The men behind the mics have many hours to fill on-air, so it's no great surprise that occasionally they come up with some real commentary box classics
Sometimes they drive us to distraction; sometimes they get it a little bit wrong; and sometimes they serve up an absolute cracker that is destined to truly stand the test of time. Our Top 10 commentary box classics offer up some memorable moments from the men with the mics…
‘What a corker!’
The immortal words of the inimitable Henry Longhurst as the purple-clad Tony Jacklin belted his final drive away en route to the Claret Jug at Royal Lytham in 1969.
‘That could spin; this could go’
Peter Alliss as Sandy Lyle’s famous bunker shot landed on the 18th green in the 1988 Masters before trundling back down closer and closer to the hole.
‘Oh, that is curtains’
Alex Hay’s succinct analysis of Greg Norman’s final demise in the water to the left of 16th at Augusta in the 1996 Masters. Curtains it most certainly was.
‘Oh wow. In your life have you ever seen anything like that!’
CBS’s Verne Lundquist as Tiger’s Nike swoosh hung on the lip before toppling in on the 16th in the 2005 Masters to set up another Woods’ Major.
‘That’s where they keep the body bags’
Flippant comment by Gary McCord that got him thrown out of Augusta in 1994. He was referring to players’ prospects from the back of the “bikini-waxed” 17th green.
‘Enough to make Ben Hogan puke’
Johnny Miller’s disparaging remarks about Craig Parry’s swing in 2004 resulted in one very angry Australian and a profuse Miller apology.
‘More Jacques Tati than Jack Nicklaus”
Peter Alliss, unable to quite believe what he was witnessing at Carnoustie in 1999, summing up Jean Van de Velde’s water-wading antics.
‘Looks like he has a divot over each ear’
Irish golfer turned funny man, David Feherty, on one of John Daly’s many bad haircuts over the years.
‘It’s not over yet’
A Peter Alliss gaff at the conclusion of the 2004 Masters as Phil Mickelson’s late grandfather helped nudge the winning putt in from above, meaning that it was, in fact, over!
‘Straight down the hey-diddle-diddle’
Not a classic as such, but rather an annoying phrase that Howard Clark used to use in his early days behind the mic every time a player split a fairway.
