So farewell Peter Alliss

[Richard Fisher]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/55204070


One of the things I always liked and respected about Peter Alliss was that his world of golf was emphatically one built around Golf Clubs (i.e. the institutions). Championships and Ryder Cups and professional tours were all very well, but the core of the game revolved around clubs, and the members and staff thereof. He was almost certainly the last mainstream golf broadcaster of whom that could be said. Rather as Bernard Darwin always looked back to the Edwardian Age, and Henry Longhurst to the rather raffish, febrile world of  the 1930s, Alliss always seemed to me to be somebody at home in the 1950s, when golf (certainly in the UK) was a quiet and somehow pre-industrial undertaking. Above all, he was somebody who always remembered that golf was a game.  Truly his passing marks the end of an era.

[Brent Carlson]

RIP Mr. Alliss.  Recently I was watching an old US Open.  The broadcast team included Alliss, Jim McKay, Jack Whitaker, Dave Marr and Bob Rosburg.  What a talented team.

[Ronald Montesano]

I thought about that today...Darwin begat Longhurst, who gave us Aliss. I think that Faldo is too compromised in the business, so perhaps we will look again to the medium of print to find our next siren voice, the one who woos us toward the rocks of golf's essence.

[Peter Sayegh]

Sad news. I thought he spoke "goff" to those who didn't know it better than anyone.

P.S. Can anyone confirm that my favorite all time sport quote was actually Mr. Alliss:"Not even a courting couple would venture into those woods."

[Tim Martin]

Peter had a terrific sense of humor and his timing was always spot on. He said more with way less words than most.

[Thomas Dai]

His World Golf Hall of Fame speech with first a long introduction - chuckle time - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JifGn_yJ4YQ - RIP.
Atb

[Peter Flory]

I never realized what a good player he was until a few months ago when I saw some footage.  Many strong showings in the Open, but only played in the Masters twice and no other majors.  In the Open, 8, T8, T8, T9, T11, T12, T13, T16, T18, T20, etc.   

He has 10 top 20s in the Open and Tiger Woods has 11. 

[Garland Bayley]

His World Golf Hall of Fame speech with first a long introduction - chuckle time - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JifGn_yJ4YQ - RIP.
Atb

Thanks Dai!

[David_Tepper]

"My Top 10 Courses with Peter Alliss"


https://www.linksmagazine.com/my_top_10_peter_alliss/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=insider12.7

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

I think I was watching these course flyovers from Seaton Carew the night Peter Allis passed away:
https://www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk/page.aspx?pid=37518
Allis does the voiceover for all 22 holes.

In the olden days when there wasn't much golf on TV, we used look forward to watching Around with Allis and Pro Celebrity Golf.

[Steve Salmen]

I will miss his Open commentary. 


On Golf Channel, they played some highlights.  He was calling the US Open in 1982 and when Watson chipped in on 17, Allis said, "Well, well, well... and there's a shot that will be remembered for as long as golf continues to be played."  I'm not sure it could have been called better. RIP

[V. Kmetz]

I will miss his Open commentary. 

On Golf Channel, they played some highlights.  He was calling the US Open in 1982 and when Watson chipped in on 17, Allis said, "Well, well, well... and there's a shot that will be remembered for as long as golf continues to be played."  I'm not sure it could have been called better. RIP

I can't plug in the VCR this moment, so I'll have to unfortunately crib...


2010 Open... 2nd rd... heavy winds... middle of a long slow, slogging survival day for the golfers and 16 hour day for the coverage crews... Monty, who's had a fair to middlin day, on the 8th tee, about to start the famous Loop and Allis sets the scene as Monty chooses his club, eyes the situation and prepares to strike... all of this from a camera position directly behind Monty's aim...


"Here he begins the stretch where anything can happen; on each of the next four holes a two is possible...a 2...a 3...4...5...6... (Monty swings, as Allis trails off.).. 7...8... Jack, Queen, King..."

[Niall C]

I read an interesting piece in the Times today that mentioned that Alliss and Dave Thomas were hired by the R&A "to update Turnberry in preparation for its first Open Championship in 1977. His rejected third design showed the boldness that had characterised him as a player, but also a radicalism that the Royal & Ancient could not bring itself to accept. To the end of his days Alliss hankered after being given carte blanche at Turnberry "with a few bob"".


I can't recall hearing of that before and there is nothing in the Turnberry history book. It would be interesting to hear more of what they had planned.


Niall

[Anthony Butler]

2010 Open... 2nd rd... heavy winds... middle of a long slow, slogging survival day for the golfers and 16 hour day for the coverage crews... Monty, who's had a fair to middlin day, on the 8th tee, about to start the famous Loop and Allis sets the scene as Monty chooses his club, eyes the situation and prepares to strike... all of this from a camera position directly behind Monty's aim...


"Here he begins the stretch where anything can happen; on each of the next four holes a two is possible...a 2...a 3...4...5...6... (Monty swings, as Allis trails off.).. 7...8... Jack, Queen, King..."

2015 Open at St. Andrews also 2nd round. Peter Alliss: “Ah, young Jordan Spieth... he’s been 21 years of age longer than wife claimed to be 39...”


Genius.

[V. Kmetz]

2015 Open at St. Andrews also 2nd round. Peter Alliss: “Ah, young Jordan Spieth... he’s been 21 years of age longer than wife claimed to be 39...”

Genius.

I think the very first time I became "aware" of +Peter Allis as more than just the British voice on ABC golf telecasts, was during a Senior TPC in the mid 80s, and Bruce Crampton (with several marshals and gallery) looking for a errant ball in tall dry marsh grass... long silence... followed by:


"Mmmm-eh my, dear, dear...he's near as likely to find Sir David Attenborough in there."

[Ally Mcintosh]

Richard has it spot on. He was the last of an era that connected professional golfers to clubs rather than tours.


His turn of phrase was unsurpassed and his old-school lack of political correctness is something that will be missed, if only to counter the over-compensation that the modern world is imposing on us.


Perhaps his most risqué comment - and his funniest joke - was the Carol Vorderman reference. Only relevant for British viewers.


But really it was his observational commentary on side-occurrences during 12 hours straight watching of The Open that I will remember most.


RIP.

[Matthew Rose]

The one that immediately comes to mind is the aside about "being overweight and unemployed" on an Open telecast some years ago.... Mike Tirico and a few others audibly burst into laughter.

I took him a bit for granted I think. Back when ABC had three majors his voice became a ubiquitous one but I wasn't really old enough then to appreciate it. Same with the likes of Jim McKay and Judy Rankin, the latter of whom thankfully is still with us.

For all the advances in technology and fidelity in golf broadcasting since those days, the commentary and presentation has really regressed. Now it's two minutes of golf, eight minutes of viagra ads and six minutes of ego stroking a sponsor.

[Thomas Dai]

Modern day commentators should study Peter Alliss and his mentor Henry Longhurst. What they said was worth listening to but they never said too much, they usually just let the action flow and then enhanced it with a few choice words sometimes about golf, sometimes about other matters. PA was also pretty smart and occasionally rather naughty when it came to poking fun and with the use of double-meanings.
atb

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

I'm not so sure it's something you can learn; you either have it (wit, humour, knowledge of the game and the players both past and present, life experiences, intelligence, a good turn of phrase, etc.) or you haven't.


Unfortunately most commentators nowadays have nothing interesting to say, and that's not just in golf commentary, but there are exceptions. It's a bit like players; some are interesting like Harrington, but many others are not.

[Steve Wilson]

So what was the Carol Vorderman reference.  I may not be British, but surely I know enough of them that there's at least one who can explain it.

[Niall C]

There are times when less is more however in latter years I think he forgot that and thought of himself as some great comedy turn. Yes he could be witty on occasion but a stand up comedian he wasn't. That's just my opinion of course and appreciate that others here don't agree. He did however have a remarkable life.


Niall

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

So what was the Carol Vorderman reference.  I may not be British, but surely I know enough of them that there's at least one who can explain it.

Steve,


Here's an example of Carol Vorderman on Countdown (watch this and you get the idea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQc4fvF5aj4


Here's the Allis reference to her:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSNAtNKobfI

[Duncan Cheslett]

Here's an even better Carol Voorderman snippet...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PNSWm_CFYY&ab_channel=BENJIVENIAMIN

[Adam Lawrence]

Alliss was funny from time to time, and may he rest in peace, but he really needed to retire quite a long time ago to avoid spoiling his legacy. Like a number of veteran commentators, he had got to the point where he was all 'colour' -- his actual commentary on what was going on was terrible. And his awareness of architecture, for a man whose name was on quite a lot of course designs, was shocking. Every time a ball ran through a green into a bad spot, or into a bunker, you could guarantee that he'd say it was either 'unlucky' (which was probably reasonable) or 'unfair' (which was certainly not). For a man who had played so much links golf, he seemed to have very little understanding of how the game is played on a links.

[Tim Martin]

Alliss was funny from time to time, and may he rest in peace, but he really needed to retire quite a long time ago to avoid spoiling his legacy. Like a number of veteran commentators, he had got to the point where he was all 'colour' -- his actual commentary on what was going on was terrible. And his awareness of architecture, for a man whose name was on quite a lot of course designs, was shocking. Every time a ball ran through a green into a bad spot, or into a bunker, you could guarantee that he'd say it was either 'unlucky' (which was probably reasonable) or 'unfair' (which was certainly not). For a man who had played so much links golf, he seemed to have very little understanding of how the game is played on a links.

You must get picked to do a lot of eulogies. Very gracious.