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The Divot often heard the late Frank Hannigan, a past executive director of the USGA, joke that golf began in the mid-1950s when an athletic man named Arnold Palmer burst forth from Pittsburgh, all rippling muscles and smouldering charisma, and enchanted millions of viewers watching on their newfangled colour television sets.
From that day to this, golf has extended its televisual footprint, yet has struggled to deliver the TV ratings achieved by other sports.
The Divot has often wondered why this is. A game featuring the primary colours of blue sky, green grass and a white ball would seem designed for television. The combination of seeing an exceptional visual act, a long, curling putt, say, described with succinct, colourful commentary can score an incident into a viewer’s mind.
Who can forget Gary Koch’s “Better than most” phrase as Tiger Woods’s putt on the 71st hole of the 2001 Players Championship wound its circuitous way down a ledge and into the hole? Years ago, the Divot recalls Henry Longhurst’s gasp followed by a 3-second silence when Doug Sanders missed a 2-foot putt to win the 1970 Open at St Andrews. These are just two that caught the mood of the moment and paired it with the appropriate words or noise in the case of Longhurst’s gasp. Nevertheless, and despite the visual appeal of a course’s surroundings, perhaps golf’s failing has been that it lacks the thud and blunder of American football, the speed and sleight of hand of basketball. What’s more, a lot of the time not much is happening on a golf course.
Last month’s skins match involving Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson against Matthew Wolff and Rickie Fowler showcased Seminole, that scenic and wonderful course in Florida, but left viewers unmoved. One week later The Match: Champions for Charity starring Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady excited golf viewers in a way that golf rarely has. It averaged 5.8m viewers, peaking at 6.3m to become the most watched combined golf telecast on cable television. It was lively, amusing and generated considerable support on social media.
Justin Thomas was a revelation as an on-course reporter and has surely found himself a career whenever he retires from playing. Mickelson’s humour didn’t jar as it often can. Woods jabbed at Mickelson with pinpoint accuracy. Charles Barkley was funny from the commentary box. It was a made-for-TV event that raised $20m for COVID-19.
“Hopefully this will change the game” was one of many complimentary tweets after the telecast. That might be a bit too much to expect. But it certainly gave the old game a bit of a hurry up and it was all the more welcome for that.
John Hopkins