January 24, 2008

360 Update: Kelly Tilghman Apologizes

Embattled Golf Channel Anchor Opens Broadcast With Brief Apology

By Seth Arenstein

The Golf Channel remained consistent today, doing its best to tone down the controversy over remarks made earlier this month by lead announcer Kelly Tilghman. To open today’s live coverage of the Buick Invitational, Golf ran Tilghman making a 25-second, taped apology to those she may have offended with her remarks about Tiger Woods.

Appearing in an open shirt in front of a plain blue background, Tilghman spoke sullenly, saying, “I’ve taken the time to reflect about what I said…” during her two-week suspension, which ends today. “I’m terribly sorry,” she said and sent her “deepest apologies.” With that, the broadcast moved to its normal open, with Tilghman touting Woods’ appearance in the tournament field, his first PGA play this year. After that 20-second preview, Tilghman spent 10 seconds on Phil Mickelson’s appearance in the tournament, pitting the game’s top two players against each other for the first time in four months.

1 minute into the telecast live coverage began with cameras showing Woods walloping a shot on the 10th hole. Six minutes into the broadcast Golf cut to its first shot of Tilghman and her partner Nick Faldo. They made no mention of the Woods incident. Thirty-six minutes in Tilghman was clearly on her game, joking with Faldo and being among the best golf anchors in the business. Tilghman also is television's first female anchor of a major sport. Coverage of the Buick will run again tonight, at 9 ET.

Earlier in January, during a Friday broadcast, Tilghman inadvertently said the only way for young players to stop Woods would be for them to “lynch him in a back alley.” Tilghman apologized for the remarks two days later, during a Sunday broadcast. She was subsequently suspended for two weeks.

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