Justin Thomas & Rickie Fowler Feature in PGA Tour’s Touching Tribute to College Football Legend

Lee Corso has been a lot of things over the past seven decades-Florida State defensive back, college football coach, entertainer, and the heartbeat of ESPN’s College GameDay. At 90 years old, he finally called time on his broadcasting career, making his last headgear pick on August 30, 2025. The news of his retirement didn’t just ripple through the college football world. It reached the PGA Tour, too.

The PGA Tour’s official account rolled out a montage reel, celebrating Corso’s larger-than-life presence, digging up some of his best crossovers with the golf world. Fans were treated to throwbacks featuring Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and even Scottie Scheffler sharing the GameDay stage with Corso. Gameday’s a hugely popular weekly traveling pre-game show for college football.

In the clips, Corso is heard quipping, “That’s a bogey,” playfully ribbing the golfers when disagreeing with their picks.

For Rickie Fowler, it was 2015 when appeared to share the stage with Corso in Stillwater, Oklahoma, during Bedlam weekend. The 90-year-old pick for the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State showdown turned theatrical when he brandished a toy shotgun before donning the Sooners’ mascot head, all while Fowler, rocking his Cowboy pride, laughed along.

For Justin Thomas, the moment came in November 2019, when GameDay rolled into Tuscaloosa for LSU vs. Alabama. Corso pulled on the LSU Tiger head, while Thomas, loyal to his alma mater, picked Alabama. LSU went on to win, but the exchange between the golfer and the broadcaster captured everything that made Corso’s presence special.

“That’s a lousy pick,” he told Thomas. In the Instagram clip, moments from that GameDay episode are shared, including a heartwarming exchange between Thomas and Corso, full of humor, as Corso pulls on his mascot headgear while Thomas playfully tries to stop him.

The PGA Tour’s tribute wasn’t just about nostalgia. It highlights the cultural reach Corso had, which transcended college football. It became a fixture in American sports storytelling.

Colt Knost put it best in his tweet. “I normally don’t get up at 6 am on a Saturday, but when it’s the legend Lee Corso’s final @CollegeGameDay, there is no way in hell I’m gonna miss it! Let’s have a day! #gameday.“

At 90, Corso walks away from the set, but the echo of “Not so fast, my friend!” will live on- not just on college campuses, but across every sport he touched.

Corso and his charisma

Lee Corso’s reach stretched far outside the lines of the football field. Over the years, his charisma and theatrical flair made celebrities eager to be a part of the chaos. Actors like Will Ferrell and Ken Jeong leaned right into Corso’s antics, often matching his over-the-top humor with their own. Ferrell, in particular, became a fan-favorite guest picker on GameDay.

Athletes from other sports were just as eager to share the stage with him. Drew Brees and Andrew Luck, both NFL quarterbacks with larger-than-life reputations in their own right, lit up whenever Corso turned the spotlight their way. Even active coaches like Steve Sarkisian and Brian Kelly seemed to relish their moments with him.

One of the most unforgettable celebrity moments came in 2013, when Bill Murray showed up in character and tackled Corso during a headgear segment. Corso, dressed as Chief Osceola at the time, went along with the prank in stride, and the bit instantly became one of the most iconic clips in GameDay history.

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