Before longtime CBS broadcaster Andrew Catalon starting calling golf tournaments, he realized the core CBS golf broadcast team was something special.
On this week’s episode of Subpar, Catalon, who also works NFL and college basketball games for CBS, explained how he started calling golf tournaments — and what it was like to invited to join CBS’ Masters broadcast team.
“I did the digital, featured group and that type, for 10 years,” Catalon told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz. “My first one was [Charl] Schwartzel [in 2011]. And then 2020 with Covid, I did it from my basement and that was my last one, digital. 2021 was my first one on the main broadcast.
“Being at CBS now for over 15 years, it became very clear to me early on that the golf team was something special and something different,” he continued. “I had never announced golf before I got to CBS, and when I saw the way that those people were not only looked at but treated, and the way that they had these bonds and how close they were, that is when I really wanted to get into announcing golf, when I saw how special the CBS team was. So that was something that I kind of started, even before I was calling NFL games, I [would] tell my agent, I want to be involved with this team. And then when I got to CBS and saw, I’m like, this is definitely the path I wanna go on.”
The digital coverage assignment proved to be formative for Catalon.
“First of all, everyone, as we know, watches Augusta, so it’s huge,” he said. “And that was really how I got my first reps announcing golf. It was at the Masters. I had not announced golf before being on the featured groups. So those 10 years were so helpful for me.
“It led me to get into the spot in 2019 where I filled in on an off-week, for Nantz, and I was in the tower at the 3M. That was huge,” he continued. “Then there was an opening with Bill McAtee retiring from announcing, and when I got that call, that was really, like, cheesy to say, but like a dream come true, something that I had envisioned for a long time. I worked hard at it and got the chance, so that was was definitely huge.”
For more insights and stories from Catalon, including most memorable calls, check out the full episode of Subpar below.
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