Holly Sonders’ debut with FOX Sports didn’t go too well, and it appears the network is making sure a similar situation doesn’t happen again.
After serving as the on-course interviewer at the 2015 U.S. Open, Sonders will move to the studio to host FOX Sports 1’s post-round show at the Women’s U.S. Open on Saturday and Sunday.
“We’re not reassigning Holly because she did a bad job,” FOX’s coordinating producer Mark Loomis told PennLive.com. “I think Holly’s been great for us. It’s just that she can’t do both the postgame show and the interviews.”
Sonders, who left the Golf Channel for FOX Sports in 2014, has received plenty of criticism for her U.S. Open interview of Jordan Spieth. After a pair of missed Dustin Johnson putts earned Spieth a shocking victory, Sonders asked the 21-year-old Texan if he had packed an extra outfit in case of a playoff.
Of course, FOX Sports has been careful not to term Sonders’ “reassignment” as a demotion and hasn’t directly pointed to that interview as a reason for the change. Given Loomis’ comments, though, it’s pretty easy to read between the lines.
“What I would tell Holly is that it was her first time doing an interview in that situation,” Loomis added. “She’s doing a lot of good things.”
Veteran Irish journalist Shane O’Donoghue will take Sonders’ place conducting on-course interviews at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Click here to see photos of Holly Sonders >>
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@RockBottomGolf
