
The Open commentator forced to issue grovelling apology after X-rated live TV outburst when he thought his mic was off
On course reporter Smylie Kaufman dropped the F-bomb when he thought his mic was off on Friday.
2
2
It came as Jon Rahm was putting for a long birdie on hole 13.
On the mic, Kaufman said: "This is one of the more difficult holes today."
And as challenging as the hole may have been for Rahm and the other golfers, it was equally difficult for Kaufman.
After a few seconds pause, Kaufman could be heard ruffling around before blurting out: "What the f***?"
About 15 minutes later, host Mike Tirico was tasked with issuing an apology for Kaufman and NBC.
Tirico appeared to blame the headsets at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
And now Kaufman himself posted his own apology on X.
He said: "I guess there's a first for everything. First off I want to apologise for the audio blunder that happened today.
"I heard a pop in my ear and it went radio silent, which typically signals to me that my mic is down.
"But clearly it wasn't, so I want to apologise for what happened and to the team that was listening and of course I'm going to move past this one.
Shane Lowry's X-rated rant is caught on hot mic after poor shot at The Open
"It definitely won't happen again and I'm looking forward to a great weekend. Sorry guys. See ya."
As of Friday, Matt Fitzpatrick and Scottie Scheffler were tied at the top of the Open Championship leaderboard at nine-under-par.
H.T. Li and Brian Harman trail closely behind at eight under, with five other players at five under.
Masters winner Rory McIlroy is in contention at three under, with home crowd at Royal Portrush roaring him on.
Kaufman, who played collegiate golf at Louisiana State University, turned professional in 2014 and played until 2017.
The Alabama native boasts two professional wins, one on the PGA Tour and one on the Web.com Tour.
He burst onto the PGA scene with a win in the 2015 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Five months prior, he won the United Leasing Championship, joining NBC in 2023.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
I'm 100 per cent sure I couldn't make it as a professional golfer
Gareth Bale admitted he was '100 per cent sure' that he could not become a professional golfer. The former Real Madrid and Wales star is well known for his love of golf and has cut his handicap from 'three or four' to just 0.1 since retiring from football in January 2023. That has led to suggestions that Bale – who has played on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am where footage of him making a brilliant chip from a cart path went viral – could try and make it as a professional golfer, despite having turned 36 earlier this month. 'I'm fully, 100 per cent sure, I can not make it professionally,' Bale told BBC Wales ahead of this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl. 'When you are in golf and you see professional golfers play, compared to even your best stuff, it is nowhere near. 'When I've played with those players and watched them, you really appreciate how good they actually are. 'Never mind just playing with your friends, they are doing it under the most severe pressure, in tournament conditions, in hard weather. 'So there won't be any professional (golf) for me. 'But I love the game. I love watching it, I love growing it.'


The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Fans rejoice as Line of Duty ‘confirms return'
Adrian Dunbar, who portrays Ted Hastings in Line of Duty, has stated that the crime drama is poised to return next year. Dunbar revealed he was frustrated by the previous series finale, which revealed the identity of 'H' as Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells. Despite attracting a record 12.8 million viewers, the finale was widely criticised by audiences as disappointing. Creator Jed Mercurio is currently writing new scripts, and Dunbar hopes the BBC will soon make an official announcement regarding the show's return.


The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Win tickets to a fashion makeover weekend in Sun Bingo's slot prize draw
THERE'S ASOS vouchers and tickets to Sun Bingo's fashion makeover weekend to be won in this slot prize draw. Calling all fashion fans, style sisters, designer divas and pamper princesses, Sun Bingo has the next big look in online bingo promotions. It's hot, it's fresh and it's for everyone (that meets the eligibility requirements). The prizes in this slots draw are to die for, darling. We're talking five ASOS vouchers worth £100 each! Then, there's the ultimate prize. The coolest, trendiest, most glamorous prize you've ever seen. It's the Regina George of prizes, without the mean girl attitude problem! Our final week prize winner will join the exclusive group of Sun Bingo winners that are invited to join us for a fashion makeover weekend that'll make your friends wild with jealousy! Luckily, one of them won't have to suffer from FOMO as they can come along as your plus one. Who? Anyone who meets the following eligibility requirements can be part of our cool group and join the slot prize draw: You must be a registered player You must be a UK and ROI resident You must be at least 18+ years old (registration and ID verification are required) What? This summer, Sun Bingo has a promo so hot, it would scorch the Burn Book. We're taking a selection of winners and their plus ones to London for a fashion makeover weekend! You'll be staying in a lovely hotel where you can enjoy a two-night stay with breakfast and dinner included (see full T&Cs below). As part of the weekend, our winners will also have a day of pampering, with a makeover, hair treatments and a facial. Don't think we're done yet as this weekend has more treats than Glen Coco. We're also including a personalised session with a top stylist who will help each of our winners to make their wardrobes pop thanks to expert advice, tailored to our winners' most flattering styles. Each winner will get a new daytime AND evening outfit to keep. Want a fancy night out to debut the new look? We thought of that as well, with each winner receiving two theatre tickets. We know we could stop there… but why would we? Turn the high street into a catwalk with a £300 shopping voucher. Now you know how fetch the prize will be, here's how you can win your way onto the weekend. One way to win is through our slot prize draw. To enter, opt in each week that you want to participate and stake £50 cash on slot games. This will act as one entry to the prize draw. There will be five winners each week, who will be awarded a £100 ASOS voucher each. Then, all qualifying players throughout the weeks will automatically be entered into the grand finale. That week's prize draw will award five £100 ASOS vouchers AND a pair of tickets to the fashion weekend (for one main winner and their plus one). The limit does not exist with this promo as there is no cap on entries per person. 1 When? The promotion starts on Monday 28th July and finishes on Sunday 24th August. The prize draws will take place every Monday, starting on Monday 4th August. The grand finale winners will have their names drawn on Monday 25th August. Where? No need to pick a slot clique to sit with at lunch as you can qualify on any of the slot games at Sun Bingo. Why? There's no pain just gain when it comes to this fashion makeover promotion. Even if you already like your wardrobe, who doesn't love to add to it? These outfits will have been selected by an expert so that you look your most fabulous when wearing them. Come and let us pamper you with a weekend of fun, fashion and fetch times. How do I get my prize? Players who win the fashion voucher or fashion makeover will be sent a code and link to the Sun Bingo prize website within seven days of winning via email. Winners will have seven days to claim their prize after receiving the winners' email. Players will need to follow the link from the email, confirm the address is in the UK, and accept the terms. Select their prize and fill in the information required to deliver the respective prize. Please allow up to 28 days for delivery of prizes. In order to fulfil the prize, the details entered to the prize claim site will be shared with and or Brand Matters, our approved prize supplier. By claiming the prize, players are accepting these terms. It is a customer's responsibility to ensure that they have the correct details added to their accounts to ensure they receive prize claim emails. Failure to do this could result in the loss of a prize. It is a customer's responsibility to enter the correct details for delivery and be able to accept the delivery at that address within the 28-day delivery window. Prizes are subject to change throughout the campaign due to availability with *New customers only. Deposit £10 for 100 free spins on selected games (wager winnings 20x) and spend £10 on bingo tickets for £50 bingo bonus (wager bonus 4x within 7 days). Only completed games are credited. Debit cards only. Offer ends 31.07.25. 18+. T&Cs apply. Offer runs between 28.07.25 and 24.08.25. Opt in, stake £50 cash on slots each week (Monday to Sunday) and gain one entry to the prize draw. There are five £100 ASOS vouchers to be won each week. The final prize draw will award one winner tickets to the fashion makeover. 18+. T&Cs apply. The Fashion Makeover The fashion makeover prize includes accommodation for two individuals for two nights in London. Breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel. Dinner expenses will be pre-paid for two guests, up to £50 per night. Any additional charges incurred at the hotel will be billed to the winner by the hotel. Additionally, the prize includes two theatre tickets. The makeover event is scheduled for Sunday 5 th October and Monday 6 th October (we reserve the right to alter these dates). The prize package also encompasses hair, makeup and a facial. Each winner will receive two styled outfits, one for daytime and one for evening wear, which they will be allowed to take home. Furthermore, they will be awarded a £300 shopping voucher to select additional outfits based on the stylist's recommendations. This prize is designated for one individual per winner. The event will be documented through photography and videography for social media purposes, and each winner will receive the images and videos to keep and share with their family and friends. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.