The PGA Tour has been undergoing several lapses ever since the 2024 season has kickstarted. From the weather ruining the natural gameplay of the players to viewerships dropping down significantly, a lot is at stake for Jay Monahan. But what is causing the viewership to drop so much? The PGA Tour events seem to have a coverage problem. Take The Sentry in January for example, the coverage as complained by a fan was less about watching the players in action and more about watching the leaderboard with no commentary. 

The live coverage of the events is described to be more centered around the other aspects of the game, than the game itself. Additionally, the back-to-back commercials left the audience all the more enraged. And well, as it turns out, the same misery has followed for the golf fans at the 2024 ISPS Handa Australian Open as well. Since 2022, the Australian Open has featured a mixed format combining three tournaments—the men’s, women’s, and Australian All Abilities Championship—across two courses. South African star Ash Buhai claimed her first of two consecutive titles, sharing the spotlight with men’s winner Adrian Meronk. 

The format included both 36-hole and 54-hole cuts, with Cameron Smith, the reigning British Open champion at the time, eliminated before the final round. However, the controversial 54-hole cut was removed for the 2023 edition, simplifying the structure. As it turns out, even the broadcasting is set together on one channel. Taking to this, Andrew Kirby reported, “Is the Australian Open @AusOpenGolf golf broadcast the worst in sports – trying to cover 3 tournaments in 1 and then effectively covering none.” Well, that was not all. Another reporter, Evin Priest highlighting the importance of the situation also tweeted, “The future of the Australian Open remains unclear with player frustrations boiling over in Melbourne this week after three years of the mixed men’s and women’s format.”

Well, as it turns out, the frustration was not just limited to the reporters, it spread out among the golf community.

The golf community enraged at the broadcasting quality

Taking to this, one of them wrote, “It is certainly worst coverage I have ever seen of a golf tournament in Australia.”The game of golf has become more prevalent in Australia this year. In 2023, 3.5 million adults were engaged in the game, which marked a significant rise of people in the game. Not to add the golfing pros from Lucas Herbert to Cameron Smith, who are already playing at the national Open. But to have such compromises in covering a national match in Melbourne was what enraged the audience.

Another pointed out the fact that for an Open, they don’t even have a budget to display the men’s and women’s matches separately in two channels. Both were broadcast together on 9Network and Fox Sports. Taking to this, one of them wrote, “Embarrassing how they don’t have 2 channels for Men’s/Women’s…. Not hard! Woke police.”

People also left comments like, “Awful coverage and format. A once important national open reduced to novelty golf. crazy” and “Yes, silly format.” In the inclusive format, where three different categories of golfers play together, it seemed stupid for the golfers. Over the first two rounds, all participants alternate between the two courses. After the initial rounds, the field is cut down, and the remaining players proceed to Kingston Heath Golf Club for the final rounds. This approach ensures a shared and prestigious stage for all participants, reflecting the event’s inclusive spirit. Taking to this,

Additionally, apart from the reigning champion Joaquin Niemann, the 2024 ISPS Handa has only one player from the top 50 of the OWGR list. Taking to this, one of them simply suggested, “Has to go. And they wonder why no one good wants to come and play it.”

What are your thoughts on the coverage? Let us know in the comments section below!