ATLANTA — It’s a steamy, sweaty Friday at East Lake, as temperatures have soared above 90 degrees, a typical late summer day in Georgia. But the heat and humidity do not slow down NBC Sports’ Curt Byrum, the broadcasting veteran who has called as much golf in 2024 as anyone.
He will be out on the course again as Lead Producer Tommy Roy gave him another high-profile assignment: to walk with and report on Xander Schauffele and Adam Scott, the penultimate second-round pairing at the Tour Championship.
Hence, Byrum decided to don a white NBC Sports shirt and a white NBC Sports hat, hoping his outfit would help him stay cool while calling the action from inside the ropes. Thick sunglasses also compliment his outfit, which, like the PGA Tour pros, also includes a pair of pants—a must for all broadcasters. Surely, he would do his best to find as much shade as possible, a much more challenging task after architect Andrew Green took down “countless” trees in his recent restoration of East Lake. But Byrum is never bothered by the conditions, no matter how bad they may be.
He loves the game and his job too much to care.
Look no further than this year’s third round of The Open at Royal Troon, which Byrum described as his favorite moment of the year.
Benign weather in the morning gave way to a hellish afternoon in Scotland, some of the worst conditions the sport had ever seen. Gale-force winds, rain, and colder temperatures made it almost impossible to grip a club. Conditions were so bad that Schauffele could not even look up at the leaderboards from underneath his umbrella. Yet, Schauffele carded a 2-under 69, a round of epic proportions that played a massive role in him winning the Claret Jug the next day. But walking step-for-step with him and his playing partner Patrick Cantlay was Byrum, who called the action and soaked in every moment with joy.
“That round, for some reason, really stands out in my mind,” Byrum said when reflecting on that afternoon at Troon.
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In addition to his genuine admiration for the game, Byrum’s perspective as a former PGA Tour pro makes him a terrific broadcaster. He won the 1989 John Deere Classic and competed in eight major championships, even tying for 14th at the 1987 PGA Championship at PGA National. No wonder why he has spent over 20 years calling golf.
His outlook on that Saturday at Troon proves why he has been such a fixture on television for over two decades:
“If you get off to a bad start on a rainy day like that, a player could come apart at the seams and just not have that attitude to hang in there and grind all day. But it says everything you need to know about Xander. He never gives up. He can be a couple over and is always in super grind mode, trying to hit every shot the best he can,” Byrum said.
“[That day] ranks pretty high [in terms of challenging conditions]. But [Schauffele] made it look pretty easy that day.”
Of course, Byrum has spent plenty of time in the cozy confines of the broadcast booth, where climate-controlled temperatures keep the announcers comfortable. Other times, he is situated in a tower overlooking one of the holes, providing insight into how it plays on any given day. He is a jack-of-all-trades, a Swiss army knife, having no preference on where he is assigned. That keeps it “fresh,” he says.
“I enjoy all of it,” Byrum said with a charming laugh and smile.
“Whatever they tell me to do, I’ll be there.”
Perhaps nobody in golf has had a busier schedule this year than Byrum, who appears on television almost every week. He called the action at every Signature Event. He also called Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open triumph and was obviously at Royal Troon. The week before Schauffele won, Byrum was in Scotland, too. He called the first two rounds of the Scottish Open from the booth for the Golf Channel but stayed at The Reinassance Club throughout the weekend. He did the lead-in telecast for the third and final rounds, a staple for him and the Golf Channel for when CBS has the late-afternoon rights.
Byrum had countless weeks like this throughout 2024, starting with The Sentry in Hawaii.
The only notable events he missed were The Masters and the PGA Championship, which ESPN broadcasts on days one and two, giving Byrum a little reprieve. But if Golf Channel and NBC Sports had those events, Byrum would undoubtedly be there.
“I’ve had a great schedule,” Byrum said.
“I like working.”
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When Byrum arrives at the golf course for the week, he checks the tee times before anything else. He wants to see who will play in a given TV window and will then focus his prep from there. He will go through stats, results, and trends, touching up on everyone before heading over to the driving range, one of his favorite spots. Byrum will then chat with players to get a sense of how they feel, gain a better understanding of their mindset, and ask if they made any equipment changes. All of that helps make for a more insightful broadcast for the viewer at home.
But if a player is occupied with practice or does not feel conversational, Byrum will talk to a caddy, a swing coach, or an agent instead. He is naturally personable, so this part of the job is effortless. But it also helps that he is a former player, making it easy for him to resonate with the game’s current stars.
Heck, Byrum plays with a handful of top players when he is at home in Scottsdale. He has played numerous rounds with 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark. He also plays quite a bit with J.J. Spaun. Beau Hossler recently moved to the neighborhood, so Bryum has teed it up with him as well.
“I always have an open invite with a handful of guys to come down,” Byrum said.
“It’s really fun to get them off the tour and be comfortable. Spending the day with them that way is much more fun.”
Byrum has plenty of fun planned for this autumn, which includes a much lighter broadcasting schedule after the Tour Championship wraps up on Sunday. He deserves some time off, after all.
He will head to Napa Valley for the first event of the FedEx Cup Fall, the Procore Championship. Then, he will crisscross North America, going to Royal Montreal for the President’s Cup.
After that, Byrum will have roughly two months off, during which he will golf in Scottsdale and take a lengthy trip to his native South Dakota, where his 92-year-old mother still lives. He will spend time with her at home. He will also hunt and fish with his brother Tom, who just retired from playing on the PGA Tour Champions.
Then, in early December, he will head to the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge, where he sat in the lead analyst chair a year ago alongside Dan Hicks. It remains to be seen if he will do so again, but he can no doubt handle the assignment—just like any other task Roy and co-producer Tom Randolph throw his way.
Byrum has become one of the most dedicated and reliable broadcasters in the industry, lending his wisdom to millions of golf fans around the world. He has also leaned heavily on his producers, learning from them week in and week out to hone his craft and become the best of the best.
It has been one remarkable season on the PGA Tour, which has seen Scottie Scheffler win The Masters, The Players, four Signature Events, and a gold medal at the Olympics (Yes, Byrum was in Paris, too). But Schauffele won a pair of majors, making this year one to remember for decades to come. And calling it all was Byrum, the man who loves his job, this game, and the players as much as anyone, making him a remarkable and underrated broadcaster. So watch out for Byrum throughout 2025; he certainly will be hard to miss.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
