Johnson Wagner won a Sports Emmy. It wasn’t for calling a championship Sunday or for years of Tour wins, but for stepping onto tournament courses and hitting awkward chip shots on live TV. That’s the unique, ironic fame he built at Golf Channel, and now golf fans compare everyone else to that standard.

When Wagner left Golf Channel for CBS Sports in December 2025, Smylie Kaufman took over the on-course recreation segments that Wagner had established. At the 2026 Players Championship, Kaufman appeared on ‘Live From The Players’ at TPC Sawgrass, performing shot recreations for the same audience that had made Wagner’s segments popular. The response on social media was immediate and critical.

Wagner spent two years developing the format, hitting 99 shots at nine different venues, always without a warm-up. The idea started by accident at the 2024 Players Championship, when he missed three attempts at an Xander Schauffele chip and expected criticism, but instead received widespread praise. Golf Digest later analyzed all 99 shots using ShotLink and DataGolf, a level of scrutiny usually reserved for players. After that, CBS offered Wagner a role, and Golf Channel needed a replacement.

At TPC Sawgrass, Kaufman took on a larger on-course role, working alongside Jim Furyk, who was the lead analyst for the week. Kaufman came close to matching Justin Thomas‘s eagle pitch on the 11th hole during Round 2. He also tried to recreate Si Woo Kim’s 2017 driver off the deck on the 14th, a shot he had seen in person, but ended up hitting two poor shots. On Thursday night, the 17th, he told viewers he had never hit a ball in the water there, but then did exactly that.

Golf Channel coordinating producer Matt Hegarty made it clear that Kaufman is not intended as a direct replacement for Wagner. The new approach is to expand the segments, focusing on why players make certain choices and exploring different options in real time, rather than just recreating shots. When Wagner left, Sports Business Journal reported that his ‘Live From’ segments would likely not continue at Golf Channel, but similar segments could appear at CBS. Wagner has since confirmed that the recreations will continue at CBS, though the exact format is still being developed.

Golf fans picked up on the change right away.

Johnson Wagner fans react to his Golf Channel absence during Players Championship

Rich Lerner, Wagner’s longtime “Live From” colleague, told Golf Digest that he had never seen someone become a folk hero so quickly in golf broadcasting. When Kaufman’s segments aired during Players’ week, viewers measured them against exactly that standard.

“Can we please stop with Smylie recreating shots on Live From? There is only one Johnson Wagner.”

The reply came fast.

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Wagner’s social media following increased with every broadcast. Golf.com linked this directly to his segments, which resonated because of their unpredictability and authenticity. This context explains the next wave of comments.

“@SmylieKaufman10 @GolfChannel Smylie is not Johnson Wagner, dry personality, very boring to see him replicate shots…..can’t be a cheap imitation of a great original like Johnson Wagner, can’t wait until @CBSGolf takes over!”

The feedback kept coming.

“@GolfChannel Johnson Wagner is irreplaceable.”

“Johnson Wagner > Smylie Kaufman”

The comments show this is more than just a preference. Wagner’s segments succeeded because they were unscripted and unpredictable. The audience recognized that before anyone else did. With CBS now taking over final-round coverage at TPC Sawgrass, the transition is underway but not yet complete.