■ In too many circumstances to count, it was impossible to know who was talking, unless it was Norman, Buck or Juli Inkster (who disappeared on Sunday). Fox rarely showed graphics to say who was speaking. The announcers only occasionally addressed one another. At times, Scott McCarron and Steve Flesch were carrying on private conversations that we happened to overhear. At least I think it was them. Corey Pavin seemed to require a push from a colleague to speak. And the role for Brad Faxon, who has significant potential as a commentator and as a foil to Norman, was too limited.

Norman need not turn into a verbal gunslinger to succeed at Fox (where his sportswear company, the Greg Norman Collection, is the official golf talent outfitter). But he must push himself to speak more, to be more insightful, to invite debate and to not disappear for lengthy periods during an eight-hour broadcast. And he needs to use his personal experiences far more to enliven his commentary.

Even as Johnson foundered in the final round, Norman did not bring up his epic collapse at the 1996 Masters to provide perspective.

When Buck finally brought up the meltdown late in the post-round wrap-up, Norman said, “That’s where my mind goes.” Eureka! But why didn’t he say that (and more) when it was relevant?

Buck’s leading role on U.S. Open coverage is not surprising; through football and baseball, he is Fox’s big voice. But Curt Menefee, a host of the coverage, was far out of his element, as if he had never swung a golf club. He showed none of the confidence he brought to his role on the Fox N.F.L. Sunday pregame show. He was tongue-tied at times and outmatched on a panel of former golfers. But his low point came after the final round when he suggested that Spieth was no more than a consistent golfer who “doesn’t do anything great.” He was rebuked by Faxon, who said, “He’s one of the best at every facet of the game.”

Whatever Fox promised the United States Golf Association about how it would change the way the U.S. Open is televised and marketed may have to wait. Its innovations — from shading the greens to show Chambers Bay’s undulations to embedding microphones in holes — felt hollow with the basics not yet mastered.

Miller predicted in 2013 that Fox would have, at best, growing pains. After hearing that Fox had outbid NBC, Miller said, “You can’t just fall out of a tree and do the U.S. Open.” Early in Round 1, Buck said, “We’ve dropped out of a tree onto your TV.” And too often, that was precisely how it looked.