NBC Notable Quotes
Waste Management Phoenix Open
Third Round
Stadium Course, TPC Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019
Waste Management Phoenix Open Leaderboard
Rickie Fowler -20
Matt Kuchar -16
Justin Thomas -15
On Rickie Fowler, leader at 20-under par (7-under 64 on Saturday)
David Feherty – “On this zero-emission week here at the Waste Management, the rest of the field is recycling Rickie Fowler’s exhaust fumes.”
Johnny Miller – “Rickie, who finished tied for 66th last week in San Diego, you wouldn’t think he would be playing the way he is. But he must have found something.”
Miller – “At some point you can transition from what you’ve been to something more. I have a feeling this year and the next three to four years are going to be blossoming time for Rickie. I think he is going to come alive.”
Miller – “He is putting up a storm. His stroke is pure silk.”
Dan Hicks – “When he has got it going, it is one of the prettiest strokes to watch.”
Miller – “The ball just melts off the putter like warm butter.”
Gary Koch – “If he keeps putting the ball like this, he is going to be very tough to beat.”
David Feherty – “I don’t believe anyone has a wider bandwidth of fans. My kids love him. I love him, my parents love him and my Granny would have loved this young man.”
Miller – “It is hard not to like Rickie. He doesn’t do the Tiger fist pump and all of that stuff. Hardly makes a gesture when he makes a putt. In a nice way, he is saying, ‘I’m too cool to do that stuff.’”.”
Miller – “He is going to be tough to beat because I don’t really see any weaknesses. His putting is great. Chipping is good. Irons are good and driving has been good.”
On Matt Kuchar, in 2nd at 16-under par (6-under 65 on Saturday)
Koch – “Kuchar quietly going along today and staying in striking distance of Fowler.”
Hicks – “He has played 430 total events in his career and has turned in 100 top-10s.”
On Justin Thomas, in third at 15-under par (3-under 68 on Saturday)
Roger Maltbie – “He has just been a little off today. Just a little bit. Not badly, but just a little off.”
Miller – “Good playing, 68. Not his favorite round he has ever played but he keeps them in touch if Rickie happens to slip a little tomorrow.”
On Johnny Miller’s final broadcast at NBC Sports
Dan Hicks – “I don’t know how you sum up 20 years in a few seconds here. All of the superlatives have already been used on you being the best broadcaster in the game, by far. This is your family here in the 18th booth Johnny for all of these years. It is a pretty powerful moment. I just want to say I love you, and thank you so much for allowing me to sit next to you.”
David Feherty – “This is the last chance I’ll have to work with you. I just want to add my personal best wishes to you. You have been an inspiration to me over the years. I spent 19 years at CBS listening to you as did the rest of my colleagues over there. Quite often I found myself thinking, ‘What did he just say? Really?’ And then just a few moments after I would think, ‘I wish I had said that.’ One of the most common questions I get asked is ‘What is Johnny Miller like?’ I tell them he is one of the kindest, sweetest people I have ever met. I’ll miss you brother.”
Gary Koch – “I have to tell you it has been a pleasure, and, interesting at times, working with you all of these years. Some of the things I’ll remember the most are your honesty, your willingness to tell people exactly what you are thinking. I loved your efforts to try to help our viewers become better golfers with your hints and tips that you would continually give. I’ll also miss the occasional moment when one of your off-the-cuff comments leaves Dan speechless and he throws it out to me to try to make sense of it all. I do have to say while many thought you were better than most, I’ve always thought you were the best.”
Roger Maltbie – “Johnny, a chance to speak from the heart. You’ve been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was 12-13 you were 16-17, you were winning all the junior tournaments and I wanted to be like you. In ’66 at age 19, you played so great at the Olympic Club that all of the junior golfers in Northern California wanted to be like you…And then we got the chance to share golf’s greatest mulligan. I got to do this for 27 years with you. It is bittersweet. I am going to miss you. I hope you catch the biggest fish you ever caught in your life.”
Johnny Miller, on his final broadcast
Miller (at the top of the broadcast) – “I think I have said everything I needed to. Bottom line is it is going to be a lot of fun today. I’m looking forward to it. A little melancholy at times probably. If you [Dan Hicks] make me cry I’m blaming it on you. There is a lot of really good golf out there. Good guys on top of the leaderboard. I love the Phoenix Open. I won it a couple of times. It is just a wonderful day for me, my family and friends. It has been a really good run.”
Miller – “Sometimes a father to his son says some things that sound a little tough, but it is for the right reasons. I feel like almost look love these young guys and want them to step it up a notch. Sometimes it takes a little commentary for them to check things out a little.”
Miller – “That is one heck of a song, even if it is all about me.”
Miller (at the close of the broadcast)– “It has been a pleasure. I appreciate all of the people out there. Tried to do a lot of my commentating for you out there. I’m glad you accepted my form of commentating which was not normal. It was a little bit rough at first but it has been a pleasure. The friendships I’ve made and the guys on our team that have been so amazingly good, and players out there that also feel pretty good about it. So, thank you.”
On Saturday’s third round at TPC Scottsdale
Dan Hicks – “There is a constant buzz throughout this golf course the entire day.”
David Feherty – “There is the old story that everything breaks towards Phoenix. I never bought into that. It was that everything breaks downhill.”
Feherty – “I love it. The only other event I’ve been at where this kind of racusoundess – and we were there last year – was the Ryder Cup – where you get this kind of noise all the time. What a golf course this would be for the Ryder Cup, especially if you wanted the Americans to win.
Feherty – “This atmosphere at 16 is unique. There is a marshall there with a “Quiet Please” sign on the tee. It is basically a back scratcher. That’s what that is.”
PGA TOUR’s Slugger White (VP of rules and competition) speaking with NBC’s Steve Sands about Denny McCarthy’s two-stroke penalty rescinded
Slugger White – “There was a lot of thought about it. We saw the video many, many times. We just felt like we needed to look at it a little more with the interpretation. It is a new rule, , we agree with the rule, just the interpretation is a little difficult right now.
White – “The bottom line Steve is we want it right. We want it correct. These guys, it is their livelihood and we want it to be rock solid that we were correct in what we did.”
White – “Kudos to the R&A and the USGA for looking into this. We will get a more definitive interpretation in the next couple of days. Again, I think this is a positive.”
-NBC Sports Group-
