He’ll See if Mickelson Keeps Stiff Upper Chip

The British Open is underway, and one of the golfers viewers will be keeping an eye on is Phil Mickelson, who was last seen in a major when he suffered a meltdown at the U.S. Open.

Mickelson went into the second round today only three shots off the lead, but Paul Azinger was impressed even before the tournament began.

Azinger, who is working as a commentator on the TNT and ABC coverage of the Open, knows how it feels to let a major championship get away. He had four bogeys on the back nine, including two on the final two holes, to lose the 1987 British Open to current fellow ABC commentator Nick Faldo by one shot.

“Phil has shown a great ability to look forward,� Azinger said on a conference call from Hoylake, England, on Wednesday. “He got on an airplane and came over here a week after the U.S. Open, and I admire him for that.�

Azinger said it was different for him after the 1987 British Open.

“Honestly, I could hardly come out of the house,� he said.

British Open Notes

This is the 46th year that ABC has televised the British Open. The network is signed to handle the tournament through 2009 even though, beginning next year, ABC won’t have any PGA Tour golf.

Producing this weekend’s coverage will be Brandt Packer, the son of CBS college basketball commentator Billy Packer. Brandt has produced some golf tournaments for ABC, but never a major. ABC’s former lead golf producer, Mark Loomis, is now at NFL Network.

ABC lead golf announcer Mike Tirico is also serving as the host of TNT’s coverage because Ernie Johnson is undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The commentators are Azinger and Faldo, who will be joined by hole analysts Peter Allis and Ian Baker-Finch and on-course reporters Andy North, Billy Ray Brown and Bill Kratzert. Terry Gannon will handle interviews, and Tom Rinaldi will provide essays.

TNT’s coverage today, beginning at 7 a.m., is delayed. ABC’s live weekend coverage will begin at 6 a.m. Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday.

More Joe Buck?

David Hill and Ed Goren, the top two executives at Fox Sports, are considering using play-by-play announcer Joe Buck as the host of Fox’s NFL pregame show, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Buck would be replacing James Brown, who left for CBS.

If the deal goes through, Buck would continue in his role as the network’s lead NFL play-by-play announcer, so the show would go to the site of whatever game he is assigned each week. However, Buck would not host the halftime shows. That job is likely to go to Curt Menefee, or possibly Chris Myers.

An announcement from Fox is expected around mid-August.

Also, for Fox’s BCS bowl coverage, Chris Rose of FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period� is in line to be named the host of the pregame, halftime and postgame shows.