Front & Center podcast: Mike Tirico on moving from World Cup to Open Championship

Most fans probably think Monday Night Football or the NBA and college basketball seasons are Mike Tirico’s “busy” time of year, but not this year.

ESPN’s versatile host and play-by-play voice just concluded a five-week stint in Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. After hosting studio coverage for Sunday’s Germany-Argentina final, Tirico promptly boarded flights from Rio to Brasilia to Lisbon, Portugal to Manchester, England to get to Hoylake, site of The Open Championship this weekend at Royal Liverpool.

Beginning early Thursday morning (4 a.m. ET), Tirico will serve as ESPN’s lead play-by-play voice for all four rounds of The Open. In the Front & Center podcast below, Tirico discusses his 50 days on the road, out of the country, working these two global sports championships. He also reflects upon his World Cup experience – placing it at “the top of his career highlights” – and looks ahead to ESPN’s four days of coverage of golf’s third major championship.

Editor’s note: Scott Van Pelt is host of SportsCenter at The Open Championship preview show (today, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

https://soundcloud.com/espn-mediazone/mike-tirico-audio-podcast-1