Golf Boys 2.0 Leaves Me Amazed With State Of Golf
By Les Bailey
The release of the hot new golf video, Golf Boys 2.0, has left me scratching my head. What’s happened with Professional Golf? In case you haven’t seen it yet, you need to watch. It was put together by tour pro’s Ben Crane, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler, and the star of the video, 2012 Masters Champ, Bubba Watson. There is a link for your convenience on the Video Hub at Pro Golf Now.
Since getting involved with golf back in the mid 1970’s, it has always been a stuffy sport that is played and managed by stuffy people. If you don’t believe me, watch a European Tour broadcast sometime. And if you watch the management of the Masters, and their protocol, you will find all the “old school” things that make golf stoic, at best.
If you were to watch clips of older tournaments, you will not find exhibitions that are found today at the 16th hole of the Phoenix Open. Fans cheering and hollering during back-swings, and putter strokes. It just wasn’t tolerated. Golf fans in those days were like kids from my generation, seen and not heard.
Now we are starting to see golf fans become more vocal at tournaments other than Phoenix. The entire atmosphere is changing, with golf tournaments becoming more like a Basketball game. During the final round of The Honda Classic, drunken fans were yelling while tournament leader, Michael Thompson was trying to putt out on the 16th green. I had visions of LeBron James on the free throw line at a Laker Game.
The PGA is getting what they wanted. More fans, younger fans, and fans that are involved in the outcome of events. So if they want to continue to grow audiences in this country, they better embrace rowdy fans, and crazy videos. It’s all part of the process of moving golf into the 21st century. I think it’s great.
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