The PGA Tour needs a lot of changes to happen. They need to address the slow pace of play. They need to improve the quality of golf on offer by ensuring better competition at all events, not just the signature and major events. They also need a player to become their icon, similar to what Tiger Woods did. Someone who makes the fans come back to watch the spot. Someone like Michael Jordan for the NBA. Like Shohei Ohtani for MLB. But who can that be?
Brendon Porath, Head of Content at the Fried Egg Golf Podcast, discussed the surprising results of a fan survey from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “At Pebble Beach, the fan survey that the PGA Tour did. They want on-course personality, they want off-course personality. The style of play and results come after that, were the findings of the PGA Tour,” he said.
So, who’s got the potential to be the poster child according to the content head? “Jordan Spieth, when he is at his best, he fulfills all those things. With the on-course banter, with the way he gets the ball in the hole. This is sort of an asset to the tour and what the fans really want,” Porath said. Most pros, he notes, prioritize competition over fan entertainment. “A lot of pros were like I grew up wanting to be a golfer and I don’t care about being an entertainer,” he stated, but he also said that the players need to understand it a bit from their fans’ perspective.
The latter focus echoed in Justin Thomas’ memo to the PGA on player-driven improvements. According to it, he believed that players needed to be a bit more broadcast accessible. However, World No.1 Scottie Scheffler had a different opinion. “The reason why I always watched sports is to see the competition…So, when I think about something that would be good for the game of golf, I think the more we can get back in the competition of things, I think that’s what’s best.”
Jordan Spieth has had a brilliant three-year stretch from 2015 to 2017 when he only missed 9 cuts from a total of 73 events he attended on the PGA Tour. He also made the cut at all 12 majors, finishing victorious on three occasions and achieving top 5 on 6 occasions in total. That form is something he is yet to recreate. But he’s delivered some cute fan moments!
Jordan Spieth and fans – a story for everyone
Spieth’s interactions with fans are the stuff of legends. At the Wells Fargo Championship in 2023, Jordan Spieth invited a few kids onto the course with him, to take a few photos with him and sign some autographs from his side.
One of the more memorable interactions Spieth had with the fans was when he indulged in a game of rock-paper-scissors with a young kid. This happened at the 2023 Memorial Tournament when Jordan Spieth went to the fans section to sign autographs. While doing this, one young fan had a surprising request. Rather than sign anything for him, he wanted to play a game of rock-paper-scissors with the 3-time Major winner.
Don’t need an autograph, just a quick win over @JordanSpieth in rock, paper, scissors pic.twitter.com/Ofe4DQNpFi
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 3, 2023
Spieth indulged the fan but at the cost of an amusing loss. The kid beat him but it proved to be a memorable moment which was exactly what Porath was referring to. Spieth is not just a fan of games but is also known to share food while he is on the course.
After his drive at the 16th hole, Spieth was walking towards the fans. He was eating a sandwich when a fan asked him whether he was having a snack. The 2015 Masters Tournament replied that it was a peanut butter and banana sandwich and asked the fan if he wanted half of it. The American golfer did not wait for a reply as he tore a part of it and gave it to the fan.
Such wholesome moments are what stay behind with the fans who attend the events. But the underlying idea is that Spieth needs to balance his off-court personality with his on-court competitiveness. The 13-time PGA Tour winner is back from a long injury layoff. The injury seems to have affected his consistency, because despite finishing an impressive T4 at the WM Phoenix Open (his second tournament after his return), Spieth failed to make the cut at the Genesis Invitational.
The PGA Tour would want more likable and relatable personalities like Spieth to come to the forefront of golf and take the mantle from former poster children like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Do you think Spieth can turn his golfing fortunes around and become the symbol of golf the PGA Tour needs him to be?
The post Jordan Spieth’s Doubters Sent Strong 5-Word Message as Insider Chose Pro Over Scottie Scheffler’s Boring Game appeared first on EssentiallySports.
