Amanda Balionis has faced backlash since returning to golf coverage after the NFL season, and the CBS reporter recently hit back at online trolls on social media
06:28 ET, 30 May 2025Updated 06:28 ET, 30 May 2025
Amanda Balionis has been criticized in recent weeks(Image: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Amanda Balionis has faced more than one wave of criticism after returning to golf earlier this year.
Since joining the network in 2017, the CBS reporter has been popular with viewers. The 38-year-old has been a mainstay of the broadcaster’s PGA Tour coverage and struck up a good rapport with several top stars in interviews.
However, Balionis has also faced social media backlash following her return to the golf course after covering the recent NFL season. The latest incident was sparked by her comments to Rickie Fowler at the Charles Schwab Challenge last weekend, which led to her hitting out at online trolls.
Response to trolls
Balionis spoke to Fowler after he posted a three-under-par round, which put him four shots off the lead heading into the final day at the Colonial Country Club. The CBS journalist highlighted his putting average and improved chances of winning a title after being what Balionis described as stuck in “neutral.”
Fowler has six PGA victories but is currently ranked 124th in the world. However, Balionis’ interview attracted the ire of some fans online, and she displayed some of the comments calling for her to be fired on Instagram.
Biting back at her critics in an Instagram story, Balionis wrote: “When we talk about being you instead of trying to be what you think others perceive as ‘perfect’ or ‘good enough’…here is an example of how the latter is simply an impossible and draining task.”
She added: “You’re always going to be ‘too something’ for somebody. It’s a lot easier to be yourself and figure out what feedback is actually worth listening to (spoiler: it’s never the trolls you don’t know) rather than trying to be what everyone else wants.
Amanda Balionis responded after her interview with Rickie Fowler(Image: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Nobody wants the same thing, and you’ll end up turning yourself into an unrecognizable pretzel. Okay, that’s all. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk that absolutely nobody asked for.”
However, the CBS reporter was buoyed by the uplifting comments she received and shared her appreciation with her followers. “[I] also did not expect so many amazing messages after my trolling story,” she said. “Thanks for the reminder that this place can be full of amazing and positive people.”
Rory McIlroy dig
The interview with Fowler was only a week removed from what many had interpreted as a dig towards Rory McIlroy during the PGA Championship. The Masters winner struggled to recapture his form from Augusta, finishing on three-over-par, and refused to speak to the media throughout the four days at Quail Hollow.
Bryson DeChambeau spoke openly to Balionis following his final round, which saw him tie for second place. As the interview concluded, Balionis thanked the two-time U.S. Open champion, which some fans took as a swipe at McIlroy.
“Thank you for taking the time – I know you don’t have to take the time, but we appreciate it,” Balionis told DeChambeau. After sharing her interviews with Jon Rahm and DeChambeau on Instagram, Balionis said: “Appreciate these two for taking the time to talk after a gutting loss. Simply a reminder that no one is obliged to talk, it’s a choice. And to bring us in after coming so close to a career accomplishment is awesome for the viewer.”
Amanda Balionis was accused of digging out Rory McIlroy(Image: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
In response to the criticism she had received for an apparent slight towards McIlroy, Balionis shared a clip titled ‘I don’t really take criticism to heart from people I don’t admire and respect’ from Kerry Washington, and said: “Monday reminder for all my fellow recovering people pleasers. Needed this one today.”
Break from golf
At the end of last summer’s golf season, Balionis announced that she would be covering the NFL for CBS Sports. The 38-year-old once again proved to be a hit with viewers and could possibly be tempted to spend more time within football, considering the consistent backlash she has faced in golf, despite spending much of her life around the sport.
Last summer, Balionis announced that she would take a six-month break from golf coverage to work on the NFL season. The journalist returned to the links in January but enjoyed her time on the gridiron.
“That’s a wrap on the regular season,” she wrote on social media. “This job is always the dream, but it’s the people I have the privilege of working around and learning from that makes it so fun and special.
“We had some incredible games, laughed more than most and had the honor of being a tiny piece of telling the incredible stories of the season. Time for a couple weeks off and then back to @golfoncbs we go!”
