Complaints About Justin Thomas’s Letter Grow After Scottie Scheffler & Co Discredited His Ideas to Improve PGA Tour

The PGA Tour’s latest attempts to revamp its image have been met with skepticism, and Justin Thomas’s recent memo urging players to be more “broadcast-friendly” has been deemed worthless by many. The memo’s focus on making players more media accessible has been criticized for not addressing the Tour’s deeper issues, such as pace of play and scheduling. In fact, many believe that Thomas’s memo is just a “Band-Aid” solution that won’t solve the Tour’s underlying problems.

This sentiment was echoed by Charley Hoffman, who penned a scathing response to Thomas’s memo, addressing the need for a more comprehensive approach to the Tour’s issues. Hoffman’s memo resonated with many, including PGA Tour pro Dylan Wu, who praised its honesty and willingness to tackle tough topics. In his memo, Hoffman addressed his fellow players, tackling the Tour’s slow play issue and hypocrisy among players. Hoffman emphasized that the pace of play has been a challenge for 20 years and urged players to take responsibility for speeding up. He also criticized the Aon Swing 5 implementation and called out players for prioritizing side events like TGL and the Race to Dubai while claiming they want to play fewer events.

The debate surrounding Thomas’s memo comes as the PGA Tour faces intense scrutiny over its attempts to make events more entertaining. In the latest podcast episode from Drop Zone, the hosts criticized the Tour’s forced attempts at entertainment, saying they can come across as insincere. “We’re going to give them more walk-and-talk interviews… Like, no, like people have strong bull**t detectors to things that are built explicitly for the purpose of being fun and explicit.” Instead, the hosts emphasized the importance of focusing on the competition itself, a sentiment echoed by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. “It’s not about just making the broadcast better. It’s about making the tournaments better so that the broadcasts are better and that people are interested and want to tune in and watch.”

The hosts argued that this approach can be counterproductive, saying, “I think it’s a very good point that like when you contrive something to the level that it is made solely for television, very often the audience kind of just immediately turns off from that.”

Many believe it’s time for a more thoughtful approach, one that puts the competition first and tackles the underlying issues. By doing so, they can create an experience that’s genuinely thrilling for fans – no gimmicks required. Fingers, toes, and everything crossed that they’re listening! With the ongoing sinking ship of viewership, especially with what happened in the AT&T Pebble Beach event, the PGA Tour seems to be in trouble.

Coverage gaps and declining viewership: A recipe for disaster

The PGA Tour’s recent broadcast of the AT&T Pebble Beach event was a major letdown, leaving fans frustrated and disappointed. This isn’t just a one-off issue, though – the Tour’s been struggling with declining TV ratings, including a 3% drop in viewership last season. To put that into perspective, their rivals experienced a significant increase of 50% over the same period. Even the season-opening event of 2025, The Sentry, saw a decline in viewership, which doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season. It’s clear that something needs to change, and fast if the PGA Tour wants to win back its audience.

The problems run deeper than just numbers, though. One golf analyst pointed out that the Tour’s poor coordination between Golf Channel and CBS resulted in viewers missing out on crucial holes, including the iconic seventh hole at Pebble Beach. “Whatever it is, like, the answer can’t be we miss the leaders playing the seventh hole at Pebble Beach… that’s never an answer in my book,” one analyst noted. It’s time for the PGA Tour to step up its broadcast game and give fans the coverage and entertainment they deserve! What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below!