drivel, are in the booth, gushing over every Rory swing as if it’s the Second Coming.
“Oh, Rory’s got that walk!” “He’s so organized.” “What precision!” “With four wins in 2025, including a major…” (as they verbally engrave his name on the Scottish Open trophy with three holes to play, and down by one). Blah, blah, blah. It’s like watching a rom-com where Rory’s the heartthrob and everyone else is just background extras.
But wait. Plot twist! As the final holes unfold, it becomes painfully clear that Rory isn’t sealing the deal. No, the leaderboard is being hijacked by… Chris Gotterup? Who?
Paired with McIlroy in the final group, Gotterup somehow channels his former supernova – a one-off explosion of brilliance – and holds on for the win. The CBS camera pans to Rory’s crestfallen face, and you can almost hear the collective sigh from the CBS control room. Disappointment hangs in the air thicker than Scottish fog. Their golden narrative? Shattered. The hype train? Derailed.
Now, in a move that screams “damage control for the PGA Tour and its corporate overlords,” Nantz and Immelman quickly pivot. Suddenly, Gotterup isn’t a rando, who’s seemingly fluked his way to victory. Nope. He’s an “up-and-coming” star.
Cue the dramatic music and forced enthusiasm: “What a bright future for this young talent!” “The PGA Tour’s depth is incredible!”
Spare me. Let’s peel back the curtain on this narrative.
Gotterup was a PGA Tour rookie in 2024, scraping by until he snagged a win at the Myrtle Beach Classic – an opposite-field event with the stars off competing at the Wells Fargo Championship for $20 million.
That win was his only top-10 finish last year.
Fast-forward to 2025: 20 starts, and the 25-year-old’s best result is a T13 at (wait for it) another Myrtle Beach opposite-fielder. No other top-10s. Zip. Nada. Until this weekend, where he magically conquers a loaded Scottish Open field.
Gotterup’s career top-10s since gaining his Tour card? Just two. Both wins. Talk about feast or famine.
If Gotterup were a movie franchise, it’d be called “Career Weekend” with the 2024 release an indie summer sleeper and the 2025 sequel more of a blockbuster.
Yet, CBS can’t admit that. Heaven, forbid they acknowledge the Tour’s unpredictability, where any pro can have a career weekend and upstage the marquee stars. (This is actually the reason for LIV Golf’s limited roster and the PGA Tour’s Signature events.) No, they have to prop up the propaganda: “See? The PGA Tour is thriving!”
Meanwhile, Rory’s left licking his wounds, and the broadcast ends with awkward backslaps for Gotterup.
Listen, we love an underdog story as much as the next person. But when broadcasters like Nantz and Immelman turn into blatant Rory fanboys, only to flip-flop into hype merchants for the sake of “Tour positivity,” it reeks of insincerity.
The Scottish Open deserved better than this scripted charade. Fluke or not, Gotterup earned it and deserved better. As for CBS? Stick to calling the shots, not spinning them.
And now, golf fans, brace for the switch: Ditching CBS’s Rory worship for NBC’s “impartial” PGA Tour cheerleading against those LIV Golf villains.
