While most professional golfers have a meticulous media schedule, one specific golfer on the PGA Tour is receiving heaps of praise for speaking his mind. Veteran NBC broadcaster and Golf analyst Steve Sands also believes the same. Sands even goes on to say that Jordan Spieth is even better than Scottie Scheffler or any other current professional in that aspect.

“Look, Scotty’s always accessible, but he doesn’t give you as much, per se, as Jordan Spieth. I think Jordan Spieth, to me, and Justin Thomas are the two who give the most and aren’t afraid,” Steve Sands said on The Smylie Show when asked about who handles the media best among today’s golfers.”

“Now, that doesn’t mean Scotty doesn’t give enough. That doesn’t mean Rory doesn’t give enough. I just mean if you’re going to take the combination of a great player, a Hall of Fame kind of player, and success on the golf course regularly, getting interviewed regularly, and not being afraid to give your opinion, and not just about whether we need to roll the ball back, I would say Jordan Spieth right now. I think Justin has grown into that role here in the last few years. But I think Jordan Spieth has handled that amongst the players today.”

Steve Sands is someone who has asked questions to golfers across generations like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and much more. So if he says that Spieth is the clear winner here, he probably is. And this isn’t just a mere personal opinion, Spieth’s interactions with the media go on to prove his point.

Spieth has given blunt assessments of his own game, openly acknowledging when his swing, ball-striking, and putting are off. For instance, he was struggling with form in 2024. When Amanda Balionis interviewed him ahead of the John Deere Classic, he pointed out the hole where his concentration lapsed, and he ended with a bogey.

Similarly, Jordan Spieth was open when addressing sponsor invitation criticism. Many golf analysts said that the high number of invitations he receives makes it unfair for others.

“Yeah, because I don’t… I didn’t like asking for exemptions this year at all,” Spieth said ahead of the Wyndham Championship. “I was fortunate to receive a lot of them, but you just never know.”

Jordan Spieth has addressed the criticism, while many golfers choose to remain silent and let it all pass.

On the other hand, others like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy usually choose measured approaches. McIlroy recently made headlines for skipping or shortening media availabilities at majors. He even said that he is frustrated with the media and has “earned the right” to skip media press conferences if he chooses to do so.

The same goes for Scottie Scheffler, who tries to stay clear of any controversial topics. At the BMW Championship, Scheffler even showed irritation towards the line of questioning. When multiple press conferences veered toward Ryder Cup speculation instead of the current event, Scheffler showed irritation, steering answers back to the event at hand. Even around his 2024 arrest at Valhalla, his public remarks were tightly controlled.

While Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are the current two golfers doing it right, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer are the ultimate best for Steve Sands.

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Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer handled the media better than Jordan Spieth

Steve Sands says that a golfer or any other sports athlete needs to keep a balance of how much they share with the media. He reflected on a joke he used to share with Tiger Woods. Sands said that it is okay to tell the media what a golfer had for dinner, but not where he or she had it.

According to Sands, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer knew how to maintain this balance perfectly.

“If you go back in time, nobody was better with the media than Jack and Arnie,” he said. “They understood you want them on your side. You don’t want to give them everything, but you want to give them enough that they’re going to give you a pass if you have a hiccup here or there down the road.”

Nicklaus has repeatedly said he always saw it as part of his job to face reporters. And he tried to be the same whether he played well or poorly. He emphasized never ducking the press after bad rounds and maintaining a calm, courteous tone.

“And, for you to do your job, you need to talk to me,” the 18x major winner said.

This helped build long‑term trust and ensured his side of the story was always heard.​ While Jordan Spieth is good enough, he is not as good as Nicklaus and Palmer.

Arnold Palmer used to be the same as Jack Nicklaus when it came to interacting with the media. His rapport was a natural extension of how he treated fans. He made eye contact, listened intently, and spoke in simple, vivid language that broadcasters loved.

His willingness to engage, sign autographs, and share stories helped create “Arnie’s Army.” Even reporters amplified and branded this fan moment in headlines. He was credited with making golf more popular than anyone else. This made him “The King” and golf’s first true TV superstar.