Grow The Game Files: TNT Reminds That TV Matters

Golf on TV could be the greatest, it could be the best, it could be King Kong banging on its chest!

Standing in the Hall of Fame, and the world might even know golf is not lame!

I'll stop now before you get nightmares since I'm pretty sure Omega's latest ad (key word, ad), will be running a bunch during the Rio games.

Not being present at this year’s PGA Championship afforded an opportunity to be reunited with the early 2000s, a.k.a. a TNT broadcast at a major championship. But this is not to pick on any one network (well, maybe a little), as some of the same issues TNT exemplifies afflict all of the major broadcast presentations, though no major has the annual commercial and promo dump that is the PGA of America's dreadful presentation.

Shoot, even CBS head man Sean McManus talked to Golfweek.com's Martin Kaufmann right after the PGA to address the telecast and suggest the commercial load needs to be dealt with for the next three years of the deal. 

No, the affliction I refer to runs deeper than the annual overcommercialization of the fourth of four majors. It's the tendency to stick to what got you here, what has worked over the decades, and to not give up screen space to anything but green grass and golfers. But most of all, to do what will please “partners” who want to play it safe while also preaching how we need to do things differently to save the sport.

Those partners--the PGA of America (this week), the PGA Tour, the USGA, the R&A--all talk relentlessly about growing the game and reaching the all-important millennials, yet refuse to see that their biggest growth tool is in how they present golf on television. Outside of the cost to play, I can’t think of anything more stifling for growth than an aspiring golfer, turning on the suffocatingly safe presentation of golf at the PGA Championship.

TNT’s presentation undermines the event’s place in the major spectrum by appearing to work out of an early 2000’s playbook. (The addition of some fun split screens showed some sign of life and fresh voices in Mike Weir and Amanda Balionis were huge positives.) Yet the ultra-conservative approach to the PGA Championship is even more maddening because of TNT's bold approach to the NBA. That’s where innovation and must-see pre and post game shows have spiked ratings, establishing the cable network as the best at bringing us pro basketball.

In golf, it's vital that television presentation be strong to "grow" participation in the game. More people watch golf on TV than avidly play it. That's an amazing notion suggesting how vital telecast presentation may be in motivating people to play.

With the PGA Championship that TNT airs through 2019, the cable network’s idea of a pre and post game show amounts to reruns of something from their highly-rated catalog. Those cash cows merely require a few an engineer to push a few buttons takes priority for TNT over even now-standard re-broadcast for major rounds (which are appreciated by working folks or those with DVR’s full to the brim).

Adding to the pain is what appears to be a reluctance on CBS’s part to share its gadgets with the TNT broadcast. Can't we all get along here?

Good TNT broadcasts will make more people watch CBS!

As with NBC’s coverage, the beauty of the golf course is a CBS priority and in the early days of high definition, no one disagreed with this approach. But now that nearly all viewers are watching on an HD flat screen and enjoying access to Internet-enabled information, the minimalist approach to screen acreage has begun to give core fans the impression of laziness and casual fans a sense that things could be better. In a day when people can handle more graphics and social media information on screen, golf is still holding back real-time information.

Knowing how hard the people in golf television work, particularly during majors, the impression of laziness is an unfair one. Golf is by far the most difficult sport to cover. Nonetheless, as we get more fun stuff like Protracer, on-screen graphics/Trackman data, split screens that give us a better sense of the golf hole faced, and full-field scores, the broadcasts that eschew such progress only give the impression to viewers that golf is stuck in a different decade. This was TNT last week.

When something controversial happens--like the PGA’s miscue with a hole location and repeat of its 2005 refusal to move up tee times--the lack of broadcast discussion looks lame while social media covers the story. This undermines the credibility of the networks and tournament host. (Especially when it’s the network home to Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq, where nothing is off limits and controversies are embraced). Also, do recall that Fox’s breakthrough at the U.S. Open came at the expense of actually covering its partner’s mistakes. Painful for the USGA, yes, but also a huge boost to their partner overpaying for the product.

The people who want to grow the game need to stop focusing so much on the production values of their public service announcements. They need to look within and start pushing their broadcast partners to rethink how they present the sport, even if means giving back a few bucks to help the networks expand certain production values. These conversations are long overdue and more necessary than another short term feel-good initiative. Because those PSA-driven grow the game concepts pale compared to motivating people  by giving them a telecast that inspires them to run to the range.

"What's it like watching your husband compete for a major? Torture"

While most everyone is very happy to see Jimmy Walker win a major after making every effort to get his game to the next level and experiencing no shortage of setbacks, it's always vital to note the role of those around him. Wife Erin Walker persisted with Butch Harmon to help her talented husband, and the amateur show jumper, former journalism major keeps an eye on what's written about her Jimmy.

As Alex Myers notes after a day of following Erin as she watched Jimmy, she started out pretty cool Sunday, but as a major championship at Baltusrol became more evident, Walker felt the tension of the moment.

She breaks out the phone on the 16th hole, though, to text her nanny to "mosey on over to the clubhouse with the kids." Jimmy has a two-shot lead with three to play.

"Holy cow, holy cow," she mutters before doing some light stretching.

Then she's offered a cigarette.

"I might need five," she jokes. "I haven't smoked one ever, but maybe I'll start now." Instead she "stress eats" on lemon mints. She offers me one. It's surprisingly delightful.

You can follow Erin here on Twitter.

Poll: Who Had The Worse Year? USGA vs. PGA Of America

Now I know what you're saying, no one can top the USGA's handling of the Dustin Johnson ruling news (or the ruling itself), the Bethany Lang/Anna Nordqvist ruling delivery, and president Diana Murphy's two warbling trophy presentation speeches. Our late, great friend Frank Hannigan wouldn't even allow that these events could be topped.

But then the PGA Of America arrived at Baltursol where they famously wouldn't move those 2005 final round times up an hour so a 60 Minutes re-run could get a strong lead in, only to finish on Monday because of that stubborness. They repeat the same lack of adaptability on Saturday this year at the same course, Baltusrol, only to salvaged Sunday by weather that didn't come and stellar dramatics from Jimmy Walker and Jason Day. There's more, though! They actually cut a hole in the incorrect location and no one noticed until a group had gone through. As Brian Wacker notes, they also played lift, clean and place (wisely it turns out), but a day after preaching lofty standards about starting on the first tee and playing the ball down.

So much to wade through! I have voted and will share my answer later, but for now I put the question to you...

Who has had a worse year running championships?

USGA

PGA of America

 

pollcode.com free polls

Your Kneejerk Reactions: Jimmy Walker Wins The PGA

Our second major in a row ends in triumphant, positive fashion with Baltusrol's closing par-5s helping to wash away the stains or a forgettable week for the PGA of America.

I'd like to hear your immediate reactions to the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol won by the likeable 37-year-old astroimager Jimmy Walker, the maiden winner streak, the struggles of the Big Whatever, and the ways you would help the PGA of America find a stronger identity for this championship that too often felt like a regular tour event, only not as well run or telecast.

The win caps off a sensational major season if you look past Jordan Spieth's 12th hole at Augusta and the USGA shenanigans at Oakmont, because Willett, Johnson, Stenson and Walker all played clutch, and at times, historic golf down the stretch to win.

Flashback Reads: 2005's PGA Championship Tee Time Debacle

I'm not going to wade too deep (yet) into the PGA of America's decision to not alter tee times Saturday in the face of a pretty bad forecast.  Expecting different results again and again speaks to just how surreal the scene was Saturday as the PGA repeated its 2005 debacle in 2016. While a Monday finish is dreadful for all involved, this may be the Golf Gods making a statement about playing this PGA prior to the Olympics or in a time of year prone to this kind of weather. Or both.

I went back 11 years into the archives when GeoffShackelford.com debuted on Squarespace. Found were a few gems from the 2005 PGA debacle. That's when Sunday times were not moved up and the event finished on a Monday.

Bob Harig writing in 2005 for ESPN.com:

For most of the week, temperatures have hovered in the high 90s, with much humidity. You don't have to be Willard Scott to know these weather patterns present an excellent chance for thunderstorms, including lightning. The PGA of America, which is based in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where this kind of weather is prevalent in the summer, should know better.

Several players wondered why the tee times simply were not moved up. The PGA Tour does it all the time when there is a threat of bad weather. Better to move up the tee times and have nothing happen than to wait and face what we now face. It happened at last year's Masters, where Mickelson won by a stroke. Nobody seemed to mind that Mickelson's victory leap came an hour earlier. Certainly not those who were there and those who got to see it on live TV.

The first tee time Sunday morning was at 8. Had it been at 7, there is a chance the round could have been completed.

David Whitley in the Orlando Sentinel likened the 2005 situation at Baltusrol to one of the most embarrassing mistakes in TV sports history.

In 1968, NBC switched to the movie Heidi instead of sticking with the New York Jets-Oakland Raiders NFL game. New York led 32-29 at the time, but Oakland scored two touchdowns in nine seconds to win and set off outrage throughout sporting America.

Heidi, meet Kerry Haigh.

As the managing director for tournaments for the PGA of America, he had to explain why the final round wasn't moved up to allow for the possibility of rain. Of course, everybody already knew the answer.

What TV wants, TV gets. CBS wanted golf action to lead right into prime time. God forbid there would be any down time before 60 Minutes.

The situation in 2005 was made worse when we learned Phil Mickelson asked that times be moved up after not being able to see the ball well enough on Saturday night. His request was denied. Alan Shipnuck wrote:

In the Saturday twilight Mickelson had trouble seeing the breaks on the final few holes and afterward beseeched tournament officials to move up the tee times. This request was denied, and ignored, too, was a foreboding forecast for Sunday-afternoon lightning storms, which should have spurred the tournament and the network suits to send the players out early. The first lightning strikes arrived around 2:30 p.m., delaying play for 39 minutes and setting up a race against the darkness. When another storm rolled in, the final round was suspended for good at 6:35, forcing a morning restart for all the marbles.

Then there was this back and forth in 2005 with Kerry Haigh where suggests they would end any event at 7, even if it wasn't on television.

Q. Truth be told, the weather forecast was far worse today than for any time of the week. There was just a chance of scattered showers early in the week and today every forecast I saw on The Weather Channel and locally were pretty certain it was going to happen.

KERRY HAIGH: The forecast was, I think, there was more of a chance of scattered showers but they were still scattered. If you look further to the south, they have had no activity at all, and we were within four or five miles of missing it ourselves. So I think the forecast was very accurate, that it was certainly very scattered. We were just unfortunate that it came too close and right on top of it.

Q. Let's see if he can drive this nail with a different hammer. You conduct a number of championships, some of which are not televised. If you were in like circumstance with a non televised championship, and you knew the details that you had today, would you err on the side of caution and adjust your time so that you didn't carry your championship over into the next day?

KERRY HAIGH: That's a good question. But no, I think we would have probably had we made all of our arrangements for a 7:00 finish and with all of the people and parties involved, we would have kept it the same.

Dave Anderson of the New York Times wrote back in 2005:

Maybe the organizers of the three major tournaments in the United States will realize that they should stop bowing to the Great God Television and schedule Sunday's final-round tee times early enough to better assure enough daylight, even if a playoff is necessary, for the finish.

Maybe.

The silver lining is simple enough: schedule the Sunday tee times in the best interests of the golfers and the golf fans, not for high ratings and the monetary interests of a network that demands a compelling lead-in to its prime-time shows.

Fast forward to 2016 and the explanations at least are just routing-based. From Cameron Morfit's golf.com story:

“It’s a major championship,” Haigh said, “and we want it to be run and perform as a major championship. We feel it’s important for all the players, in an ideal world, to play from the first tee and play the holes in order.”

Alex Myers with the scenarios for finishing. Few are very pretty based on the forecast.

2016 PGA Round Two This And That: Lively Friday At Baltusrol

There was a bit of something for everyone Friday at Baltusrol: great golf from Jimmy Walker and Robert Streb (the 30th 63 in a major, writes Brian Wacker), a rules issue with Jordan Spieth that generated much discussion, an epic course setup gaffe, and no shortage of volatile play from other top names.

Adam Schupak on the leaders Walker and Streb.

Best of all, we have what appears to be the makings of a grand finish with most of the game's best in the battle, assuming the Sunday weather will cooperate.

Henrik Stenson is on fire, as he has been at other times in his career, Brian Wacker notes.

After a 65 in the worst conditions Friday, Patrick Reed has positioned himself nicely in a major, for a change, reports Joel Beall.

Alan Shipnuck goes a step further and says this is a potential breakthrough weekend for Reed.

Ryan Herrington talks exclusively with Colt Knost about the wrong hole location and shares the PGA of America's explanation.

“I called an official over and said, ‘What’s going on here?’” Knost detailed after his round. “And he said, ‘We messed up.’"

According to a release from the PGA of America, the Rules Committee realized the error after the players hit their second shots. Shortly after, officials handed out revised hole-location sheets to the group, and to all subsequent groups.

Knost took to Twitter after the round.

Dave Kindred on Jordan Spieth having a chance to salvage the season, especially with this being his last start of significance unless you consider the playoffs important.

Kevin Casey at Golfweek.com with all of the particulars on Spieth's ruling and possible violation that was determined not to be a violation.

Golfweek's Jeff Babineau says there was no rules issue. Nothing to see here, so move along. I think that was a little strong given what appeared to be a violation, but Babineau's explanation also does make sense given where we are with rulings.

Once his ball was back on the path free of the casual water, Spieth took his stance, addressed the ball as if he were to play it, and got the thumbs up to play on from Gregory – ahem, the expert rules official.

That’s all Spieth needed, though surely Mitch from Montauk and Sal from Summit soon were lighting up the phone lines once they saw one of Spieth’s spiffy Under Armour golf shoes hovering over a puddle.

Spieth assessed his situation, facing 190 yards with some trees in front to negotiate, then elected to play in a slightly different direction than he originally planned – something he totally was within the rules to do. In fact, playing in a different direction is allowed under Rules of Golf Decision 20-2c/0.8.

The 7th hole turned things around for Jason Day, writes Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com.

Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News on Phil Mickelson’s triple bogey start plus other notes from a weird day that saw pre tournament favorite Dustin Johnson heading home early.

“I think in the history of the PGA Championship, that’s the worst start of any player’s round,” Mickelson said. “I don’t even know what to say. It was just a pure mental block.”

Alex Myers with the evidence of Phil's rough start, which was salvaged by several birdies and a made cut for the Baltusrol defending champion.

Rory McIlroy missed the cut and now, because he backed out of the Olympics has a lot of time off to rethink his putting issues, reports James Corrigan.

Once again it was McIlroy’s putter to blame, although, bizarrely, it was the same implement which appeared to have dug him out of the hole on the 17th. There were three missed five footers and for the second day running – and, yes, for the umpteenth time this season -  it was the shortest club in the bag which was letting down all the others.

Brently Romine with the Ryder Cup ramifications of the current leaderboard.

Round one ratings on TNT were down 30% from last year.

Note to those missing the cut: Zika virus has come to Florida. Hope those guys skipping the Olympics over the virus are not spending much time in Florida for a while!

Hole-in-One, Double In Same Round Files: Mason Nome Edition

Congrats to University of Texas golf commit Mason Nome (2019), who made an ace and double eagle in the same round. It was John Wooden's feat and that of only a handful of others many decades ago.

Nome posted this scorecard of the round, which also featured a double bogey just a hole after teh two on a par-5. The Golf Gods waste little time setting us straight!

Hole in one and double eagle in same round!

A photo posted by Mason Nome (@masonnome) on Jul 29, 2016 at 4:03pm PDT

Mason also posted a tremendous trick shot many weeks ago that I hadn't seen...

A video posted by Mason Nome (@masonnome) on Dec 23, 2015 at 3:35pm PST

58!! Jaeger Sets New Web.com Tour Single Round Record

Stephan Jaeger made 12 birdies and 6 pars en route to a 58 on Thursday in the Web.com Tour's Ellie Mae Classic.

The 27-year-old German and three-time Southern Conference player of the year from Tennessee Chattanooga told the AP breaking 60 was on his mind the entire back nine.

"It pretty much was in my head the whole back nine," Jaeger said.

On the final hole, he hit a 3-wood off the tee and hit a layup to 95 yards.

"We had a good strategy for that hole," Jaeger said. "I was going to play it as a three-shot hole and take the bunker out of play off the tee and at worse make par."

The Web.com Tour Instagram page had some nice coverage:

History is made. Stephan Jaeger has shot 58. 🔥⛳️👍

A video posted by Web.com Tour (@webdotcomtour) on Jul 28, 2016 at 7:11pm PDT

Happy times. 🔥⛳️

A video posted by Web.com Tour (@webdotcomtour) on Jul 28, 2016 at 7:17pm PDT

The anatomy of history. ⛳️

A photo posted by Web.com Tour (@webdotcomtour) on Jul 28, 2016 at 8:00pm PDT

The record-setting scorecard. ⛳️

A photo posted by Web.com Tour (@webdotcomtour) on Jul 28, 2016 at 7:41pm PDT

Raiders Targeting Vegas Golf Courses For Stadium Site?

All I know: they aren't coming to LA. Woohoo!

I've got to think Bali Hai is leader in the clubhouse if a golf course is the ultimate destination for a new stadium. Given that its purveyor may not be too focused on saving it.

Nice round up by John Strege here at GolfDigest.com.

Bali Hai is on the southern end of the strip in Las Vegas, between the airport and Interstate 15. Incidentally, it is part of Walters Golf, owned by renowned gambler Billy Walters, who recently was indicted on insider trading charges in the same case in which Phil Mickelson was identified as a “relief defendant.”

The Wynn, formerly the Desert Inn, is also headed for extinction soon.

Jack: Tiger Struggling, But He Doesn't Know What With

I'm not sure the bigger reveal, that Jack Nicklaus senses Tiger is struggling with is rehab/return, or that Jack knows this from an occasional text.

Joell Beall with the report on Nicklaus' latest remarks.

"He's struggling. I don't understand what he is struggling with," said the Golden Bear. "But I know he is struggling and he would be playing if he could play."

Update on Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 10:53 PM by Geoff

**Nicklaus is also backing off of his criticism of Olympic sitter-outerers. Alex Butler reports from the opening of Golden Bear Grill.

"Then I started thinking more about it and thought maybe I shouldn't have said that because it's not about that. They aren't about growing golf right now. They are into playing golf. I'm into growing golf because I'm past my time. I look to the future of what happens to it. These guys are thinking 'how do I make a living, how do I perform?' If they get sick, and then all of the sudden they have a family that gets sick, then they've got another issue other than what they are trying to do...making a living in golf and to be able to perform at their best and highest level.

"I've taken the opposite side of my own opinion."

PGA Round One Quick Roundup: Stars Struggle, Rain Coming

Jimmy Walker torched Baltusrol early and watched as many of the world's best struggled with the Lower Course.

Michael Shamburger has this roundup of the tough day for favorites and stars, beyond Henrik Stenson, Day and Fowler who both posted nice scores. As Dave Kindred writes, sometimes it's a cruel game for even the best, sometimes they get lost and there are so many opportunities to struggle .

Stenson continued the trend of epic ballstriking, and according to Golf Channel's Justin Ray, he's hitting 79.8% of his greens over his last six major rounds.

Martin Kaymer played beautifully and lit up after the round talking about his upcoming Olympic experience, reports Alex Myers.

Less pretty was Dustin Johnson's round of 77 with the Stenson group. Jason Sobel on DJ's struggles.

Sam Weinman with some of DJ's quotes after the round. It was a short discussion.

Brentley Romine with the Spieth (70) roundup.

Romine also has notes on Brooks Koepka and Chris Wood making Ryder Cup pushes.

Rory McIlroy had 35 putts and Brian Wacker suggests it may be time for McIlroy to make a change. All his putting stats according to this Golf Channel tweet were...awful.

This was an interesting revelation from Bob Harig's report, which suggests that some of the confidence woes may be green reading driven. At least at Baltusrol.

"With the poa annua greens, you start to look a lot into them. You read it from behind the ball and you see one line; you read it from behind the hole and it looks slightly different. You put yourself in two minds sometimes."

Ian O'Connor at ESPN.com followed Phil Mickelson and also considered the evolution of his career since the last time Phil played Baltusrol.

Durability might be the most underappreciated part of Mickelson's career. When Woods was pummeling people in his dynastic prime, most contenders dropped on command and never got back up. Mickelson at least staggered to his feet and kept working the problem. "And once Phil got over the hump," his caddie, Bones Mackay, said Thursday, "it got to a point where he couldn't wait to be paired with Tiger."

Mickelson claimed 33 of his 42 PGA Tour victories after Woods' first two victories as a pro late in the 1996 season. Mickelson also won all five of his major championships after Tiger's most dominant stretch -- the seven majors he won in an 11-major stretch from the 1999 PGA to the 2002 U.S. Open.

Golf Digest's Birdies and Bogeys gives a quick roundup of day one.

The weather forecast overnight stinks. The long range has some electricity issues as well.

Bill Raftery, Baltusrol member and beloved announcer, stopped by the booth.

Justin Thomas went with bold pants, but Horschel lurks Sunday with some doozies.

The legend of Beef Johnston grows, writes Weinman.

The most unique golf shot you will see today. https://t.co/LlGokNjRLW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2016

Johnston's post-round interview at Golfweek.com

Patton Kizzire is ready for football season!

Golf is (still) hard. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/L7EENIm4kZ

— PGA.COM (@PGAcom) July 28, 2016

Nice to see Amanda Balionis on the TNT broadcast doing interviews. Jeff Newton posts a Q&A about her role this week.

While the Zurich lie-detector ads continue to spiral, surpassing the lame "your wife's cooking" campaign, I'm at about Defcon 3 with the new Omega HOF ad. I have trouble seeing ever reaching the status of the prior Hall of Fame spot. But it's only Thursday...

"I know everyone hated the hall of fame commercial, but hear me out. What if we had a creepy kid sing the song?"

-Omega marketing team-

— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) July 28, 2016

Five Family Fun: Premier Series Details Emerge

On the eve of the PGA Championship--albeit one that lands earlier than normal and which will take a few days of golf to get excited about--details of the European Tour's long-rumored Premier Series are emerging.

Chief Exec Keith Pelley's concept of a world tour/answer to the PGA Tour will be a select group of events with a presenting sponsor, reports Golfweek's Alex Miceli.

The Premier Series, the brainchild of Tour chief executive Keith Pelley, was created to stem the flood of veteran talent to the PGA Tour and keep younger European players focused on their home tour.

The plan focuses on certain parts of the schedule with increased purses, not to just compete directly with opposite PGA Tour events but also to emphasize certain times of the year on the European Tour.

With the first phase of the series to be announced at the British Masters in mid-October, the Tour intends to implement the program over the next two or three years. The Premier Series would consist of 10 tournaments in 2018 and 12 events in 2019.

Your turn Commissioner Finchem!