By Tim Hartin
As Jeff Eisenband began to pursue a path in sports journalism, he couldn’t help but notice the excitement he found when covering golf – a sport he had grown up playing with his family. Choosing to explore freelance sports broadcasting has blossomed into a perfect avenue to combine his passions, with Eisenband now serving as a frequent voice for PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ and on PGA Tour Radio.
“When I was covering golf, I definitely found myself being more passionate, and I felt like it was something that excited me, and I felt more comfortable with it than other sports,” says Eisenband, who graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism in 2015.
Eisenband grew up in Larchmont, N.Y., and learned the game at Fenway Golf Club, where he married his wife Alyson last September. Looking back, he appreciates the playing opportunities he had, especially during his one year of high school golf at Mamaroneck.
“Talk about having it good and not realizing it,” Eisenband says. “Our home course was Bonnie Briar, but we also had practices at Quaker Ridge and that year played two matches on Winged Foot East. So that was pretty awesome, and obviously growing up at Fenway was nice.”
Though Eisenband wishes he would have been a little more competitive in his youth and pursued the game more, golf still left its mark and has clearly had an impact on his career choice.
Out of college, he worked as an editor for a sports content website covering a variety of sports. Upon deciding on broadcasting and narrowing in on golf, he gained experience contributing to online fantasy golf shows for DraftKings (The Sweat) and Golf.com. He then got his first TV gig in 2019 with MSG Networks, appearing weekly on a 12-week run of DraftKings Tonight as well as a golf-picks segment on The MSG 150.
“That was when I really felt like I really wanted to see where this takes me,” recalls Eisenband of the experience with MSG.
He sent a reel of past interviews and fantasy golf analysis to the PGA Tour and eventually earned his first opportunity on PGA Tour Live broadcasting in the fall of 2020.
A lot of the highlights for Eisenband come from working alongside broadcasters he’s listened to over the years, players he’s watched win PGA Tour titles, and others with similar passions to his. Being around such talent has driven his goals for the future.
“It makes you remember where you are and what you’re working toward,” he says. “My goal as a broadcaster is to be a voice that makes the viewer feel like what they’re watching means something and is important.”
Eisenband picked up studio work for PGA Tour Radio in the fall of 2024 and has extended his role on the airwaves in 2025, adding on-course reporting to his repertoire.
“It’s a totally different atmosphere on the course, from the actual inside-the-ropes experience and being able to read putts to being able to be up-close with the players as they’re going through their process,” says Eisenband.
In early March, Eisenband was on the ground for the Valspar Championship, calling the action for Viktor Hovland and Justin Thomas’ groups as they came down the stretch.
“It’s an incredible atmosphere to be a part of,” he says.
As the PGA Tour season rolls on, Eisenband is excited for his schedule ahead. He just called the RBC Heritage on PGA Tour Live and is especially thrilled for opportunities to be on-site for PGA Tour Radio at upcoming Northeast events, including May’s Truist Championship at the Philadelphia Cricket Club and June’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.
“I’ve felt a lot of pride going to the studio in Ponte Vedra Beach and going to events where I’ve been on the ground,” says Eisenband, who lives in Hoboken, N.J., with his wife. “But to be able to do it in the Northeast, where I expect to see tons of people that I know, grew up with, work with, those are going to be really special events for me to be part of.”