Last month, Justin Thomas sent a letter to his PGA Tour colleagues asking his fellow players to be more open to conducting interviews with the media both after and during their rounds.
Thomas’ letter was sent whilst the PGA Tour was facing numerous issues ranging from slow play to poor broadcasting.
The two-time major winner says his message was well-received, and Jordan Spieth admitted he is now open to conducting mid-round interviews.
Unfortunately, the likes of Thomas, Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are all missing a trick.
PGA Tour’s best players all make same mistake at Genesis Invitational
After the first round of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, Scheffler, Spieth and Thomas conducted their post-round interviews. Unfortunately, that’s not good enough.
A golf fan only needs to head to Instagram or X, and they will see that none of the world’s best golfers have posted anything about their rounds at Torrey Pines. What’s more, on the odd occasion they do, it’s a singular photo with no insight into what’s actually going on.
The PGA Tour’s best could quickly write a short synopsis of their round and post it on X. What was the course like? Are they pleased with their round? Spieth, for example, could have offered an injury update. Scheffler carded an excellent round; there is no update on his Instagram.
But why social media? In a world where younger generations are influenced heavily by what’s found online, there’s a golden opportunity to transcend golf to a broader audience. This younger demographic might not even know there’s a PGA Tour event going on and would only be notified if one or two big names posted online updates after every single round.
At a time when viewership is dwindling, some of the world’s elite players must start figuring out what’s required to encourage a new fan base to join the PGA Tour. It’s great to talk about growing the game, but doing it in the right places is arguably more important. Becoming more active on social media whilst tournaments are ongoing is a must.
Michael Kim sets PGA Tour example
Michael Kim is a player who is leading the way when it comes to fan social media engagement.
Kim regularly interacts with fans online and posts long threads on X discussing his game and any other burning issues he wants to raise.
When asked about his social media presence, Kim admitted that fans now recognise him more regularly.
“I don’t know how much I’ve learned from it, but I would say just that a few two more people recognise me out there on the golf course,” Kim said whilst at Torrey Pines.
“It can be pretty easy to be mixed in with 155 other guys. Just getting a few more shout-outs on the golf course is pretty nice.”
One positive that recently emerged concerns the PGA Tour quietly relaxing some of its regulations regarding the posting of copyrighted video clips online. According to the Sports Business Journal, fewer takedown notices have been issued for fans who post PGA Tour content.
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