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A day after the PGA Tour’s big announcement about a new business deal with the Strategic Sports Group, LIV Golf released news that should be of interest to all golf fans as well.
LIV has teamed up with Google Cloud and PMY Group, and it could be a major step in how we watch all golf tournaments going forward.
11 questions (and answers) on the PGA Tour’s new business deal and what it means for a LIV merger
There are multiple parts to the collaboration, but the one that will grab golf fans’ attention the most is called, “Any Shot, Any Time.” And it’s just what it sounds.
Projected to launch mid-year on the LIV Golf Plus app, fans will be able to watch live coverage of any player and group. Whenever they want.
“This is a game changer for golf and most importantly, for the fans,” said LIV Golf commissioner and chief executive Greg Norman said in a press release. “We are proud to have Google Cloud on board as a technology partner of LIV Golf as we accelerate our league’s digital transformation with the pre-eminent brand in this space. Working with Google Cloud and other world-class partners, our advanced approach to technology and innovation will revolutionise golf as we bring the sport into the future.”
In 2019, the Masters began letting fans see every shot from the tournament through its app and streaming platforms, but on a slight delay. Beginning in 2020, the PGA Tour streamed every shot live from the Players Championship as well, with the idea that the technology might be used at other PGA Tour events in the future. But LIV is promising to do this for every tournament.
In addition to “Any Shot, Any Time”, the league announced a LIV Golf Companion app – also powered by Google Cloud’s AI technologies – that will provide 3D aerial overviews, advanced real-time statistics, virtual caddie views and customised recaps. The release says that this will launch this winter as well.
“Our partnership with PMY and Google Cloud enables the league and teams to develop a modern approach to maximising technology to new levels in the game of golf we have never seen before,” said Bryson DeChambeau, who captains LIV Golf’s Crushers GC team. “We always want to be better. We want to think outside the box and explore the impossible, and with Google Cloud, the impossible becomes reality.”
LIV Golf’s 2024 season gets underway on tonight, Australian time, at Mayakoba in Mexico. That will mark the debut of big offseason signing Jon Rahm, whose new team also will feature Tyrrell Hatton.
