What the Majors and the PGA Tour needs

[bscinstnct]

Golf needs coverage that isn't consistently garbage. We miss a lot due to fluff pieces, unnecessary shots inside the booth, and other garbage that waters down the product.

 

Need more AS slow mo

 

[lowheel]

please don't speak for me..... I have not been robbed of anything.

 

the people who left after Tiger became irrelevant were obviously more fans of Tiger than of golf. So, no, a run of so-called 'great golf' won't bring those masses back because, let's face it, there has been a lot of great golf and they're not back.... or so you say they're not.

 

Tiger dominating and people watching Jack et al are two totally different scenarios.

 

Stenson v Lefty at The Open last year was probably some of the best golf I have seen on a Sunday. Spieth's epic journey in 2015 was pretty cool too.... maybe you robbed yourself of those by not watching..... or the many more that have been on display since Tiger went AWOL.

 

The fact that those 'masses' (you) need to have some sort of showdown week in and week out to get themselves back onboard says more about you and them than it does about who's playing. And that's ok.

 

Sure, some good showdowns are fun to watch but you would need a showdown week in and week out for years for these 'masses' to come back. Won't happen overnight.

 

Preach!!!!!!!

 

[lowheel]

Golf needs coverage that isn't consistently garbage. We miss a lot due to fluff pieces, unnecessary shots inside the booth, and other garbage that waters down the product.

 

Need more AS slow mo

 

 

Just dont show him putting or chipping...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0VuIG2EiWY

 

[Darth Putter]

I really don't care if the masses are in to golf, are back to golf (if they ever really were). I'd rather have a few passionate people like you all who love the game to hang out with than a bunch of 1/2 a** idiots.

 

There will always be crazies like us- but we need the average sports fan or we start losing coverage. Back in the 1980s you didn't get majors on the weekdays and you only would get a couple of hours on Sat and Sun.

 

That changed before Tiger showed up.

[slimeone]

DJ, YJS, JD, Rory, Rickie, Hideki, JT, Brooks, Phil and whoever else all going at it in the final groups would be awesome and if it got into playoffs could be legendary. The stage is certainly set for it so let's hope.

[dlygrisse]

I really don't care if the masses are in to golf, are back to golf (if they ever really were). I'd rather have a few passionate people like you all who love the game to hang out with than a bunch of 1/2 a** idiots.

 

There will always be crazies like us- but we need the average sports fan or we start losing coverage. Back in the 1980s you didn't get majors on the weekdays and you only would get a couple of hours on Sat and Sun.

not worried. With cable and streaming I don't ever see it being an issue. If anything there is so much coverage now I almost get burned out. I know 1st world problems.

[L29]

I really don't care if the masses are in to golf, are back to golf (if they ever really were). I'd rather have a few passionate people like you all who love the game to hang out with than a bunch of 1/2 a** idiots.

 

There will always be crazies like us- but we need the average sports fan or we start losing coverage. Back in the 1980s you didn't get majors on the weekdays and you only would get a couple of hours on Sat and Sun.

not worried. With cable and streaming I don't ever see it being an issue. If anything there is so much coverage now I almost get burned out. I know 1st world problems.

 

Agreed. As long as there's a JS, RM, or DJ around golf coverage isn't going anywhere. Sunday showdowns aren't needed to keep coverage where it is currently. The same holds true for golf courses closing. We saw the post tiger closures, but we're back to normal now. Also seems we have hit the top of technology in R&D in equipment-most would probably say we are fine where we are now and probably shouldn't take it any further, if that is even possible.

 

I think you(op)mentioned in another thread that the sport will be growing due to parents taking their kids out of contact type sports and I agree. Times are different now as far as sports coverage goes and it's not going away.

[bullseye26]

They didn't happen in majors, but my fondest recollections of head-to-head golf were the made for tv programs:

 

Big Three Golf

All Star Golf

Challenge Golf

Shell's Wonderful World of Golf

 

Probably not practical these days because of the short, if not non-existent, winter layoff. And you probably couldn't afford to pay these guys enough to make them want to do it. I think Palmer produced some of these programs himself.

 

But how great would it be to see the big names compete directly against each other week after week in the winter.

[joey2aces]

Agree that they were brilliant matches, but brilliant matches don't move the viewership dial. Let me stress that this is important as more viewers equals more revenue which equals more air time.

 

Joey stop being that cranky old guy. If you don't understand where I am coming from it's ok, but don't be that guy.

 

The fact is we have all these great players and yet we rarely see two of them firing on all cyclinders. Forget parity, Snead and Hogan, Jack and Arnie, Jack and Watson all competed within a stroke or two of each other in majors. Throw in more guys that can play doesn't excuse the fact that the we can't get 2 of the best 5-7 players to challenge each other during the majors.

 

While Sergio and Rose as well as Stenson and Phil were amazing matches most of these people are unknown to the public.

 

My case is made by tennis. Forget the Tiger Woods effect---look at what Agassi vs Sampras did for Men's Tennis. Major after major they lived up to the hype- is golf different for sure, but once a year I would like to see the Top 5 live up to the hype. How amazing would it be to see Spieth go head to head with DJ and Rory? If you could get that once a year in any combination of the Top 5-7 players with 2-3 of them close that would grow viewership.

 

People want to be compelled, people want history and greatness. No offense but Stenson's Open while a great show doesn't add to golf- he likely will be a one hit wonder.

 

I am sorry if my opinion makes me the 'cranky old guy'.

 

thanks for allowing me to realize to not take anything you say seriously. In life people will have differing opinions than you.... deal with it. Sorry Tiger left and your viewing slowed down. Maybe you should reevaluate your relationship with golf and take up freediving for lobster

[dlygrisse]

They didn't happen in majors, but my fondest recollections of head-to-head golf were the made for tv programs:

 

Big Three Golf

All Star Golf

Challenge Golf

Shell's Wonderful World of Golf

 

Probably not practical these days because of the short, if not non-existent, winter layoff. And you probably couldn't afford to pay these guys enough to make them want to do it. I think Palmer produced some of these programs himself.

 

But how great would it be to see the big names compete directly against each other week after week in the winter.

 

Great point, a lot of the memories are the made for TV silly season events. In reality the head to head duels didn't happen that often. Jack had some good ones over the years, but it wasn't like they were happening every season. The reality is that golf isn't tennis, the head to head match play type of scenarios just don't happen that often. I wish they did, the in reality the only way to make that happen is to make the fields for the events limited to a very small amount of top rated players. One of the reasons the Masters seems to have good drama and big names is because the actual field of contenders is the smallest in golf's majors. Some people criticize it, but it allows the cream to rise to the top more often.

 

Likewise the PGA always has the "strongest field" of any of the majors, but we seem to get the largest amount of average guys winning. The history of the PGA is littered with winners like Keegan, Dufner, Walker, Dave Marr, McCheel, etc etc. the list goes on. Good players but not great players.

 

Golf will be fine.

[CrabDaddy]

Agree that they were brilliant matches, but brilliant matches don't move the viewership dial. Let me stress that this is important as more viewers equals more revenue which equals more air time.

 

Joey stop being that cranky old guy. If you don't understand where I am coming from it's ok, but don't be that guy.

 

The fact is we have all these great players and yet we rarely see two of them firing on all cyclinders. Forget parity, Snead and Hogan, Jack and Arnie, Jack and Watson all competed within a stroke or two of each other in majors. Throw in more guys that can play doesn't excuse the fact that the we can't get 2 of the best 5-7 players to challenge each other during the majors.

 

While Sergio and Rose as well as Stenson and Phil were amazing matches most of these people are unknown to the public.

 

My case is made by tennis. Forget the Tiger Woods effect---look at what Agassi vs Sampras did for Men's Tennis. Major after major they lived up to the hype- is golf different for sure, but once a year I would like to see the Top 5 live up to the hype. How amazing would it be to see Spieth go head to head with DJ and Rory? If you could get that once a year in any combination of the Top 5-7 players with 2-3 of them close that would grow viewership.

 

People want to be compelled, people want history and greatness. No offense but Stenson's Open while a great show doesn't add to golf- he likely will be a one hit wonder.

OK, well how do you make sure that happens? Yeah, it would be nice, but that's not the current environment. The top golfers change over time, the consumer changes over time - golf will seek its own level. The late 90's/early 00's were a boom time for golf with Tiger and tech advancements. It was a "golden age" and we can't expect that level of interest to continue or to be re-born no matter how hard anybody tries.

You mention tennis - great tennis being played among a handful of top competitors (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Wawrinka). Are the ratings up? I'm sure the latest Wimbleton final got a pop with Federer going for the majors record, but it isn't the same as the Sampras-Agassi or Connor-McEnroe eras. Just the way it is.

[Swashbuckler]

If T-dub somehow put together one last 4 day stretch to win a major, the back 9 that Sunday as he won would be the most watched sporting event in history and golf explodes instantly again. No one has ever been able to explain the Tiger Factor, but it's real.

[Dave230]

If T-dub somehow put together one last 4 day stretch to win a major, the back 9 that Sunday as he won would be the most watched sporting event in history and golf explodes instantly again. No one has ever been able to explain the Tiger Factor, but it's real.

 

Think it's pretty explainable.

 

Young player's father says he'll change the world and he's hunting all records, lives up to hype with incredible amateur record

The guy is called 'Tiger Woods' - we take it for granted now but that's up there with Usain Bolt in terms of most memorable/marketing friendly names

Turns professional to record deal, lives up to the hype with three wins in six events

Describes as someone who could win 'as many Masters as Jack and Arnie together', wins his first major by 12 shots.

Wins in such fashion at The Masters, the most watched major, a black athlete at a club with a Southern past. Instantly mainstream news.

Follows up his 12-shot Masters win with the years 1999 and 2000.

Continues brilliance for many years in the internet age, best paid sportsperson in the world. For example, 2005 Masters shot could be shown over and over and over again on YouTube

He was the name of a popular video game, so a generation grew up with Tiger Woods = golf. In the way that I know Madden despite not following NBA, or know Tony Hawk despite not following skateboarding.

Loses everything in a sex scandal, again mainstream news, if not for good reasons. But in terms of exposure, it ensured that everybody knew who he was, in the very small chance they didn't already.

 

Basically, his career was one long deliverance of 'hype', which created the effect. In terms of name recognition, I don't think there will ever be anyone like Tiger Woods in golf.

[cdnglf]

If T-dub somehow put together one last 4 day stretch to win a major, the back 9 that Sunday as he won would be the most watched sporting event in history and golf explodes instantly again. No one has ever been able to explain the Tiger Factor, but it's real.

 

It would be the most-watched golf event in history, which might put it up there with - I dunno - a mid-season edition of Sunday Night Football? A World Cup round robin match between Uganda and Paraguay?