If there’s one thing golf fans hate, it’s commercials. And if there’s one thing golf fans love, it’s player-caddie conversations. For regular PGA Tour viewers, it often feels like the time spent watching car insurance commercials comes at the expense of deeper immersion into the sport and its colorful cast of world-class athletes.
This weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the PGA Tour will attempt to ease those concerns with its latest Fan Forward Initiative, which replace several commercial blocks at Bay Hill with live golf segments focusing on player-caddie interactions. The segments will be presented by Mastercard, the title sponsor of the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the support of the API’s broadcast partners, NBC and Golf Channel.
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“In addition to wanting more live golf action, fans are telling us they are more entertained when they can see and hear a player’s pre-shot process in the heat of the competition,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan of the new approach. “We are excited to work with Mastercard and NBC/Golf Channel to step back and allow fans to experience those intimate, real-time interactions during the telecast this week.”
This, and several other innovations to be announced by Monahan in a Tuesday interview with Golf Channel, are the product of a 2024 Fan Forward survey, which polled more than 50,000 fans about the improvements they would like to see from the PGA Tour. While Monahan himself admitted the initiative won’t fix every gripe golf fans have with tournament broadcasts, less commercials and deeper golf coverage might be just what the doctor ordered … well, that and a large milkshake.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
