Analyst Won’t Predict Norman Flop

This time, Peter Kostis will be a little more careful what he says about Greg Norman - or, at least, where he says it.

Last year, the venerable golf instructor and CBS analyst accidentally predicted Greg Norman’s demise in the Masters, and it cost him a good, oldfashioned chewing out.

“Unfortunately, or fortunately I guess, I was right,” Kostis said. He just didn’t intend for anybody to know it.

“I made the comment, which I thought was private, about some changes I saw in his swing from Thursday to Saturday, and it was my opinion that he could have a difficult time on Sunday because of them,” Kostis said.

“I said he had some problems, and if he didn’t get them ironed out, he could be in for a long day.”

He made the remarks after doing an interview with the Golf Channel on the evening of the third round, “and my comments got mistakenly put on the Golf Channel.”

Norman heard the remarks and called CBS golf producer Frank Chirkinian, now retired, who, in turn, called Kostis into his office Sunday morning.

“Frank read me the riot act,” Kostis said. “There was no debate. Frank did all the talking.”

Norman went on to shoot 78 in his epic choke, turning a 6-stroke lead into a 5-stroke loss to Nick Faldo. Looks like Kostis knew what he was saying, even if he didn’t know who was listening.

CBS’ coverage of the Masters begins this weekend. USA Network covered the first round Thursday and will air the second today.

Out takes

Must be the azaleas.

Jim Nantz, who will team with Ken Venturi on CBS’ coverage at the Masters, has laryngitis-like symptoms from allergies and has lost his voice. … Fox estimates that among its three networks, Fox and the two cable guys, it will be responsible for nearly 33 percent of all baseball games televised this year. Of those, Chip Caray and Steve Lyons could be responsible for half - or at least it seems that way. Caray and Lyons will also team up as a lead broadcast team for FX and Fox Sports Net.