Golf fans tuning into CBS at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday thought they knew what was waiting for them: the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Instead, they got basketball.
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CBS had BIG3 3×3 professional basketball on the schedule for the weekend afternoon (12:00 PM ET), but it unfortunately pushed the golf broadcast back, leaving frustrated fans staring at their screens, wondering when the golf coverage would finally begin.
For avid golf fans, though, this wasn’t exactly a surprise. It was the same old headache. They tuned in expecting golf, only to find the coverage pushed back because of scheduling. And once again, the frustration landed squarely at CBS’ doorstep.
Here’s what happened: The tournament kicked off on Thursday at TPC Southwind, with a $20 million prize pool up for grabs. By Saturday, the action had reached the third round, and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was sitting comfortably atop the leaderboard. With coverage split between Golf Channel and CBS, plus live streaming on Paramount+ and the ESPN app, fans had plenty of ways to follow the action. At least in theory.
And that was the source of the irritation. CBS Sports had the BIG3 Basketball Celebrity Game and Playoffs scheduled ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. That left golf fans stuck, waiting for the coverage they had tuned in to watch.
For those expecting the tournament, the basketball broadcast felt like an unwanted detour before they could finally get to the golf.
The Big3 celebrity game featured Chad ‘OchoCinco’ Johnson, Gillie, Wallo, Russ, Hunxho, Key Glock, D’aydrian Harding, Jimmy Sotos, MD Motivator, Bobby Taylor, Dakota Gonzalez, Dylan Gonzalez.
One fan didn’t hold back, calling the scheduling mess “an abomination.” And judging by the reaction from others, that frustration was far from a one-person complaint.
And the timing made the wait even more frustrating. There was plenty at stake for both the players and the fans watching. All 69 golfers in the field were battling to stay inside the FedExCup’s top 50, the crucial cutoff for advancing to next week’s BMW Championship. That’s part of why fans were frustrated: the middle and back of the leaderboard, where a lot of that fight was playing out, kept losing airtime to studio segments.
Plus, this is at least the third time this year CBS has caught heat for its golf coverage. At The Masters, the network missed McIlroy’s second shot on 18 and gave viewers a partially blocked view of his winning putt, mistakes that drew plenty of criticism from fans and media alike.
Then, at the PGA Championship in May, with 21 players within four shots of the lead late on Sunday, CBS kept cutting away right as contenders were making their moves, leaning on graphics and studio chatter instead of showing the golf.
That frustration spilled out on X throughout the day.
CBS comes into the spotlight during the St. Jude Championship
“The CBS golf coverage is an abomination. 4 minutes of watching 3 shots. Watching Scottie walk to the next tee. What a farce,” one user commented.
Another asked, “Why does CBS continue to schedule stuff ahead of golf coverage, knowing it won’t be done at 3 pm?”
The user seemed to refer to the BIG3 3×3 professional basketball game.
Someone else posted: “@CBS @PGATOUR, why did you block the 3rd round afternoon of PGA Tour coverage? I have @paramountplus as well, and it’s the Chiefs’ preseason. I couldn’t give an F about this game. I want to be able to watch the FedEx St Jude Classic. @YouTubeTV is showing the Chiefs, too.”
Meanwhile, another user added: “CBS Sports has lost their minds. Third Round coverage of the FedEx Cup with Scottie Scheffler leading has been preempted by a basketball game. Come on, man.”
The next fan wasn’t happy either. “CBS is doing it again; they’re supposed to start at 3 pm, but the 3-on-3 garbage is still going, so golf coverage is sidelined for minor sports coverage. Why are they even given these contracts when they continually preempt for WNBA and 3-on-3? Both sports aren’t watchable.”
Add it up with the Masters and PGA Championship, and this isn’t a one-off; it’s starting to look like a habit. Sunday’s final round will show whether CBS tightens things up, or whether fans are stuck watching Scheffler’s walk to the next tee instead of the shot that got him there.