Justin Thomas was only trying to suggest how his peers can make golf better through his memo. After all, following the path of the Tiger is what many of the professionals already do. So why not make it a bit more dramatic on the course to pump up the atmosphere? But the drama slayer was not a big fan of the ideas. As Scottie Scheffler stated, “If people want to watch and enjoy, then come on out and have a good time, but I’m not going to put on a show or do anything crazy to try to get more people to watch me.” Scheffler’s dominated stroke play, but will he stick to his moniker while being compared to Tiger Woods?
Well, Mr. Inevitable is not the only one who questioned Thomas’ memo. Charlie Hoffman shared his own letter to the PGA Tour officials. Going against his fellow golfer’s request, Hoffman stated, “I’ve had no interest when someone asks for an interview mid-round or suggests trying something new,” before acknowledging how the fans love it. However, the 48-year-old added, “The pace of play has been a challenge my entire 20 years on tour, and it was an issue 20 years before that. Golf is a tough game, and when conditions get extreme, it takes time to play it the right way. We all need to take responsibility to be ready when it’s our turn to play and have the awareness to realize that we are out of position and speed up even before the rules official shows up.”
Hoffman’s appeal to the players to self-reflect to improve the game is justified. After all, slow play has been an issue in the PGA Tour for a while now. But his memo gave Dylan Wu the opportunity to take a dig at Justin Thomas. He said, “Honestly think he (Charlie Hoffman) was pretty spot on. He’s not a huge name but a well-respected guy with a great, long career. It’s a better email than JT telling us to be better with the media.” It is evident that not everyone is a fan of Justin Thomas‘ suggestion to be more entertaining. But he seems to have finally found some support from one of his peers.
Gary Williams asked Billy Horschel, “What is your view of the televised product of golf?” on the latest episode of 5 Clubs of Golf Channel on YouTube. Horschel immediately used Thomas’ memo as an example as he said, “Golf’s over such a long window. It’s not a two or three hour time window. So there’s a lot of things that can be done. Could we show more golf shots? Yes, I think we’re trying to do that. I believe the players themselves; as Justin Thomas talked about in his letter, can be more open to having conversations with announcers and golf as they are walking the golf course. Whether it’s before, during, or after a round.”
Yes, it’s time for a change
No, golf should remain traditional
Maybe, but only with player consent
I don’t care as long as the game is good
When did you watch your first golf tournament?
Before 1990 (Age 45+)
1990s (Age 35-45)
2000s (Age 25-35)
2010s (Age 18-25)
2020s (Under 18)
Whats your Perspective on:
Is Justin Thomas right to push for more drama in golf, or should tradition prevail?
Have an interesting take?
Join The Debate
It’s Sunday, and The Masters is on. What’s your home setup?
Just me, locked in
Me and my spouse
Spouse is around, I watch solo
Whole family, loud and proud!
Do you think Brian Campbell’s victory at the Mexico Open is a turning point in his career?
Absolutely, this win will boost his confidence
Maybe, but he needs more wins to prove himself
No, it’s just a one-time success
I don’t follow golf closely enough to say
How important is the role of a support system in an athlete’s career, as seen with Brian Campbell and Kelsi McKee?
Crucial, it can make or break a career
Important, but talent matters more
Somewhat, but not as much as training
Not important, athletes succeed on their own
Want to dive deeper?
Here are the articles that inspired recent polls.
Horschel was eager for on-course interviews since the DP World Tour approached him in 2019. That’s because he understands “the value of that. I understand giving insights to golf fans. That’s what they want. It’s no different than me wanting to know the insight of what the coach is thinking after the first quarter of a football game. What changes they may make or what he’s seeing. That’s such great insights that fans just crave.”
The 8x PGA Tour winner gave the example of Johnny Miller who was very vocal on the course. The legend was never afraid to criticize or commend someone for their efforts. Horschel believes that the commentary team has been “too nice” to the players even when they make bad plays. Going back to Miller, he said “I miss a guy like Johnny who can be a little controversial and say something that you may be thinking, but he’s not afraid to say it.”
