From his first nervous steps at the 1991 Masters to launching a premium media company dedicated to golf's business landscape, Jimmy shares the lessons learned from a career that's covered every major sporting event on the planet. Whether you're an aspiring broadcaster, a golf industry professional, or simply someone who loves a great story, this episode is your backstage pass to one of sport's most respected voices.

Three key takeaways that you'll discover:

✅ The Power of Curiosity Over Stats Jimmy reveals that his entire career was built not on memorizing statistics, but on genuine curiosity about people. His advice? "God gave us two ears and one mouth" so listen more because everyone has a story worth telling.

✅ Golf is a $250 Billion/year Global Ecosystem With more golf courses in America than McDonald's restaurants and 130 million "golf engaged" Americans, Jimmy explains why he and co-founder Fred Bucher launched Big Swing Media to cover the business side of the game that's been largely overlooked.

✅ Storytelling is About Making People Care From his days at ABC Sports learning from legendary producer Roone Arledge, Jimmy shares the foundational principle of great storytelling: educate your audience and give them a reason to connect emotionally with the subjects you cover.

Inspiring Quotes from Jimmy Roberts:

"Everybody's got a story. The heart of storytelling is to educate people and give them a reason to care. Give them a reason to identify, give them a reason to root."

"If there was such a thing as YouTube back then, I'd probably be either waiting tables or selling insurance right now because there'd be evidence of my incompetence. I was really fortunate to learn on the job and make a lot of mistakes in obscurity."

"We're not broadcasters, we're narrowcasters. We've identified our little lane where there's a lot of white space, and we're colouring in some of the lines."

Episode Chapters

00:00 - Introduction
Colin sets the stage for this special Season 19 finale conversation with broadcasting legend Jimmy Roberts.

01:01 - The Origin Story Jimmy shares his golf journey - from parents who introduced him to the game to maintaining a "comfortable somewhere in the 80s" handicap. He reveals the three things that make golf truly special: beautiful places, connection with people, and the joy of playing the game for a lifetime.

03:43 - The Breakthrough Moment
The remarkable story of how a cold call to ABC's Wide World of Sports at age 18 launched a legendary career. Jimmy recounts pestering legendary producer Ned Steckle and landing his first gig covering the 1976 NCAA lacrosse championship.

08:40 - Finding Golf
Why Jimmy strategically "planted a flag" in golf coverage at ESPN in the early 1990s - and how Tiger Woods' arrival proved to be the perfect timing that turbocharged Jimmy's storytelling career.

10:02 - First Masters Memories
Jimmy's unforgettable 1991 Masters experience: showing up overwhelmed, finding comfort with Dave Marr, and the surreal moment Byron Nelson pretended to know him. "There was no way he had any idea who I was, but that's more a story about who Dave Marr was."

12:49 - Playing Augusta National
Insider details on the Monday media lottery, playing the course, and what television doesn't capture - especially the dramatic elevation changes and the true challenge of those legendary greens.

16:05 - Augusta's Digital Innovation
How the Masters leads the industry by asking "how do we make this the best it can be?" rather than "how much does it cost?" Jimmy shares insights on working with Augusta's digital committee, chaired by Comcast's Brian Roberts.

16:42 - The Art of Storytelling
Jimmy's approach to journalism: be curious, ask more questions than you answer, and always remember that "everybody's got a story." He traces the lineage of "up close and personal" features to Roone Arledge's Olympic coverage.

19:28 - Big Swing Media Origins
The founding story of Jimmy's digital media company, sparked by the surprising fact that there are more golf courses in America than McDonald's restaurants - and a $250 billion annual global industry with virtually no dedicated media coverage.

21:51 - Celebrity Golf and Growth
Jimmy discusses guests like Steph Curry, Jack Nicklaus, and Delta CEO Ed Bastian. He shares insights on why celebrity events like the American Century Championship resonate. "They're like us. We all share this game."

29:03 - The Business of Golf
How Big Swing Media targets the "CEO hour" on Golf Channel, reaching the 450 of 500 Fortune 500 CEOs who play golf. The focus on leadership, culture, and the business side of the game.

34:15 - Diversity and the Future
The fastest-growing golf segments: young women and people of colour. Jimmy highlights stories like Five Iron Golf co-founder Nora Dunn and Stanford women's golf coach Anne Walker, whose program has won three of the last five national championships.

38:23 - Where to Find Jimmy
Big Swing Media's footprint: The Big Swing podcast on YouTube, the Golf Channel show (Tuesdays at 7 AM ET), and the Golf Business Intelligence Brief newsletter twice weekly.

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Connect with Jimmy and Big Swing Media:

• Big Swing Media News: BigSwingMedia.News

• The Big Swing Podcast: Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms

• On The Golf Channel: The Big Swing with Jimmy Roberts airs Tuesdays at 7 AM ET

We want to thank Golf Genius Software for presenting this episode and for supporting The ModGolf Podcast since 2019!
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