Playoff drama on the PGA Tour should help new contract deal

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

In an ideal world I'd agree, it would be much better for golf if they could promote the sport without focusing on a few individuals but it's tough.

The NBA has tried to do this and hasn't been able to since Michael Jordan retired.  The NCAA Tournament is a single elimination tournament in a sport where the nations Top 68 college basketball teams compete.  On top of school loyalty and given basketball typically draws higher ratings, the tournament viewership is also increased due to office pools and gambling.

Golf, especially to people that don't play regularly isn't that exciting to watch.  I'm not sure how you get more people excited to watch it, especially when two guys like Toms and Choi are at the top of the leaderboard.  I see golf, tennis and even NASCAR having similar issues.  NASCAR is trying to promote teams, but despite their limited success Earnhardt Jr and Danica Patrick are still their best known drivers.

People might accidentally end up with a google search for "David Toms", but they'd were likely trying to find pics of  "Logan Tom".

[ochmude]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Golf, especially to people that don't play regularly isn't that exciting to watch.  I'm not sure how you get more people excited to watch it, especially when two guys like Toms and Choi are at the top of the leaderboard.  I see golf, tennis and even NASCAR having similar issues.  NASCAR is trying to promote teams, but despite their limited success Earnhardt Jr and Danica Patrick are still their best known drivers.

You could try things like incorporating pyrotechnics when players sink an exceptional putt or hole out an approach shot.  Or just have the PGA Tour work with Spike TV to make golf more Xtreme!!!!

Seriously, though, I've come to the conclusion that golf is inherently unexciting because you compete with yourself.  There is no offense and defense, so while there is competition, it's all indirect.  As such, there is very little "action", and this is further hampered by the fact that playing golf well often means selecting the most boring shot option available to you, and only very rarely "going for it".  That makes for solid scores but dull TV.

[ThominOH]

Originally Posted by ochmude

You could try things like incorporating pyrotechnics when players sink an exceptional putt or hole out an approach shot.  Or just have the PGA Tour work with Spike TV to make golf more Xtreme!!!!

Seriously, though, I've come to the conclusion that golf is inherently unexciting because you compete with yourself.  There is no offense and defense, so while there is competition, it's all indirect.  As such, there is very little "action", and this is further hampered by the fact that playing golf well often means selecting the most boring shot option available to you, and only very rarely "going for it".  That makes for solid scores but dull TV.

I wouldn't go that far.. Same could be said with many Olympic sporting events, but every 2 years people will watch it all day long.. I know I do.. LOL  There are multiple problems that are haunting golf.. The so called lack of "action" is one, but that can be overcome with knowledge.. Most often then not, most that don't like golf don't know golf.. They have no clue what par means, and how it's calculated.. Some of the best exciting golf are team events, such as the Ryder/Pres. cup..  Golf is MORE then just stroke play, as traditional as that is.. I enjoyed the one event that uses the Stableford point system..

Honestly..  I would LOVE to see a tourney that uses a randomly generated 3-man scramble format..  You have 4 rounds as usual.. Same team for the week.. After Thurs./Friday's round you have the cut.. Remaining teams play the weekend.. To me, that would spice things up.. Who wouldn't want to see pro's playing a scramble?

[franky21]

Originally Posted by ThominOH

I wouldn't go that far.. Same could be said with many Olympic sporting events, but every 2 years people will watch it all day long.. I know I do.. LOL  There are multiple problems that are haunting golf.. The so called lack of "action" is one, but that can be overcome with knowledge.. Most often then not, most that don't like golf don't know golf.. They have no clue what par means, and how it's calculated.. Some of the best exciting golf are team events, such as the Ryder/Pres. cup..  Golf is MORE then just stroke play, as traditional as that is.. I enjoyed the one event that uses the Stableford point system..

Honestly..  I would LOVE to see a tourney that uses a randomly generated 3-man scramble format..  You have 4 rounds as usual.. Same team for the week.. After Thurs./Friday's round you have the cut.. Remaining teams play the weekend.. To me, that would spice things up.. Who wouldn't want to see pro's playing a scramble?

I totally agree with you golf isn't the most popular sport in the world and it does lack action so it is hard for people that don't play golf to get into a sport that they don't find entertaining. I do think those formats would make for very exciting golf and would attract more people. One problem i have with the tournaments is that the pairings aren't very strong. The least they could do is put together good pairings on thur and fri to make people tune in. People want to see the good players play with each other like Bubba, Woodland and Dustin matched up together and watch them all hammer the ball down the fairway or Graeme,Kaymer and Westood and watch the top euro players duke it out on a thur.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by ThominOH

I wouldn't go that far.. Same could be said with many Olympic sporting events, but every 2 years people will watch it all day long.. I know I do.. LOL  There are multiple problems that are haunting golf.. The so called lack of "action" is one, but that can be overcome with knowledge.. Most often then not, most that don't like golf don't know golf.. They have no clue what par means, and how it's calculated.. Some of the best exciting golf are team events, such as the Ryder/Pres. cup..  Golf is MORE then just stroke play, as traditional as that is.. I enjoyed the one event that uses the Stableford point system..

Honestly..  I would LOVE to see a tourney that uses a randomly generated 3-man scramble format..  You have 4 rounds as usual.. Same team for the week.. After Thurs./Friday's round you have the cut.. Remaining teams play the weekend.. To me, that would spice things up.. Who wouldn't want to see pro's playing a scramble?

You're probably not watching the Olympics every 2 years. I've tried to watch the team scamble events on the Senior Tour and I can't watch for more than a few holes, even when it's guys I like (e.g. Price, Tway, Lehman . . .). I do like watching guys try to recover from a bad drive or try to get up and down from ridiculous spots. An event with shot after shot from the fairway and a birdie putt on every hole gets boring after a while - for me anyway.