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Amanda Balionis has been a regular presence at some of the world's biggest golf tournaments, but the broadcaster won't be at this year's Ryder Cup - at least not on our screens. Balionis took a tour of the Bethpage Black Course this week, sharing photos and videos on her Instagram stories, but has other responsibilities over the weekend. Balionis, 39, has a number of strings to her bow. The Pennsylvania native covers NFL and college football events for CBS, as well as plenty of golf, and the NFL is what has her attention this weekend. She is due to form part of the broadcast team for Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, with the encounter taking place at noon CDT (6pm UK time) on Sunday. With all the research required ahead of the game, there's no time to even fit in golf duties on the first two days of the Ryder Cup. Balionis has worked in golf for more than a decade, including stints as a reporter for the PGA Tour and for Callaway Golf. She is the recipient of a hefty salary with CBS, with Mirror US reporting last year that it is likely at the upper end of the US$40,000-$140,000 (£30,000-£104,000) scale. At the time, it was speculated that her net worth sat around the $1m mark. However, more recent reports point to a higher figure, perhaps even double that amount, according to Celebrity Net Worth . The sum is dwarfed by the net worth of some of the golfers taking part in this year's Ryder Cup. Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy leads the way across the two teams, followed by Jon Rahm, while Scottie Scheffler comes out on top for the American team after the world No.1 won his fourth major and first Open earlier this year at Royal Portrush. Throughout her career, Balionis has needed to develop a strong working relationship with the sport's biggest stars. Some fans have speculated about the nature of her relationship with McIlroy after an awkward interview between the pair , but Balionis is married to American football coach Bryn Renner while McIlroy reconciled with wife Erica Stoll months after a divorce filing. Back in 2021, Balionis also opened up about her favourite golfer on the tour , giving Rahm the nod. "Always, always [Rahm]. I mean, and since our very first interview, you know, there are those guys that you're just like, you're built different," she said on the Subpar podcast. "And it's so obvious that he thinks differently, he handles himself differently. He studies philosophy in his downtime because he's interested in it. He's just such a well-rounded person, and looks at golf and life in this really holistic way." While she might not be out at Bethpage Black this weekend, Balionis has still been keeping an eye on things from the outside. Team USA are looking for revenge after losing to Europe in 2023, and Bryson DeChambeau has her backing amid some outside criticism. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has been among those to criticise DeChambeau, calling him a "captain's nightmare" . "He has his moments of generosity with fans I've heard about," Chamblee said. "But he's an odd duck when he's trying to blend in with the team and he has so many potential bulletin board mistakes. And I think he would be a captain's nightmare." However Balionis has given her own verdict. "I'm loving how Team USA is rallying around Bryson DeChambeau and fighting the external narrative," Balionis said. "Chemistry and unity are high this year and it's cool to see."
