UPDATE: Not Ironically, Great Britain Can Again Watch the PGA Tour
by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 25, 2009 3:20 PM EDT
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PrintUPDATE 3:15pm 6/25 - The PGA Tour secured Eurosport as its broadcast partner for the remainder of 2009. Geoff Shackelford posted the press release that the PGA Tour send out and I'm too lazy to post.
In 2007, the PGA Tour partnered with Irish-based Setanta Sports on a contract to broadcast the PGA Tour in Great Britain. The contract was supposed to run five years, through 2012. Well, Setanta Sports filed for bankruptcy and they're going to stop broadcasting to Britain.
So, ironically, the country that invented golf will not have access to the best tour in the world on TV for a while. And that Travelers Championship this week? Not on TV.
Fortunately, the majors and WGC events are broadcast on Sky Sports through a contract they have with the European Tour. (International Federation of PGA Tours, unite!) That means the lovely Di Stewart is not impacted by the bankruptcy.
Setanta has paid the PGA Tour its due for the 2.5 years of the contract that have elapsed so far. But, as Lawrence Donegan suggests, the PGA Tour is out about $51.5 million for the remainder of the deal.
What are the options for the PGA Tour? The Associated Press' Doug Ferguson explains:
Sky Sports previously had the PGA Tour rights for Britain, and it continues to broadcast the majors and the World Golf Championships through an agreement with the European Tour. Other options for the PGA Tour could include Eurosport and ESPN, which now has a presence in Europe to television Premier League soccer, among other things.
Maybe Di will get some more time stateside after all - I mean, aside from being confused by Scott Van Pelt's Flopodopolous.
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Best tour in the world ?
Your joking , you cant call that target golf nonsense the best in the world ?
I know of very few golf fans in Scotland that subscribed to Setanta , and that was because of the 3 putt-advert-3putt-advert nature of the US coverage .
Setanta (or the US tour) will not be missed in the UK .
I mean, there’s really no question about the talent level of the US Tour (particularly depth wise) as compared to the European Tour. The style of golf definitely can be called into question, though. That’s a big complaint of both American and foreign-born players about the PGA Tour.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 25, 2009 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
And that question is… ??? Are you talking about length ? Bomb and gouge ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
The setup of the courses here is not very fun or interesting, by and large. That’s my big complaint and why I think what Mike Davis has done is very refreshing. And why I have big hopes for the grooves rule.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 25, 2009 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
“not very fun or interesting” – meaning what ? is there something other than rough, trees, bushes, bunkers, water, and undulating greens stimped at 15 they are missing ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Rough’s too deep. Pins are too tucked. Greens a little too fast. Courses too long. The Tour has gotten better in some regard on those issues, but the improvement is sporadic and inconsistent.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 25, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
here’s the thing – if you don’t add to the degree of difficulty, these guys would chew up and spit out most of the golf courses in the country. short course with no rough on easy greens ? that’s what the LPGA does. the men would be shooting 57’s before you know it.
These guys don’t care about length. The Nationwide Tour plays an almost 7800 yard course in south Georgia and put up rounds in the mid 60’s.
1 1/2" rough ? They were spinning balls back out of 3" rough at Bethpage.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
That’s why I’m thinking that the grooves rule will really make golf more interesting.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 25, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
now THAT'S an opinion !
Question, though, Chang – who DOESN’T play target golf these days ? The European Tour plays parkland and resort course golf except for the few weeks when the traditional links tournaments are played (Johnny Walker, Open, etc) Most of the season is played off the island where links courses don’t exist.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
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