BBC's Hazel Irvine To Present Final Masters This Year

Hazel Irvine will step down as BBC Golf's lead anchor after the Masters after 25 years covering the sport for the BBC

Hazel Irvine
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hazel Irvine will step down as BBC Golf's lead anchor after the Masters after 25 years covering the sport for the BBC

Hazel Irvine To Present Last Masters This Year

Hazel Irvine will present her final US Masters for the BBC this year, the BBC has announced.

Irvine, from St Andrews, has been a constant in the BBC's golf coverage for the last 25 years, and has been the lead anchor since 2009.

The BBC say she will continue to present snooker coverage and other major sporting events.

Eilidh Barbour will take over as BBC's new golf anchor, starting at Wentworth in May for the BMW PGA Championship.

Hazel Irvine interviewing Francesco Molinari at the 2015 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth

Barbour tweeted: "Hazel is the standard I aspire to emulate. A huge inspiration to me personally. To follow her is a dream come true."

She presents BBC's sports news and has covered The Open for BBC Radio 5 Live.

Related: BBC announce 2017 Masters TV coverage

Hazel Irvine said, "I was pleased to be offered another long-term contract with BBC Sport to continue presenting snooker, golf and major events.

"However, after much thought, I have decided that in what is my 30th year in broadcast sport, I want to realign my on-air commitments around the changing needs of my family.

"I have loved working with my brilliant friends and colleagues on the BBC golf team and look forward to being in Augusta to see Danny Willett defend his title and to savouring the unique atmosphere of the Masters one more time.

Related: David Cannon: My Best Masters Pictures

"I am delighted that a fellow Scot, Eilidh Barbour, will be given this chance. I'm sure that she will enjoy it as much as I have."

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport said: "It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Hazel having been the familiar face of the sport for 25 years."

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV