CBS Sports are in mourning after the death of popular production assistant Bryce Adair, who passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 31 from injuries sustained in a car crash near the PGA Tour’s prestigious Memorial Tournament — an event he had travelled to Ohio to help cover for the network.
Adair was rushed to intensive care at Riverside Methodist Hospital on Wednesday night following what has been described as a horrific single-car accident. He died three days later. The nature of his injuries has not been disclosed.
The news prompted an outpouring of grief from some of CBS Sports’ most prominent figures, with legendary commentator Jim Nantz delivering an emotional tribute live on air during the network’s Saturday coverage of the tournament at Muirfield Village — visibly fighting back tears as he addressed viewers.
“Be patient with us for a minute here,” Nantz said, pausing to compose himself. “A huge loss earlier today within our CBS Sports family. Trust me when I tell you that in over 40 years I have never seen our crew of 250 people coming to a broadcast like this one carrying as much grief as they are now. This morning, an incredibly bright, charismatic teammate — 31-year-old Bryce Adair — passed away from injuries suffered Wednesday night in a car accident while here working the Memorial Tournament.”
Nantz went on to describe the warmth Adair had brought to the production team since joining CBS from Augusta, Georgia in 2017. “Everyone loved him. Every day Bryce would greet you with a warm smile and a caring, compassionate spirit. He did many things for us. He won an Emmy for our Super Bowl broadcast. The world was his and he deserved the world.” He closed with a personal message to Adair’s mother. “I want to say to his mother, Michelle, thank you for sharing your remarkable son with us. We loved him and he will never be forgotten.”
CBS Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson also paid tribute on X, writing: “Our CBS family lost a great friend and colleague today. Bryce Adair brought joy to our crew, he was a kind soul and a true gentleman. I will remember him for his infectious smile, his love for the Eagles and music. I will miss our high fives on the sidelines and football talks in the car. He will be sorely missed.”
A GoFundMe page, originally set up to help Adair cover medical costs after the crash, had raised $67,000 by Saturday evening. A tribute to him was also broadcast at halftime during CBS’s coverage of the WNBA game between the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever on Saturday night.
The Memorial Tournament, held at Muirfield Village, is one of the most celebrated events on the golfing calendar outside of the four Majors. This year’s field includes Masters champion Rory McIlroy, world number one Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and recent PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai.
