Broadcast moves facing backlash are not new in golf. When ESPN hired Jason Kelce to be part of the 2026 Masters coverage, many fans were furious. Now, it is NBC facing that wrath for a move made for the 2026 U.S. Open broadcasting. Many feel that the team is focusing on the wrong part of the game. While some see it as a way to bring viewers closer to the action, others believe it risks adding more distractions.

“NBC Sports is bugging caddie bibs with microphones at the U.S. Open to enhance player-caddie audio. Starting Friday,” Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter reported via an X post.

This came after NBC Sports released its plan for covering the third major of the season. The company will be using around 90 cameras to cover the event. This will also include Emmy Award-winning drone tracing technology. The camera part is something fans would like, as they have always demanded better coverage and more shots from the comfort of their home. However, adding microphones means more conversations, which for some is an added distraction.

Some fans pitched the idea of mid-round conversations with professionals to understand what they go through on the course. In fact, when Justin Rose had a close to three-minute conversation with his caddie at the 2026 Masters, commentators went silent and let fans hear them. This gesture was well-received and appreciated by fans. However, listening to such conversations now and then might not be something they like.

NBC’s broadcast team for the 2026 US Open includes Dan Hicks and Mike Tirico for play-by-play commentary. Hicks will cover even holes while Tirico will do commentary for odd holes. There will be two golf analysts joining these two play-by-play commentators. Brandel Chamblee will join Hicks, and Brad Faxon will work alongside Tirico.

The on-course reporters for the event include Roger Maltbie, Smylie Kaufman, Jim “Bones” Mackay, and John Wood.

Fans slam NBC’s new audio experiment at the U.S. Open 2026

As NBC made the announcement, it drew plenty of criticism from golf fans. Many believe that broadcasters already spend too much time on conversations and other things rather than showing golf shots.

One frustrated fan wrote, “Caddy and player discussions over each shot has ruined golf. These are professionals who hit thousands of balls weekly. Carry their bags and STFU.” Many other player-caddie exchanges have come to the fans’ attention. Scottie Scheffler’s interaction with caddie Ted Scott at the Cadillac Championship 2026 is a recent example. Jordan Spieth’s 2019 U.S. Open disagreement with caddie Michael Greller remains a case in point. The golf world has long debated whether to share these interactions more.

Some fans pointed out the biggest problem they felt. One said, “I don’t want to hear these dudes talk. I want to see golf shots over and over again. LIV does a great job at showing three times the amount of golf shots than traditional coverage.” Echoing similar sentiments, another wrote, “This stinks. NBC stinks. We want golf shots.”

Many people resonate with this feeling because golf should be much more about golf shots and the art in them than commentary. LIV Golf’s party vibe and shot-focused approach have resonated in Australia and South Africa.

“Going to be an increase of televised curse words,” one user wrote. It seems like a prediction of potential broadcasting headaches at the 2026 U.S. Open. The concern is not unfounded, though. There have been countless incidents of professionals dropping the F-bomb and other curse words during heated moments on the course.

Another fan summed up a common complaint among traditional viewers. “People want to see shots ….not listen to conversations. I don’t want to listen to them talk about the wind for a minute or two and switch clubs. Show more shots. It takes a good director / producer crew,” the fan said. The comment reflects a growing belief that golf broadcasts risk over-explaining decision-making and diverting attention from the shots themselves.

One fan boldly said that this might be beneficial for some executives, not golf fans: “So dumb. Executives making dumb decisions want to hear this shit, most golf fans do not.”

These reactions highlight that fans clearly want to see more golf and not hear about it. As NBC moves ahead with its latest experiment at the U.S. Open, it could settle this debate based on experience from Shinnecock Hills.