(ABC Sports)LAST NIGHT I TALKED TO BOB ROSBURG, or “Rossi,” a former PGA Tour player and ABC broadcaster. Rosburg won six times on tour, including the 1959 PGA Championship, but he’s probably best known for his 33 years as an on-course commentator for ABC.
Rossi told me he had great admiration for his ABC colleagues: Dave Marr, Brent Musburger, Jim McKay, Jack Whitaker and others. “I was a very lucky guy to come along at that time,” he said.
I asked him about McKay, who recently died. “He was a great, great man. He loved golf and he loved horse racing. Jim was a wonderful guy.”
One big career highlight for Rosburg was hitting the first shot at the 1959 Ryder Cup at El Dorado in Palm Springs. “That was quite a thrill,” he said.
His only Ryder Cup appearance, Rossi won both his matches, as the Americans regained the Cup. “I played with [Mike] Souchak in the doubles and we won pretty easy, and I won pretty easy in the singles.”
I asked Rossi what he thought about the recent Ryder Cup matches at Valhalla. “Azinger did a great job. I think all the guys were excited about playing.” He called blaming European captain Nick Faldo for Europe’s loss “a bunch of bull.”
Rossi hasn’t been playing golf after a bout with cancer this past year, but is feeling great now. “From what they say, everything is in remission, so I might play a little.”
−The Armchair Golfer
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