PGA Golf needs an all-star event

[Golfishard]

Even as a golfer myself who follows the sport and watches almost every weekend, sometimes it is miserable to watch. The length of watch time is so long, the pace is barely twice the speed of your average turtle, the commentators have very little to offer that I can't see on screen, etc. Week in and out we have basically the same format which is WILD considering golf courses around the world have various different tournaments available to play in weekly to spice up play at your home club. I would love to see some of the following incorporated:

1. Same format of stroke play except... forward tee's. Let's see how low they can go when they are playing ~4.500yds vs the +7k they normally play.
2. How about we get a 4 man scramble going? Can 4 guys in the top 50 WGR break 50 from the championship tee's?
3. Executive course. All par 3's between 100-210 yards out with the majority being closer to the 100yrd mark with favorable pins. How many HIO's can 1 person make in a tournament? How many HIO's can we get out of an entire field over 72 holes on a par 3 course?
4. Hell even throw in a greenskeepers revenge tournament. That would sure spice things up.
5. Instead of ANOTHER 72 hole format, have them play 2 days of "mini-games" to qualify for the weekend. Target practice to a flag, drive/chip/putt competition, etc.
6. How about an all-star event with various trick shots? Like Phil's shot from the grandstands years ago, Jon Rahm's skipping the ball across the pond, taylormades flop shot competition, etc.
7. How about an event where they can only play clubs and balls from an era like the 40's, 70's, 00's.

The major's remain untouched for obvious reasons. But some of these other lower events need an upgrade.

The rest of the sports world has events like these but their own version. Why does golf continue to be so stuffy and pretentious and stuck in their ways? The powers at be will never allow the above to happen. But I do feel like viewership would increase for the general public if it wasn't just another weekend of guys playing 4.5hrs of the same old game.

 

Thoughts?

[Shankster]

Gold needs a polarizing person.  If we get Tiger 2.0 all of the lack of sizzle on tour is gone.  

[GolfSpy_APH]

The best thing is simple. The best players need to be back together. It's why the majors are the most watched.

Sadly that is a long way off from happening. 

Thankfully we have YouTube golf which is far more entertaining (for me).

[Shankster]

3 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

The best thing is simple. The best players need to be back together. It's why the majors are the most watched.

Sadly that is a long way off from happening. 

Thankfully we have YouTube golf which is far more entertaining (for me).

True.  I don’t care for YouTube golf much, but agree that Jon Rahm and BK needs to have it his way again on the PGA tour.  definitely enjoy the majors with some of those guys in the mix.

[JStapp]

Love the ideas! Think it would go a LONG way for viewers if they tried to some more exciting stuff at times! 

[Golfishard]

10 hours ago, Shankster said:

Gold needs a polarizing person.  If we get Tiger 2.0 all of the lack of sizzle on tour is gone.  

Your hoping for another generational talent to spice the game up like Tiger? Seems like a lofty wish to me.

[Golfishard]

10 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

The best thing is simple. The best players need to be back together. It's why the majors are the most watched.

Sadly that is a long way off from happening. 

Thankfully we have YouTube golf which is far more entertaining (for me).

The majors are most watched because of competition, but I would argue the history and historic events and the emphasis the golf world places on majors also make them most watched.

I am curious as to what kind of youtube golf you watch. If it's for the personalities I'll give you that. Or highlights. But my youtube golf algorithm feeds me the above things I listed and it's FAR more entertaining for the younger generation which is where viewership is going to have to be targeted for the future.

[GolfSpy_APH]

5 minutes ago, Golfishard said:

The majors are most watched because of competition, but I would argue the history and historic events and the emphasis the golf world places on majors also make them most watched.

I am curious as to what kind of youtube golf you watch. If it's for the personalities I'll give you that. Or highlights. But my youtube golf algorithm feeds me the above things I listed and it's FAR more entertaining for the younger generation which is where viewership is going to have to be targeted for the future.

I have traveled a lot so I like to see courses that I either never got a chance to play or have and miss. While I am not a big fan of Luke Kwon I love the courses he goes to. Same with Taco Golf and NLU. Finch is another where I enjoy following his story and progress through all the highs and lows. 

I don't watch GoodGood, I don't want Rick Shiels and many others that have been recommended. I have found my niche of content I like and that is what I consume. 

[RetiredBoomer]

I think that this applies to all major professional sports today.
Virtually every decision made is to maximize revenue.
They're businesses, and so they're run like businesses.

Every single time that revenues are the priority in making a decision,'
that means that the integrity of the game itself WAS NOT the priority in making that decision.

We see it in team sports as well.  
The players even in team sports with uniforms look like billboards now.
Every time I see a Nike swoosh, I want to throw up.
I remember more dignified times.

Every sport plays a season that's too long, and a team wins nothing being the best team during that season
other than a favorable seeding in the post-season tournament.
Everybody seems cool with that now, but I think it's tacky.

In golf's past, players with privileged backgrounds retained their amateur status like Bobby Jones.

The touring pros started out as club pros,
gaining notoriety winning local events
and then contending in the old-style PGA Championship.
Now they start with NCAA scholarships and probably don't go to class.

Even if professional golf TRIES to bring back an All-Star event,
it won't be nearly as good as it can be
because in all decisions made, revenues, not the game, will be the priority.

That's why golf is now just a recreational game to me.  
Spectator sports are just too different than they were when I first starting enjoying them decades ago.

 

 

 

 

[Shankster]

2 hours ago, Golfishard said:

You’re hoping for another generational talent to spice the game up like Tiger? Seems like a lofty wish to me.

Lofty indeed, these guys now are boring.  No event, team, or anything else will ever be as exciting.  We may be witnessing Scottie have a Tiger like career, but it is fairly bland.

They could, make a world tour so we can see other golf courses besides the same ones year in and year out.  That would be much more exciting.

[BIG STU]

On 9/4/2024 at 2:04 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

The best thing is simple. The best players need to be back together. It's why the majors are the most watched.

Sadly that is a long way off from happening. 

Thankfully we have YouTube golf which is far more entertaining (for me).

Yes I agree 110%---- One of the reasons I watch LIV because there are players there I like to watch. I admitted to that on open forum and that is what was the beginning for trouble for me on a site that will remain nameless.

When I watch the PGAT I also keep tabs on guys like Max Homa. I am also a big Harry Higgs fan and will be glad to see he will be once again on the PGAT next year. I also pull for guys like Bryan brothers since they are SC boys. Guys like Willie Z and Daniel Berger I keep up with. For me it is always a tournament within a tournament.

I will admit this as in I am not a Rory fan and love it when they hand him his butt on a platter like they have been doing lately. 

But yes as long as people come to the table with open minds and not be greedy there is always a chance things can change for the better. 

[Bad Golfer]

I'm not sure about how to go about golf All Stars and how they would qualify. I think a trick shot or a one club tournament would be cool but doubt we would ever see that. I think Tigers new TGL league might have something like that coming up but not sure.

I think they do need to get a agreement together so we can watch all the best players back together again every weekend. I often times wonder who would have won if the best guys from Liv were playing in the same tournament.