While Peter Jacobsen did win a major on the silver screen (see Tin Cup), he’s been just as — and realistically a lot more — successful on the small screen during his second career as a broadcaster for NBC Sports.
Jacobsen, 69, started at NBC on the side while he was still in his 20s, and he’s picked up a thing or two about the trade. He’s not afraid to share his secrets with up-and-comers in a business that is notoriously competitive.
In a special live edition of GOLF Subpar from the American Century Championship, co-hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz asked Jacobsen what he would tell young broadcasters who want to break into the industry.
He had two tips.
“Television is a visual medium, last time I checked,” Jacobsen said. “You have to make sure you honor the viewer by telling them something they can’t see. If I were to say, ‘Oh, that ball’s on the green’, ‘Oh that ball is five feet from the hole,’ ‘That ball’s in the bunker,’ they see that. I don’t need to tell [the viewer] that. But most importantly, tell them something they don’t know.”
Jacobsen gave the example of reporting how a player had made an equipment change or swapped caddies.
“Tell them something that is going to play into the competitive aspect of the game and that the viewer may not know because you’re there to provide information,” he said. “You’re not there to tell them what they can see.”
His second tip was simple: Don’t talk too much.
“You can never get in trouble for something you don’t say. When in doubt, shut up,” he said. “Let the action— Nothing wrong with listening to the birds chirp and the crowd cheer and the players discuss things with their caddie.”
For more from Subpar at the American Century Championship, including Jacobsen on broadcasting while continuing to play on Tour, and Jake Owen on teaming with Jordan Spieth at Pebble, check out the full episode below.
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