Sat May 10 05:40:00 UTC 2025: ## ESPN’s Van Pelt Eyes Continued Role in Golf Broadcasting as USGA Seeks New Media Rights Deal

**NEW YORK** – With the USGA’s media rights deal with NBC expiring in 2026, speculation is mounting about the future broadcaster of the U.S. Open. This has put ESPN, and its prominent golf commentator Scott Van Pelt, squarely in the conversation.

Van Pelt, a mainstay of ESPN’s golf coverage, including the upcoming PGA Championship, expressed his deep passion for the sport and his desire to continue his involvement in major championship broadcasts. His career has spanned decades, encompassing roles at Golf Channel and ESPN, where he’s been a fixture in major championship coverage since 2001. This year alone, his involvement includes the Masters and the newly launched TGL (Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s indoor golf league).

While acknowledging the fun of TGL, Van Pelt emphasized the enduring importance of the majors to his career. He hopes to continue contributing to the network’s coverage of future tournaments, including any potential future US Open broadcasts. ESPN previously held U.S. Open broadcast rights from 1982-2014, and its sister network ABC held them even earlier (1966-1994). Van Pelt’s expressed interest, coupled with ESPN’s history with the US Open, positions the network as a strong contender for the upcoming media rights bidding.

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