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Top commentator quietly leaves Golf Channel

A controversial interview and ''creative differences'' lead to Peter Kessler and the network parting ways.

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 31, 2002

By now, ardent golf viewers know something is amiss. They've seen bits and pieces of the most recognizable person on the Golf Channel but not wall-to-wall Peter Kessler, whom they've come to trust as the face and voice of the 24-hour cable network.

That's because Kessler and the Golf Channel have agreed to disagree, meaning Kessler is sitting out the final year of his contract, appearing only in reruns. He has not been fired, but there are no plans to bring back the man who easily was the Orlando-based network's most popular personality.

"I did seven full seasons," Kessler said recently from his home in Orlando. "I had everybody on every show and I had them on five more times. Literally everyone in golf, with very few exceptions, appeared on multiple occasions. In one sense I felt I did everything I could have done while I was there. There certainly was no reason to think I couldn't have kept going. I don't feel I got shortchanged. The feelings that I have are mostly positive ones."

Kessler, 49, was there from Day One in 1995, when the Golf Channel had trouble getting picked up by cable operators. He hosted more than 1,400 hours of live television, including instructional programs with pros, one-on-one interviews and a viewers call-in program.

His smooth style, baritone voice and encyclopedic knowledge of the game's history served him well, as did his lifelong love of the sport.

Left behind is a library full of interviews with the game's greats, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gene Sarazen, Tommy Bolt, Sam Snead and Nancy Lopez.

But it is one interview with Arnold Palmer -- a co-founder and chairman of the network -- that many believe is at the root of Kessler's problems with his bosses.

Late in 2000, Palmer endorsed Callaway Golf's controversial ERC II driver, a club that does not conform to United States Golf Association rules. Callaway markets the clubs to the masses who don't play in tournaments and just want to hit the ball farther.

Palmer, one of the game's icons, saw no problem with the club and became the subject of plenty of criticism.

And some of it came from Kessler, who believes golf's rules are sacred. He was particularly bothered by Palmer's endorsement, and said so. And their discussion of the topic became pointed during a live interview in January, 2001.

Kessler said the show never affected what he said was a very good relationship with Palmer.

"On the other hand, I do believe that management of the Golf Channel had very significant problems with my taking a stance on the rules of golf," Kessler said. "It happened to be out of step with the stance taken by Arnold. He's a guy's kind of guy. You can have a healthy argument and go at it but afterwards you can go out to dinner and be silly. Friends can agree to disagree. Quite frankly, I don't think on-camera was representative of our relationship. Yes, there were significant difficulties with management, but not with Arnold."

Co-founder and then-Golf Channel president Joe Gibbs was said to be livid over Kessler's handling of the situation.

And the controversy pointed out one of the Golf Channel's flaws: its reluctance to ruffle feathers.

"I think the Golf Channel has always had a philosophy of trying not to offend anybody, by not taking a position or by not being newsy," Kessler said. "We don't interrupt golf programming to report significant news. We don't have shows where opinions are freely expressed. ...

"In real life, stuff comes up, and I don't think anyone is going to be mad at the Golf Channel. It stirs things up, makes it more interesting, better television. That means more viewers and more advertising."

Golf Channel executives have not commented publicly about Kessler's departure. Dan Higgins, a spokesman for the network, said "the main reason" for Kessler's departure "is creative differences. There have been a lot of things reported and a lot of things rumored. But there really is no one issue or circumstance that this resulted from. There are many issues, but the creative difference is the main thing."

Kessler agreed that he had a difficult time adapting to new policies. In the more than 1,300 shows he hosted, Kessler always did his own writing and editing and had final say of the content. Management wanted those duties spread around, and the two sides could not agree.

Then there were reports that Kessler did not get along with many of his colleagues at the network, which never gave a reason on air for Kessler's departure, leaving fans to slowly figure it out.

One of them, Miami attorney Jack Thompson, is trying to organize a boycott of Golf Channel sponsors until Kessler is reinstated.

Although disappointed, Kessler is not hurting. He is getting paid this year while he contemplates his future and works on his golf game.

"Maybe now I can really play to a 7 (handicap)," said Kessler, who often joked that his work with a slew of nationally-known instructors caused his game to suffer because "I had so much going on in my head."

Kessler could end up as part of a network broadcast team next year, among several job possibilities.

"So far the response has been gratifying," he said.

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