The extremely popular figure of Kevin Kisner has ruled himself out of taking the next permanent Lead Golf Analyst role with NBC Sports.
Kisner has filled the post in a temporary capacity on a few occasions since Paul Azinger's contract with the broadcaster was not renewed late last year, working at The Sentry, the WM Phoenix Open, and The Players alongside the regular team which includes anchor, Dan Hicks.
But, speaking to Golf Digest's The Loop podcast, four-time PGA Tour winner Kisner insists he remains committed to playing professionally as much as he can before he trades the clubs in for a microphone.
Explaining his journey with NBC and what is next for the South-Carolina native, Kisner said: "The NBC deal kinda started on a whim. Tommy Roy [NBC's lead golf producer] is a good friend of mine, he called me in the off-season and said they'd made a change and they were looking for people to fill in.
"It started in Maui, I told them I'd do Maui for them - I was already headed there to play the Sony Open. That worked out, and I guess they liked it enough to ask me to do Phoenix [WM Phoenix Open]. Phoenix turned into The Players, and that turned into me saying 'guys, I can't keep doing this every off week. My wife is going to kill me if I never go home during off weeks!'
We had an awesome chat this morning with @K_Kisner , who told us why his future at NBC remains so uncertain, why he refuses to stop grinding on the PGA Tour and the hilarious reason he's not even going to bother with U.S. Open qualifying @AlexMyers3 @S_HennesseyGD Few better… pic.twitter.com/pzLPp8XsMxApril 29, 2024
"My schedule is planning on still to play the whole season, and I realise it's more work than I thought as far as being able to do both. So I told NBC I was going to play until the end of the season and then we can reassess after that."
Kisner's public admission arrives at a time where NBC bosses appear to be none the wiser as to who exactly will replace Azinger. A stand-in will definitely be in place at the upcoming PGA Championship, while the same is highly likely for the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in mid-June.
Kisner will not be at the year's third Major in any capacity, however, with the 40-year-old admitting that he already promised one of his best friend's he would go on a trip for their significant birthday.
The 40-year-old said: "I'm not going to try and qualify, I'm going to one of my best friend's 50th birthday party that week.
"I'd already told NBC that that week was out because they'd mentioned me maybe doing it, and I just said 'look guys, I've already got a trip, I've already promised these people I'd go on a trip with them' so I'm not going to change my whole schedule just for the one week.
"But I love working with the guys at NBC - they're great. The whole team is fantastic, they welcomed me with open arms. It was a cool experience to learn it and it may be something that I want to do when I finish playing. But it's not something I can do and play, is what I've learned."
