Minnesotan James Nixon was quick today with a suggestion for Mike Purkey and his Golf World Rewind column:

Once again this week, fans of women's golf are being subjected to the third-rate golf coverage provided by French television for the Golf Channel feed of the Evian Masters. Each year, the announcers struggle with balls lost in the sky, incorrect scores relayed to the booth and no continuity as far as showing recoveries from errant shots by the leaders. This jumble of television golf has become an annual black mark on TV golf coverage.

I'm pretty sure the French trade unions control the cameras and there is no possibility of ever improving their performance. However, It think it would be appropriate for either the Golf Channel to acknowledge they are doing their best with a bad situation (instead of pretending it doesn't exist), or for Golf World, in its excellent TV Rewind column, to point out that Golf Channel can't help the rotten production and ask viewers to be tolerant.

That coverage saw Helen Alfredsson win her third Evian Masters in a playoff, with no Michelle Wie in the field. Under the headline "Evian Masters will always welcome struggling golpher Michelle Wie," the Canadian Press had this interesting tidbit on Wie and exemptions, quoting tournament director Jacques Bungert:

"This year B.J. (Wie's father) called me. Obviously he didn't want to ask for an exemption," Bungert said. "I guess to him the pride was for Michelle to qualify directly to the Evian Masters. She asked for tournaments that could help her get back on track as well. Evian is not an easy course or tournament."

Easy courses being those that don't kill the golphers, I suppose.

--Bob Carney

Golf World reader Ron Field of Morton, Washington, who keeps us correct on all things Down Under, reacted with alacrity to today's Open Championship coverage.

Once again the ABC-TV coverage of The Open Championship, on Saturday, with only 86 players playing, not enough golfers were shown.

However, the big 'blooper' of the telecast was made by a cameraman and Paul Azinger.

Greg Norman was on the 18th fairway and a shot was shown of a flag flying from the clubhouse and Azinger says, 'there's the Australian flag'. It was the NEW ZEALAND flag.

Both should have known better as the Australian flag is shown besides the golfer's name and also the flags are shown in alpha order. Not sure what the first one is, but then it goes Australia, Austria, Canada etc.

Don't expect to see too many golfers again on Sunday. But we do see more than when Woods is out there.

I agree with you, Ron. Flags flying in a 40-mile-an-hour wind ought to be pretty easy to identify. But Ron: Greg Norman, 53, is leading the Open Championship and you want to talk about flags?!! I thought you'd be singing Waltzing Matilda or something.

You have an ally, however, in Golf Digest reader Bill Ford of Ocala, who also hates the fact that more players are not shown.

We need Tiger! So far, after three rounds of the British Open we've heard almost entirely about Greg Norman. It's a bit much. To add to the sideshow, neither Mike Terico and Ian Baker-Finch can replace Nick Faldo.

To add insult to injury we are still getting coverage of only those golfers at the top of the leader board again. There is some relief because of the time difference between here and England, so we do get to see more of the total golfing field. It's getting to the point that there is no point in watching golf on the networks because of all the commercials and endless flashbacks of golfers at different holes during earlier tournaments. Who cares about past tournaments as you can't change the results. I've even gone so far as to time a 15 minute segment to see how much of a tournament we actually get to see and in that segment we saw 2 3/4 minutes of the actual tournament and this was only of the leaders.

Apparently those people who cover the golf tournaments feel they are more important than the players themselves. They should apply the philosophy of a quiet mouth as you do on the golf course. I don't see where we need 8 or 10 people covering a tournament when they are generally talking to each other and not actually reporting but when they are talking they're editorializing rather than reporting.

--Bob Carney

(Image of New Zealand flag: giftsnz.com)

It struck us, during the Open, that it was nice to have Curtis Strange back in the booth. So we were pretty sure it would strike someone else that it was not nice to have Curtis back. And so it was. While we thought that Curtis had added a new candor to his commentary, others were just perturbed. Kathy Lane of La Quinta, for example.

I love to play golf and enjoy watching it on tv, except when Curtis Strange is in the booth. I want a commentator who sticks to the tournament and players on the course and can tell me more than I can see for myself...for that reason, I really enjoy listening to Johnny Miller.

I was dismayed to read Tim Rosaforte's column on the possibility of Strange's return to television. I suggest the decision-makers considering this move listen to some past commentaries by Strange. His remarks always seem to be more about him than the players on the course...a perfect example is in the TV Rewind section in this issue. The guy was only on the air for a few minutes...yet managed to say "the Open was special at my house...I played in my firsst in '77 and to have excelled and won,it still really gets me."

I can mute him for short appearances, but I have trouble believing I am the only viewer that finds Curtis's commentary strangely annoying.

Kathy was not alone. Here's Fred Zinn of Pinehurst:

Please, please, no re-run for Curtis Strange into the ABC booth. It has been a GREAT RELEIF not to listen to him over the last few years. His "strange" accent bothers even my golf pal who was born and raised in Virginia and has never heard anyone talk like TOM for time and FAV for five.

What did the rest of you think?

--Bob Carney

You've heard from Michael Lewis, who doesn't even think golf's a sport. And many of you have your problems with golf coverage (see recent comments and letters on Curtis Strange, Johnny Miller, etc.) Here's another view, not from an old fogie but from a college sports editor who really likes what he sees of golf on television. Marty Hastings, sports editor of the Omega, the Thompson Rivers University daily newspaper writes:

At this moment in time, I would like to announce that the sport of golf is, hands down, the most entertaining sport on television. In fact, there is nothing else on television as engaging as golf is right now, period.

And holy cow there's more:

New technology allows viewers to see professional golf swings slowed down to the point where they can visibly see the golf ball compress as it is launched of the face of the driver. Viewers who don?t care about the compressing ball can just focus on certain parts of the golfer?s anatomy, which can be just as fascinating.

Hastings acknowledges that Tiger inspired his, and many others', appreciation for the game. But it hasn't stopped with Tiger.

Golf started to lose its reputation as a boring sport when Tiger burst onto the scene and made golf cool. Ever since then, more and more young people have been flocking to the game. Now the young talent that picked up clubs after being inspired by Tiger is competing on both the men?s and women?s tours. If you are a fan of the sport of golf then you don?t need convincing; it?s a great game without the frills and gimmicks. It?s the people with preconceived notions that need to be pushed towards the game. I urge anyone who has never given golf a chance to tune in one Sunday and check it out. I think you?ll be pleasantly surprised.

--Bob Carney

Just when I was thinking how well Nick Faldo is handling the Players commentary comes this letter from Jack Bird of Laguna Hills, California. Jack has a different point of view:

How to Improve Nick Faldo's Commentating

Require him to:

1. Speak in intelligible sentences.

2. Demonstrate he has prepared for the broadcast.

3. Attend the Johnny Miller School of Broadcasting in order to acquire insight and
wisdom.

4. Complete a course in the art of developing a sense of humor.

Pay off his contract and admit a mistake was made.

Get rid of Kelly, so he has to deal with the real world.

Give the viewers a warning when he is about to speak, so they have the option of using their mute button.

Encourage him to play the European Senior Tour.

Send him to the Nick Faldo School of Golf so he can learn how to have fun.

Send him to England permanently.

Don't allow him to:

1. Talk about himself.

2. Tell the viewers what players are thinking or feeling.

3. Comment on swing mechanics.

4. Make predications.

--Bob Carney

Kentuckian Ed Radjunas declares an unnecessary roughness penalty on Roger Maltbie for his post-round interview with Stewart Cink at the Match Play.

"Rude / discourteous" are the words that best describe Roger Maltbie's interview with Stewart Cink following the final round of the Accenture Tournament this Sunday p.m.

RM: "How does it feel to be on the #1 tee with the #1 player in the world and know he is better than you and playing better golf than you?"

Very un-professional, condescending and rude for an amateur announcer; not to mention embarrassing for Cink!!

Ed, I didn't see it, having abandoned the match when Tiger got nine up. (Be interested in the views of those who did). But I think the defeat itself hurt Cink more than any interview, rude or otherwise. There's only one way to avoid this kind of pain while earning--what was it, $800,000? Play better.

--Bob Carney

Dean J. Toriello has an early Dean's report on the state of television coverage:

Now that the broadcast season has started I would like to make two pleas to the announcers that do such a fine job to enhance our enjoyment. These two issues have been bothering me for years. 1. I KNOW that I am watching golf! I would like to eliminate the frequent use of "golf" as an adjective. "That was some GOLF shot!" and countless similar statements drive me nuts! 2. I would like the use of the term"effort" eliminated from descriptions of bad shots--bad "golf " shots if you will--and bad putts. Each and every time a golfer misses a putt or hits a poor shot they always comment that "that wasn't his best effort." I would argue that these pros always give it their best "effort" but mis-read the green or simply just hit a bad shot!

Otherwise you're doing a fine job boys and girls!

I'm with you, Dean, especially on number one. Happens in other sports, too, but not so much, maybe because they move faster. You will not hear, for example, "Great FOOTBALL pass by Tom Brady" or "What a FOOTBALL punt by Jay Feagle!" No time. But you're right; we'll hear of many more fine or improving "golf swings", "golf shots", "golf holes", "golf games" and "golf clubs" in the coming (golf) season.

By the way, that was a fine golf letter you wrote, sir.

--Bob Carney