Thomas's call may well be what golf fans yearn for

If timing is everything in golf, a recent clarion call by two-time major winner Justin Thomas to his fellow professionals to give more “access and insight” to TV viewers and fans may well be the perfect boost to complement the newly launched PGA Tour Studios, a state-of-the-art production facility built to redefine and energize how fans around the world will consume golf.

Thomas sent a memo to his Tour brethren last week encouraging fellow players to be more open to working with broadcast partners to improve the television product in a cluttered sports entertainment space.

A 15-time winner, the 31-year-old American, who is popular amongst fans and media for his candor and personality, offered some thoughts as to how he and others can “better connect with fans and keep building on the momentum we’ve created in recent years.”

He added the recent Tour-led Fan Forward research showed that on-course personality was the leading driver of interest for fans aged 18-34, hence he suggested for players to embrace pre and mid-round interviews to allow fans and viewers an insight into the cauldron of competition.

“I know stepping out of our comfort zones isn’t always easy,” wrote Thomas, who is a member of the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council’s subcommittee for tournament, fans and sponsors.

“Believe me, in the past I’ve been the first to say no before things are even done being asked. I’ve had no interest when someone asks for an interview mid-round or suggest trying something new. But I also know how much the fans love those moments — hearing our thought processes, conversations with our caddies, our reactions to shots, and understanding the ups and downs of competing at the highest level.”

Citing other sporting leagues such as the NFL, Thomas said pre-game interviews with the respective teams’ head coaches gave fans a chance to truly feel the tension and drama of the moment. “They pan down to the coach, and he is asked one question (that he knows is coming), gives a 5- to 10-second answer, and I’m always so tuned in to how they explain their gameplan,” Thomas wrote. “Imagine that happens on the first tee before the final few groups, or even after the first tee shot walking off the tee.

“At the end of the day, we’re all owners in this Tour. So, the bigger and better we make it not only benefits us financially, it benefits our fans and creates the ability for us to do bigger things down the road.”

Thomas’s call for players to bring fans more into their competitive world falls nicely with new innovations that the PGA Tour has embarked, which culminated with the launch of PGA Tour Studios in early January.

Studios houses all Tour media operations, including live production of more than 5,000 hours of PGA Tour LIVE as well as an expansive roster of more than 50 original, social and digital media platforms. It is also home to the largest library of golf content in the world, featuring more than 170,000 videos totaling 223,000 hours of content, with the earliest being a film transfer from 1920.

“PGA Tour Studios is a landmark step in golf media, signaling a tangible investment to more deeply connect with our fans through energetic, compelling content that brings them further inside the ropes and closer to their favorite stars,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Every new technology and forward-thinking innovation we introduce is about serving our fans and meeting them where they are, and the creative capabilities of PGA Tour Studios will help us further that mission while showcasing the beauty of our sport.”

First conceptualized in 2017 leading into media rights negotiations, the 165,000-square-foot building broke ground in 2022 and tested its capabilities throughout the fall of 2024. The opening of PGA Tour Studios is a vital next step of golf content production in an constantly-changing media landscape.

At The Players Championship in March, the Tour will launch a new World Feed that will transform and enhance how international fans experience the tournament. The new feed will, for the first time, have its own dedicated graphics package, announce team, director and producer, and a half dozen dedicated cameras to focus on international players.

If Thomas’s call is heeded, watching and consuming golf in Asia Pacific and around the globe will be far more entertaining than before.

Fans can watch the PGA Tour and this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on DAZN.