Scott Van Pelt Facts: 11 Things To Know About ESPN Golf Broadcaster

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 2 January 2025

He's already a recognizable face in US sports broadcasting including golf, but Scott Van Pelt will get even more TV hours under his belt fronting TGL.

Discover more about his life and career with the following facts.

SCOTT VAN PELT FACTS

1. Scott Van Pelt was born 6 July 1966 in Maryland.

2. He and his wife Stephanie have three children.

3. Van Pelt will host ESPN's TGL coverage alongside Matt Barrie and Marty Smith.

4. Van Pelt attended the University of Maryland, graduating in 1988 after studying radio, television and film.

5. After five years at a Fox affiliate in Washington DC, Van Pelt moved to Golf Channel where he worked from 1995-2000 as a studio host on shows such as Golf Central.

Marty Smith (left), Matt Barrie (centre), and Scott Van Pelt (right)

6. Van Pelt joined ESPN in 2001 and has gone on to host a variety of spots on both TV and radio.

7. He's most well known for being a presenter on Sportscenter, a job he secured in 2015.

8. Van Pelt is a main host of ESPN's golf coverage for The Masters and The Open.

9. He also works in the world of NFL, fronting Monday Night Countdown, ESPN's pre-game show for their Monday Night Football game every week.

10. Van Pelt also hosts Friday night College Football and also contributed to ESPN's College GameDay via his feature called 'Bald Man on Campus'.

11. For ESPN radio, Van Pelt has hosted a variety of shows and podcasts, including one alongside Mike Tirico and the SVPod Podcast.

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.

SCOTT VAN PELT FACTS

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