Golf reporter interviews wrong man as embarrassing blunder goes viral

A television reporter has sent social media into meltdown after making an embarrassing mistake during a live on air interview.

Vince Young sure looks different these days.

Reporter Lauren Withrow made an epic live television blunder when she conducted an interview with whom she believed to be the former Texas legend and No. 3 draft pick.

Only it wasn’t Young, the NY Post reports.

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Withrow instead interviewed Citadel assistant football coach Everette Sands, telling him about all of Young’s fantastic football accolades at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina.

“Six seasons in the NFL, arguably one of the best NCAA quarterbacks of all-time at Texas, picked up golf about four years ago,” Withrow said.

“What’s the biggest shift you’ve made going from the ultimate team sport to the ultimate individual sport?

“Now, I apologise,” said Sands, an offensive skill specialist coach. “You have the wrong person. I’m Everette Sands. Which, I’m a football coach. But, the thing is, the great thing about golf is I’m not only competing against myself but I’m competing against everybody else.”

That's not Vince Young you're interviewing.

To Withrow’s credit, she pivoted well.

“This is your first Pro-AM ever playing in, what’s the best part about being out here?” Withrow asked.

“Being out here is a great thing,” Sands said. “Having an opportunity to play with some professional golfers is an intimidating thing but also a great thing.”

The interview then quickly ended since, well, Sands is not a national name.

“Good luck this weekend,” Withrow said.

“Hey, I appreciate it,” Sands said.

A video of the embarrassing blunder quickly sent social media into meltdown as it racked up millions of views.

I’m dying laughing they thought they were talking to Vince Young, might be the most awkward interview I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/cjz0gYqg9D

— Carter Donnick (@CDonnick1) June 6, 2024

Sands explained that a misunderstanding in his introduction to Withrow set the interview up for failure, albeit in comical fashion.

While Golf Channel aired the interview, PGA Tour Entertainment produced the broadcast, per a source.

“Young lady came up and she said, ‘Vince,’ which I thought she was introducing herself to me,” Sands told WCIV. “She said, ‘Can I get an interview after you tee off? And I was like, ‘Sure.’ I teed off and she came up and she started talking about being one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA and playing for Texas and six-year NFL career and I was like, ‘She think I’m Vince Young.’

“It was a very interesting moment.”

Sands actually ran into Young later in the day.

“Vince came up, I said, ‘Hey, Vince, how you doing? My name is Vince Young,’” Sands said. “He just sort of smiled, I said, ‘But let me tell you the story behind this.’ He did get a good chuckle out of it.”

Withrow posted after the interview went viral

The Citadel coach later joked about the moment on X.

“Had a great time at @BMWProAm today. I even got interviewed after one of the holes today!!!” Sands posted, featuring a clip of the interview.

Sands partnered Thursday with a different college star quarterback in Ryan Leaf, who quite enjoyed the situation.

“I was with @EveretteSands today as his playing partner in the @BMWCharityProAm and I don’t know if he could have been a more generous & patient person with this crazy/giant mistake,” Leaf posted. “@CitadelFootball have themselves a hell of a Head Coach!!

Withrow took the error in stride, writing on her Instagram Story, “Learn from the mistakes,” in a post featuring her mistakes from the day.

Perhaps she can actually interview Young on Friday.

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Golf reporter interviews wrong man as embarrassing blunder goes viral