Big changes are coming to the PGA Tour in 2023 as it attempts to offset the LIV Golf threat. However, Harry Higgs thinks they could be in vain without a improvement in the coverage of the Tour's events from its broadcast partners.
Higgs was discussing next year's elevated events on the No Laying Up podcast, which will see higher prize money and the guarantee of appearances from the Tour's best players. However, he thinks for the new structure to be successful, it needs help from the TV companies. He said: “I see the amount of work that goes into showing us play golf, and it is ridiculous. And I really, really appreciate all the work that they all go through to do that. But at the end of the day, they do a s***, s*** job of telling the story of what’s going on.
“So if we got an elevated schedule and the lesser ones are not elevated, but if you play good golf in those, you can get into the elevated ones, that’s awesome. That’s something I’m sure you would watch. I’m sure almost every listener would love to watch and follow along. But they make it too f***ing hard to follow along. I don’t trust them to tell the story the way that it should be.”
Despite his reservations, Higgs said that he thinks current CBS analyst Trevor Immelman, who recently replaced Nick Faldo in the role, is off to a good start. He said: “Well, it’s like, I didn’t particularly care to turn on my TV and listen to Nick Faldo. I don’t really know him that well. I’m sure he’s a decent guy. I didn’t particularly care. The reason I didn’t particularly care is I never saw the man. Like, he’s there Wednesday to Sunday. Just come out on the driving range. Now whether people talk to you or not, who knows? But listen to what’s going on. Trevor Immelman is taking his place - I see the man everywhere. I think he’s going to do a great job.”
The 31-year-old had similar praise for another CBS analyst, Colt Knost. He said: “Colt is everywhere. And Colt has the relationship with a lot of the current top-level guys. And even some of the not-so-top-level guys. It’s going to be easy for him to tell the story. Just stop. Just stop talking. We’re going to listen to Colt for an hour, for the end, because Harry is about to win, and Colt knows him really well. Or whomever it may be."
While making the narrative compelling enough to engage viewers is one area Higgs feels can improve, he also admitted that the changes being implemented by the PGA Tour are a gamble - and if it backfires, it could leave the PGA Tour diminished. He said: “Basically, those events need to generate a s*** ton of revenue to offset the cost of pumping money into purses, pumping money into bonuses.
"If those events generate a ton of revenue, more than what we are putting into every pool, with purses, bonuses, all this stuff, all the money that is being shelled out, then we’re cool, we’re fine. We’re going to be just great. Every event is going to continue to run. If they don’t generate the revenue we think, or we’re hoping, then there is no way that there is anything other than a 20-event PGA Tour schedule starting probably year 2031."
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