Steve Sands Facts: 10 Things To Know About The Golf Channel Broadcaster

Steve Sands is a familiar face to golf fans, and has been part of the Golf Channel's broadcast team since 2001.

However, it's not just golf where Sands has made a name for himself in the broadcasting world, while the name of a a family business follows him around.

Here are 10 things to know about the interviewer.

1. Washington DC-born Steve attended Colorado State University and earned a bachelor's degree in technical journalism, graduating in 1991.

2. The year before that, he interned at CNN Sports, although his career in broadcasting really got started as a sports anchor and reporter in Fort Collins, Colorado. He then held a variety of sports anchor jobs around the country before joining the Golf Channel in 2001 as a reporter. Nowadays, he is the studio host and play-by-play announcer.

3. He is also the lead interviewer for NBC’s golf coverage.

4. In 2009, he was inducted into the Greater Washington Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

5. Steve memorably interviewed an emotional Tiger Woods immediately after he won the 2018 Tour Championship for his 80^th PGA Tour title.

6. Woods is also responsible for his nickname, “Sandsie.”

7. Another emotional interview came after The Open in 2019, when Sands spoke to Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy after he missed the cut in his homeland, despite carding a second-round 65 at Royal Portrush.

Speaking to The Drop Zone podcast, Sands explained what the interview meant to him.

“So to me, the interview with him afterwards, him being so emotional, I’ve been doing this 29 years and I’ve never cried,” said Sands. “I’m a crier, I cry at everything - and I’ve never cried on live TV. And Rory got me.”

8. The Sands family owns and operates Calvert Woodley Wines and Spirits, which is also home to cheese merchant La Cheeserie.

9. Sands regularly appears on The Tony Kornheiser Show. The host liked the name La Cheeserie and asked listeners to shout it at Sands whenever they see on site at tournaments. Sure enough, that soon became a regular occurrence.

10. It’s not just golf where Steve has made a name for himself. In 2014, he became part of NBC’s Olympics coverage and he has since covered several winter and summer Olympic Games as a play-by-play announcer and lead interviewer for speed skating and golf.