Nick Faldo coming out of retirement to call Open Championship
A year after announcing his retirement, Nick Faldo has decided to jump back into broadcasting … at least for one of golf‘s major championships. The Sports Business Journal reported Faldo plans to call this year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Faldo joins the NBC Sports team to offer analysis of this year’s fourth major championship. He announced his retirement from “full-time” broadcasting last August.
Faldo, a six-time major champion, started his broadcasting career back in 2004. He’s worked with ABC, Golf Channel, CBS and NBC over the course of his career.
Since his retirement, Faldo has focused more of his attention on course design, per the report. Since it’s only been a year since he’s covered a live golf event, we’re guessing he hasn’t lost his touch.
The Open Championship runs from Thursday, July 20 through Sunday, July 23. Cameron Smith won the Claret Jug last year in the 150th playing of the prestigious event.
Faldo also recently helped cover The Masters as part of the Sky Sports coverage team in April.
Nick Faldo emotional in retirement last August
Faldo loved his broadcast partners and, obviously, has a passion for the game of golf. So his decision to step away from the microphone wasn’t an easy one. When he signed off for the final time (at least in the full-time role), the PGA Tour legend was very emotional.
Faldo’s final broadcast came from the PGA Tour‘s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina. As he signed off for the final time, he teared up in his send-off.
“I’m a single child and I’ve found, at 65, three bothers,” Faldo said, speaking of Jim Nantz, Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo.
Some of us golf fans might’ve also shed a tear or two watching this clip last August. Maybe.
Faldo collected 43 professional wins in his career, 30 coming in the European Tour and nine more on the PGA Tour. He was also a six-time major championship winner, showing his dominance at The Masters and Open Championship over the course of his career.
Faldo claimed the green jacket three times (1989, 1990, 1996) and hoisted three Claret Jugs (1987, 1990, 1992). Though he never won a U.S. Open or PGA Championship, he finished as high as second in both.
Even though he hasn’t been gone that lone, it’ll be great to hear Faldo’s voice back on a golf broadcast. He provided great insight during his long career on the microphone, which included 16 years at CBS.