Kevin Kisner To Return As NBC Analyst At Players Championship

Kevin Kisner will be back on TV screens for a third time this season, after NBC confirmed the hugely popular American will serve as an analyst for next week's Players Championships.

Kisner has already had spells in the booth at the season-opening Sentry and the WM Phoenix Open and has proved a hit with fans. 

The PGA Tour veteran, who is not in next week's field, will provide weekend coverage alongside play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks and will also return for the "Friday Happy Hour" segment, taking place alongside Smylie Kaufman at the iconic 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

First reported by Golfweek, NBC has since confirmed the news. 

"Kevin did a great job in the booth with Dan Hicks earlier this year and his work with Smylie Kaufman on the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open made for great TV, so we’re happy we can once again pair Kevin with Dan and have Kevin join Smylie at the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass next Friday,” Tommy Roy, NBC Sports’ lead golf producer said.

“Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch have called some of the most iconic moments at The Players Championship throughout the past three decades and having them on next week’s broadcasts is a great way for NBC Sports to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Players."

NBC continues to experiment with a rotating cast of analysts as they seek to find a full-time replacement for Paul Azinger, who left the company following last year's Ryder Cup. 

Paul McGinley temporarily stepped up during Tiger Woods' long-awaited comeback at the Hero World Challenge late last year, Curt Byrum was lead analyst at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee filled in across Nick Dunlap's extraordinary win at The American Express.

Along with the trio, Jim 'Bones' Mackay was brought in for the Mexico Open, while European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald worked across the Cognizant Classic and Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Azinger recently had his say on his departure from NBC, with the 64-year-old “happy that it ended” but labelling Sam Flood, NBC Sports Executive Vice President & President of Production, an “a-hole” when it came to negotiating a new deal.