I have a New Year’s resolution.
After we’ve all been inundated with negativity from the pro golf world the past few years, I’m endeavoring to be more positive.
That’s not to say there won’t be any criticism or judgment. The PGA Tour and LIV surely deserve their fair share of that after tearing the game in two.
But, hey, there is nothing wrong with searching for a silver lining. Life is short. Two good friends in the golf media world recently passed away—Jeff Babineau and Steve DiMeglio—and they were both among the most uplifting people I got the chance to meet.
Maybe we can all learn a lesson from them and carry that legacy forward. Look on the bright side every now and then.
In that light, I thought it would be good to talk about five ways the Tour could be worth watching this year.
Are you still interested in watching? What would it take for you to watch? I’m genuinely interested in this question. There are no wrong answers.
If you’re reading this, you are probably well aware of the Tour’s dire TV ratings situation and the many issues that plague golf broadcasts. I’m not saying any of those are going away. They could get worse.
However, golf on TV is moving forward this year. There will be golf to watch and some of it could be worth closing out of the latest YouTube golf video and tuning in to see the pros play.
As someone who has not been watching much pro golf outside of the majors, I spent a couple of hours digging through my brain for a few (somewhat realistic) reasons that could get me watching typical week-to-week Tour golf.
In no particular order, here are a few scenarios that would have me flipping on my TV.
1. Jordan Spieth returns to form
I accidentally eviscerated Mr. Spieth in this column last year where I pointed out that the best five years of his career were his first five years.
Since that scorchingly hot start, he has been outside the top 20 in the world more often than not.
I am actually a Spieth fan. He’s an exciting player. Outside of Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, you would be hard-pressed to find a pro golfer in this era who inspires like Jordan does.
Last year was brutal for the 31-year-old (my God, we are all getting old). A lingering wrist injury required surgery. Prior to that, his results were middling at best as he has fallen to No. 103 in Data Golf.
That’s right. Jordan Spieth is a borderline top 100 player in the world now.
Having said all of that, I’m not necessarily ready to give up on him. If he can stay healthy—and that is a big question mark—there still must be some magic left there. I would love to see him recapture that.
We don’t know when he’ll return in 2025. He didn’t qualify for the Sentry at Kapalua this week—his caddie Michael Greller has a one-off gig with new COBRA signee Max Homa—but it sounds like we’ll likely see him somewhere on the West Coast swing.
The Tour needs all of its stars to step up and get in contention. Spieth is at the top of the wish list outside of science-fiction scenarios like Tiger winning No. 83.
Some will also point out that Rickie Fowler (No. 76 in Data Golf) could really benefit the Tour if he had a bounce-back campaign.
2. Rory McIlroy fires up the Masters hype train
While domination from overwhelming world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has not been fruitful for ratings, an inspired start to 2025 by McIlroy could do the trick.
The No. 4 player by Data Golf has enjoyed some solid starts to recent seasons but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen him catch fire early in the year.
The last time McIlroy won a Tour event in the lead-up to the Masters was the 2019 Players Championship. The year before that, he won at Bay Hill.
A lot of people have thrown in the towel when it comes to McIlroy winning the Masters and completing the career Grand Slam—but coming out and winning once or twice prior to Augusta could get people believing again.
If McIlroy finds himself locked in a duel with Scheffler, Xander Schauffele or another star somewhere in the pre-Masters window, it would be worth watching.
And if he wins, the interest level will snowball for every tournament leading into the Masters.
3. Can a new villain emerge?
The Tour lost some of its most valuable villains to LIV.
Sports are about rooting for one side and/or against another side. Maybe there are a few guys out there who are worth rooting for—they are good guys who are generally liked—but it’s hard to be an emotional viewer if there aren’t players who we really don’t want to be successful.
The Tour could use a few guys the general public doesn’t like at all. And the Tour could use those guys getting in contention at big events.
Could Patrick Cantlay be a villain? Of the milquetoast Tour stars, he is among the most outspoken and unlikable.
Matt Kuchar kind of qualifies—but he is older and not particularly competitive.
It would be transformative if golf fans had a top player to hate.
4. Justin Thomas becomes a superstar again
I wrote about this earlier in the week, but I think Thomas is in line for a big 2025.
He has quietly ascended to No. 10 in Data Golf. He hasn’t won since the 2022 PGA Championship but the underlying signs are signaling that JT has something cooking heading into the year.
His iron play improved dramatically in 2024. Putting is still a big concern but Thomas has always been streaky on the greens.
Like or dislike Thomas, he is one of the players that elicits some emotion out of viewers. Him not being in contention the past couple of years has been a tough break.
If Thomas can find his way into the top five in the world, I think that is a bigger win for pro golf than a lot of people might recognize. He’s entertaining and one of the few guys worth the price of admission just based on swagger alone.
Golf also desperately needs his presence in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage. He would make the American team as it stands now but September is a long time from now.
5. There is a rules controversy late on a Sunday
One of the benefits pro golf has over YouTube is that it is inherently serious competition where money and reputation are at stake.
So when a rules controversy happens, there is added weight to the ordeal. It galvanizes Golf Twitter into a frenzy.
Most rules controversies in recent years have been caused by Patrick Reed blatantly trying to cheat or DeChambeau asking for the opinion of multiple rules officials. With those guys on LIV, we need someone else to step up.
There are always minor rules controversies floating around but I think the Tour could use one right around the turn on the Sunday of a signature event where the outcome is in doubt. Give it enough time for word to spread so that fans flock to their TVs to see what happens. Bonus points if someone “might have bent the rules” but comes out victorious.
That would get people talking.
This one is a little tongue-in-cheek but it’s definitely something that would get me to watch.
What would get you talking? What would get you watching? Let me know below in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: The PGA Tour could use a renaissance from Jordan Spieth. (GETTY IMAGES/Mike Mulholland)
The post Are You Still Interested In Watching The PGA Tour? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
Article Link: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/tour/are-you-still-interested-in-watching-the-pga-tour/