Justin Thomas wants PGA Tour broadcasts to improve, so here are 2 suggestions
Justin Thomas penned a letter calling for his fellow players to help improve PGA Tour broadcasts, so here are two ways to help accomplish that.
Justin Thomas wrote a letter to his fellow PGA Tour pros, asking everyone to help the tour’s network partners improve their overall brand and product. Gabby Herzig of The Athletic initially obtained the memo.
The networks have seen ratings dip in recent years, perhaps due to the increased stature of LIV Golf or to the exponential rise of YouTube Golf. Those who watch golf are golfers themselves, and a large percentage of that population would rather play the game on a course somewhere than watch it altogether. That’s the simple truth. But whatever the reason, the numbers do not lie: the PGA Tour has lost viewership, a troubling trend for all involved.
Hence, Thomas, Max Homa, Adam Schenk, and MacKenzie Hughes constitute the Tournament, Fans, & Sponsors PAC Subcommittee. This group has held discussions with both CBS and NBC about how to improve their broadcasts for the PGA Tour, and Thomas believes that making the players a focal point will help overall.
“Our broadcast partners have committed to us and the fans to modernize their productions and make the players the true focus of the telecast,” Thomas wrote.
“I’m not asking nobody to be somebody they aren’t or change anything in their routine that would affect their performance. Instead, just be open to possibilities and changes. I’ve had the idea of pre-round interviews similar to football games with head coaches. They pan down to the coach, and he is asked ONE question (one that he knows is coming before asked), gives a 5-10 second answer, and I’m always so tuned into how they explain their game plan and layout their approach.
“Imagine that happens on the first tee before the final few groups, or even after the first tee shot walking off the tee. Something we know will be a harmless question, but it really makes the fans feel in our head and there with us. The more we work with NBC/CBS/ESPN, the more they should be able to work with us. I’m sure many of us feel the telecasts can be better, so let’s help them do that.”
This suggestion is not terrible per se, as it would help give viewers further insight into each golfer’s mind. Fans want to relate to these players on a human level while learning about their game and strategy. Part of the allure of a golf broadcast is that viewers want to learn so they can apply that to their own game.
At any rate, here are two other suggestions that could help improve PGA Tour broadcasts.
1. Better Pace of Play leads to more Live Golf
The final group at The American Express completed their rounds in nearly six hours, a sluggish pace that turned viewers away and forced them to turn the channel elsewhere. The broadcast has so much downtime when players have to wait, wait, and wait.
Pace of play is an issue across the sport, not just on the PGA Tour. But maybe the figureheads in Ponta Vedra Beach should take after golf’s newest venture a few hours south: enforce a 40-second shot clock to keep players moving. Everyone playing in these events is a high-level talent, so they should be able to make a decision faster than not. They should also prepare to hit their next shot while their competitors are playing, thus maintaining a steady pace.
When that does not happen, producers and directors have no choice but to show Charley Hoffman and Sepp Straka chatting on the tee box. No offense to those two players, but who wants to see that? Golf fans tune in to telecasts to watch golf shots. They want to know where the ball ends up. They want to be inspired by the best players in the world so they can apply their skills and insight to their own game. They do not want to see pros yapping it up about what time their flight home is.
The biggest way to improve PGA Tour broadcasts is to improve the pace of play. Everyone needs to contribute because, ultimately, the fan at home wants to see more golf shots and more action.
2. Walk and Talks are great but let’s keep them to under 60 seconds
The live walk and talk interviews have become a staple of PGA Tour broadcasts in recent years. They are a great addition, offering insight into a player’s mind midway through the round.
They also produce raw emotion occasionally, as with Matt Wallace at the Mexico Open last year. While conducting a live walk and talk, Wallace hit a shot into the water, which plummeted his chances of winning the golf tournament. Immediately after the shot, Wallace put his earpiece back on and continued the interview like a true pro’s pro. It was, without a doubt, one of the most underrated moments of the 2024 season.
Yet, these interviews should not last longer than 60 seconds. Sometimes, a reporter and a player will continue to converse for up to two minutes, eliminating the opportunity to showcase live golf from other spots on the course. The thing about producing live golf is that there is always action. There is never a dead period.
Like the first point, fans want to see more live golf shots — ensuring that these walk-and-talk interviews last under a minute will help accomplish that.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.