It’s high time that the PGA Tour revs its standards. ‘Why, what a strange thing to say!’ – you must think. Well, the Sentry at the Plantation Golf Course in Kapalua was a much-anticipated tournament, being the first no-cut limited-field event of the year. However, even with the smaller number of players, there were a lot of issues with the broadcast that persisted from the start of the tournament.
With the increased importance of the tournament, especially with the recent tragic fires in Maui, many fans expected an improvement in coverage over the days. However, what awaited them was nothing shy of disappointment, as many took to the internet to express their displeasure at the tour and the channels!
The PGA Tour comes under scrutiny as broadcasting problems persist
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Enough is enough! This must have been what the ardent fans were thinking as they took to their social media to bash the PGA Tour. A certain follower was especially dissatisfied, as they mentioned how the “coverage of the Sentry Tournament” has shown more “commercials than golf shots.” Extremely displeased by the same, they declared that this was more than enough to make a long-time fan stop watching the sport. Truly saddening, one must say!
I have just watched 2 days of coverage of the Sentry Tournament. They have shown more commercials than golf shots and if this is how they intend to broadcast golf tournaments I will no longer be watching after over 60 years of following golf. Very sad to see this trend.
— Tom Aird (@Oldpro13) January 6, 2024
However, if you think this was the first time that the men’s circuit came under fire for below-average broadcasting, then you’re sorely wrong. During the much-awaited comeback of Tiger Woods at the Hero World Challenge, the camera seemed to only focus on the legend. Besides, while all is said and done, he wasn’t the only player on the field. Moreover, the unequal coverage, coupled with the culture of overpouring commercials, did go ahead and enrage the fans.
It seems most events have one thing in common— the broadcasting problem. Apart from Mr. T’s comeback event, the PNC Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the Solheim Cup saw a similar fate as well when the channels took to streaming more advertisements along with mediocre coverage of the golfers and their shots.
The inadequacy of the circuit and the various channels to capture the essence of the competition did not sit well with just one person. Many more took to their SNS to vent their anger over the poor coverage.
What do others have to say about the Sentry coverage?
The tweets ranged from commenting on the kind of commercials that, in a sense, plagued the event coverage to outright dissing the broadcast. Well, the fans did make sure to gift wrap their New Year presents for the PGA Tour and their partner channels.
Did anyone say Jason Day? A particular enthusiast mentioned how the broadcast had a lot of “focus” on fashion. Who else comes to mind but Day? The athlete was trolled a while back by both the commentators and the community owing to the choice of pants he wore by Malbon Golf, which set him apart from the rest of the field. The fan did indirectly point out the same, along with the coverage’s concentration on surfing. Wait!! Wasn’t this a golf broadcast?
The golf coverage today has had so much fashion-focus. And surfing. Fashion and surfing. #TheSentry
— Kara Thornton (@UVaKareBear) January 5, 2024
Another expressed their displeasure at the TV coverage, all the while dubbing it “horrible,” no less. However, this time it was aimed at Peacock Channel, as they witnessed zero sports being played throughout the same. It’s truly a pity for those who decided to watch it from home!
I’ve been watching the Sentry on Peacock for almost an hour now and have seen zero golf played. TV coverage is horrible!!!!
— Philip Wetmore (@BigDogPhilly16) January 5, 2024
Here comes one for ESPN! The follower, apparently, had decided to watch the tournament on one of its channels, and guess what? The announcer wasn’t loud enough. Hard to believe? Read on as the fan comments on the loudness of the crowd gathered, all the while taking a jab at the networking giant.
@espn why is the crowd volume 3 or 4 times louder than the announcer voices on your #sentry tournament coverage???? #Espn+
incredibly annoying. Do you employ an audio engineer?— Bill Moore (@SarcasticBill) January 6, 2024
Remember Woods’s case in the Hero World Challenge? Well, a similar problem persisted here as well when the camera and the coverage only focused on a certain group of golfers. ‘Why were they?’ – you may naturally ask. Well, that question’s for another time.
#TheSentry
What crap coverage of the golf. Just following the same groups over and over.— Derm (@blue_derm) January 5, 2024
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There it is! The answer to the above question is. Who was the broadcast focusing on? Well, an enthusiast of the sport rightfully pointed out the same, all the while expressing their displeasure with the Sentry coverage, which itself was below average in the first place.
@SkySportsGolf are there any Europeans playing at The Sentry? Seems that the coverage is all about the Americans? @PGATOUR
— Debbie Oates (@debbieoates60) January 6, 2024
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Nevertheless, despite everything, the golfing community can breathe a sigh of relief. A recent update on X by Josh Carpenter shared the good news of there being fewer breaks for commercials on the last day of The Sentry. Well, at least one problem has been solved, right? The fans just need to wait for better coverage of the players themselves. Fingers crossed!
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