Tour News
PGA Tour targets a younger audience with Skratch TV
The PGA Tour wants to broaden its appeal to a more youthful, social-media-centric generation — one that is more likely to use online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat and Vine. To do so, the PGA Tour has created Skratch TV, an internet golf network that will focus on engaging golf’s younger audience.
[quote_box_center]”As younger fans find new ways to follow their favorite sports, it’s important to deliver great golf content to platforms that they use and in a voice that resonates with them,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “We believe Skratch TV will provide a tremendous new platform to effectively speak to this audience.”[/quote_box_center]
At the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Skratch TV gave viewers a first-person look at what it’s like to play TPC Scottsdale’s famed 16th hole in front of a huge crowd.
See the loudest hole in golf through the eyes of @preedgolf with @callawaygolf and @GoPro. #WMPhoenixOpen https://t.co/nXUxSDjC8N
— SkratchTV (@skratch_tv) January 30, 2015
To produce Skratch TV, the PGA Tour partnered with Bedrocket Media Ventures, a digital entertainment company that brands media networks on multi-platforms.
Taking the reigns is Skratch TV General Manager Lee Bushkell, who was previously the vice president/general manager of PGA Tour Digital and vice president of digital media sales. Also leading the team is Stefan Van Engen, who previously oversaw the launch of Bedrocket’s Kick TV and Network A and Director of Programming Aaron Spielberg, who previously worked in production at ESPN Radio and Major League Baseball’s website, MLB.com.
A recent video from the Farmers Insurance Open shows the dichotomy between traditional golf coverage and Skratch TV. In the video below, an ex-Navy Seal strapped with a GoPro is shown dropping in from the sky to present Jason Day with the tournament’s trophy.
At the Farmers Insurance Open, Skratch TV brought viewers a glass-shattering competition between Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel and Keegan Bradley.
The all-star game of alumni golf between @RickieFowlerPGA, @Keegan_bradley, @BillyHo_Golf & @BenCraneGolfhttps://t.co/IWZg9z7uja
— SkratchTV (@skratch_tv) February 7, 2015
Skratch TV is probably not your father’s golf network, but it passes two important journalism credos: Take people where they’ve never gone before, show them things they might otherwise never see.
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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.
The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.
GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ben Taylor – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Paul Barjon – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Joe Sullivan – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Wilson Furr – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Willman – SoTex PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Jimmy Stanger – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Harrison Endycott – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Kevin Chappell – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Christian Bezuidenhout – WITB (mini) – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Scott Gutschewski – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
Pullout Albums
- Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Taylor with new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Swag cover – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Greyson Sigg’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Davis Riley’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Josh Teater’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hzrdus T1100 is back – – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Mark Hubbard testing ported Titleist irons – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Tyson Alexander testing new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Cobra putters – 2024 Valero Texas Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.
As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Raul Pereda – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Gary Woodland WITB (New driver, iron shafts) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Padraig Harrington WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Erik Barnes testing an all-black Axis1 putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Tony Finau’s new driver shaft – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.
We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.
Check out our photos below!
Pullout Albums
- New Titleist 2 wood – 2024 The Players Championship
- Cam Young testing Titleist’s new 2-wood – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Hole Nos. 17 and 18 – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Toulon Small Batch Texas putter – 2024 The Players Championship
- Swag Golf custom headcovers – 2024 The Players Championship
- New Ping PLD staff bags – 2024 The Players Championship
- SuperStroke St. Patrick’s Day putter grip – 2024 The Players Championship
- Taylor Montgomery using PuttView X training goggles – 2024 The Players Championship
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Tour pro calls Anthony Kim a ‘f*****g idiot’ following Instagram comeback post
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At the 2022 Masters, Scottie Scheffler delivered a steely Sunday performance to capture the green jacket in the 86th contesting...
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Frank McChrystal
Feb 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm
Best of luck engaging a generation whose minds are hardwired for speed. Short attention span theatre comes to mind.
kess
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:56 pm
The misspelling is unnecessary, I don’t think they necessarily had go to with “golf. But louder”. I don’t think we are going to fool anyone into thinking that golf is an extreme sport. But I do like the general direction. I think the presentation of the game has needed to change for a while. I like hearing the banter between players and caddies and think tech can be worked into the presentation, tracer on every shot please? I also like cut aways to instructional snippets that explain what the player was doing to achieve a certain shot type. And, finally, let the guys loosen up out there and have a good time. Then it can just be “Golf. But more interesting.”
Jeff Smith
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:13 pm
I hate golf channel and the doosh bag announcers on NBC or CBS. Anything has to be better. Thank god in this day and age there is mute and fast forward.
Alex
Feb 13, 2015 at 10:42 am
As a millennial, I’m extremely averse to the letter ‘c’. I’ll konsider watkhing this if they khange ‘Skratch’ to ‘Skratkh’. Til then, no dike PGA tour.
lars
Feb 12, 2015 at 4:30 pm
Nothing speaks to the youth more than incorrectly spelling things….
Peter Kratsios
Feb 12, 2015 at 1:28 pm
First and foremost, I am a huge fan of Skratch and the type of content they are putting out there. As a 25 year old avid golfer I think it really hits home with my demographic, but furthermore, I think it is appealing to all types of entertainment junkies. Golf is such a visual sport!
alan
Feb 11, 2015 at 6:41 pm
pga needs to offer a channel or subscription method for those of us that have ditched cable and satellite.
B-Man
Feb 12, 2015 at 10:15 am
Tell me about it. When the NBC coverage cut off for 60 Minutes, I didn’t have the Golf Channel so I didn’t bother even finding out until I watched some highlights the next day. Too bad.