By Jay Betsill
David Feherty, the well-known broadcaster seen on CBS Sports golf telecasts and the Golf Channel, has plenty of thoughts on the game of golf, Dallas-area phenom Jordan Spieth and the state of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. The Wednesday following Bubba Watson’s victory at the Masters, Feherty was the featured guest at the PwC SMU Athletic Forum’s AT&T Luncheon inside the massive Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas.
Prior to the luncheon, Feherty held court with local media members:
Take us through Sunday at the Masters.
Well you’re supposed to be impartial as a broadcaster, but I am not sure how anyone from this area could be impartial with Jordan (Spieth) and what he was doing. Anyone who knows him, he is such a great kid and without question, the best young player I have seen since Tiger Woods. I have seen a lot of great young players in the last 20 years, but he is special. He is the real thing, the whole package. The pressure of that event is unlike anything except the Ryder Cup and Jordan didn’t lose it, Bubba won the event. He played out of his skull, especially on the second nine.
Does Jordan Spieth have the same type of appeal as Tiger Woods to keep interest in the game at a high level?
I don’t think I’ll ever see, actually I know I’ll never see another player like Tiger Woods. I don’t even think my children will see a player like Tiger Woods. The spell he had around the turn of the century was like watching a creature from another planet.
The Byron Nelson had its run from 1995-2005 where it was one of the bigger sporting events in the world. Do you see it ever regaining that level of prominence?
I think a change in the date would certainly help, there’s no question about that. The purse can be high, the players can be treated great and you can have all sorts of things in your favor, but if it isn’t a great golf course, you’re not going to get a great field. It’s as simple as that. They did a fantastic job on the TPC at the Four Seasons, but it simply couldn’t be converted into a Top 50-type course. With them building the new course, I would certainly have high hopes.