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Ten days ago, Justin Thomas penned a letter to PGA Tour members imploring change, as The Athletic's Gabby Herzig posted on social media. In the letter, Thomas asked his fellow players to be more active and open in communicating with television partners. Since that time, that has been a topic of discussion for several players in press conferences, and fans alike. But Thomas had not actually addressed the letter himself.
Following his first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Thomas finally broke his silence, per Golf.com.
“We felt like it meant a lot more coming from players, or a player, than — no offense to the staff — but the staff,” Thomas said of the letter. “The Tour just needs a lot more coming from us.”
Thomas and Max Homa, members of the Player Advisory Council's subcommittee, have been exploring new ways to engage with fans. CBS aired a ‘walk-and-talk' with him at Torrey Pines two years ago. In recent months, there have been other occurrences breaking the norm for golfers on the course.
That is something Thomas and Homa are impassioned about. The former revealed that the latter helped him write the letter that has garnered so much attention. Homa, having an active and successful social media presence, has a strong understanding of how to connect with fans. That is something the PGA Tour has struggled with.
“We're incredibly lucky to have many passionate people tuning in to watch us every week, but let's be honest — this game can feet a little distant at times,” Thomas wrote in the memo.
“Things such as pre-round interviews, mid-round interviews, wearing a mic, communication of any equipment or swing changes… can make a WORLD of difference.”
He also talked about the “Fan Forward” research survey suggested younger audiences (18-34) are begging for this change.
Justin Thomas, Max Homa plan for a big PGA Tour change
Everyone knows that Tiger Woods still moves the needle more than anyone in the sport. But as Thomas pointed out, that will not always be the case.
“There's only so long we've got Tiger, and he's obviously the biggest person in golf in forever, and probably always will be… I just want it [the PGA Tour] to get better,” Thomas said Thursday.
He went on to cite how different sports utilize constant communication between athletes and media. Whether that is halftime on-court interviews during an NBA game or a pre-game chat with NFL stars, there are ways to let fans in. Golf fans are clamoring for that, they want to hear the communication between the player and caddie and get inside their head to have a deeper understanding and connection.
Television ratings for the PGA Tour have continued their decline. There are several reasons, including some fans being turned off by the division within the sport, and how much money drives conversation. But that has led to growing trends.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy launched the TGL last month. Thus far, viewership has been solid with mostly positive reviews. YouTube golf is a growing trend that does not appear to be going away. Fans are looking elsewhere for golf content.
So, credit to Justin Thomas for being bold enough to call for this change. It is overdue and needed.
