Let's kick things off by explaining this is a safe space. Some people are super fans of popular icons in the world of music, while others prefer to re-enact historical events, but... I'm just obsessed with tour golf.
Considering I work in the golf industry, you could perhaps perceive my obsession as an admirable attention to detail or an unrelenting desire to stay abreast of the latest happenings to further my professional career... but, if I'm honest, I just love golf.
6 Signs You Are Hopelessly Obsessed With Tour Golf
Before we explore this list, now is your chance to join me in admitting your ultimate fandom.
If anything strikes a chord with your own habits, drop me a comment in the box at the bottom of this article. It's good to share...
1. Tour Apps
Most golf fans might have an app or two that they use to occasionally check the leaderboard at their favourite events.
However, when you have one for the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LIV Golf, LPGA and each of the four Majors (plus the Ryder Cup) - perhaps it's time to accept you've crossed the line.
That, of course, doesn't cover the generic apps, that can track multiple tournaments on multiple tours, the betting apps with their live updates and latest odds, or the bookmarked Golf Monthly website where you can follow along on the live blog.
Hopefully, by this stage, you are catching my drift. I think the benchmark for obsession is three - any more than that earns you membership to my club.
2. Strokes Gained Data
What is Strokes Gained data in golf? That's a great question. Essentially, it's a way of measuring a golfers performance against others in the field across key areas of the game.
If you didn't know that, I'd argue it's not possible for you to be considered obsessive
If, however, you check Strokes Gained (SG) data on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to work out who has the best chance of winning the next tour event, then check it on Thursday through Sunday to help you get a head start on next week, that's a different story.
It will probably come as no surprise that Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy ranked one and two respectively in the Strokes Gained: Total measure in the last 12 months
3. Streaming
If you have a prior commitment that cannot be moved, which happens to fall on Ryder Cup Sunday, then I think it's completely plausible that most people with a vague interest in golf would want to stream the action on their mobile phone somewhere.
But, sitting in a different room to other people while watching the second round of the the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship or sneakily catching glances of the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am under the table at your cousin's wedding is pushing it... apparently.
4. Shot Tracking
I suppose this links into the apps point I made earlier, but one of my worst golfing habits is panic refreshing the shot tracking function of tour mobile apps to see how the selections for my weekly betting tips column, Bazza's Best Bets, have been getting on.
This can leave you feeling a little confused at times, without the live pictures to help you understand the state of play, especially when the player you are following four putts from six feet or somehow appears to have put his provisional ball further out of bounds than their tee shot.
The Masters has the best shot tracking feature, in my opinion, allowing you to watch every shot from every single player in the field
5. Late Nights
Early start in the morning? A big day at work to prepare for? That won't stop the golf obsessed fan from staying up until the final putt has been holed in any middle-of-the-road tour event.
Again, I have a relatively solid excuse... in that I will likely analyse the outcome in some way over the coming days - but I am not sure many other people can use that justification.
An obsession with tour golf can still be healthy, in a similar way to supporting a football or basketball team, but recognising and accepting the signs for what they are can help you to understand why waking up tired, racking up your screen time and appearing unsociable at certain events or functions is worth it for the love of the game.
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