Amanda Balionis Bids Farewell to PGA Tour a 2nd Time Mere Days After Her Surprise Announcement

To begin the month of August, Amanda Balionis gave everyone an expected update: “and just like that…it’s time to make the switch⛳➡️🏈.” Over the course of her 14-year-plus career as a reporter, Balionis has piqued everyone’s interest by adding a different perspective to her interviews. That’s the very reason why CBS Sports also started giving her its NFL duties. Last NFL season, Balionis made extra efforts for the fans wherever possible. Remember her jotting down some last-minute analysis while surrounded by a dozen screens inside the truck?

She would even stop her crew from wrapping up, even if for a short interview, as the players would leave for the tunnel. She was set to bring that dedication back to the gridiron alongside Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson. But before the 2025 NFL season started, she found herself at the East Lake Golf Club to host the recently concluded AWS Live show. She made it official a few days ago, posting: “I couldn’t stay away entirely, especially when my friends at AWS asked if I would host a first-of-its-kind show.” But with the 2-day stint also done, she is returning to the turf.

That show, AWS Live with the PGA TOUR, aired August 21–22 and highlighted how Amazon Web Services is reshaping the game through tools like TOURCAST and generative AI commentary, bringing fans real-time stats and predictive insights. But she bid adieu to the green until next season once again, writing on her Instagram, “That’s a wrap on the first ever #AWSLive on the @pgatour 💥 huge thanks to @amazonwebservices for having me as your host.

“It was so much fun diving into AI and the ever evolving technology in golf and the sports world as a whole. As always- what you see in front of the camera is just 10% of what it takes to make the show happen. Huge thanks to the entire crew (both on site and back at PGA TOUR Studios) for executing a flawless production.”

For AWS Live, Amanda Balionis teamed up with golf creators like Roger Steele, Full Swing executive producer Chad Mumm, and several PGA Tour colleagues to dive into the fascinating intersection of golf, technology, and AI. And if you think she wouldn’t have much to prepare for the event, guess again!

Early morning on Thursday, Balionis took it to her Instagram once again to show her prep work. Sitting in her bed in Atlanta, her hands were full of cheat notes, filled with both her handwritten and printed points. She reminded her followers, “A little morning prep before our AWS Live today at 2 pm ET from the @tourchampionship.” Her story also had the link to watch the show.

Well, with so much prep and dedication going in, the show certainly went well. For now, the Tour Championship will continue into its third round, and Balionis will fly back home before her duty calls her to the sidelines of a gridiron.