Watching Golf this Week: TOUR Championship, aka the $10 Million Tourney

September 20, 2012 by Paul Kapustka 1 Comment

If you decided to watch golf instead of football two weekends ago, you may have caught the star-studded leaderboard (Tiger! Rory! Phil!) at the BMW Championship, which ended with POY top candidate Rory McIlroy winning his second straight tourney, and third of the last four. Going into this week’s TOUR Championship in Atlanta, Rory the lad is the favorite to walk away with the big playoff prize, $10 million to the FedEx Cup champ.

Please don’t ask us to explain the convoluted points system, which “reset” after the last event so that theoretically any of the 30 players in the field this weekend could win the final prize. That is supposed to introduce drama but I think it’s a waste. There are several theories floating around about how to change the “playoffs” to make them exciting or original — why not do playoffs like all other sports, make it head to head (aka match play), and the losers go home? Instead of 30 guys and weirdo mathematical combinations (like last year when Bill Haas didn’t even know he’d won the big enchilada after winning the weekend), why not a “final four” weekend where there are singles match play on Friday and then again on Sunday?

Really, no charge for my ideas. You’re welcome PGA. And FedEx. Though we are going to need to ramp up that online coverage while we’re at it. The last three tourneys of the playoffs have been great since the PGA’s Live@ coverage has been around, but it’s been severely limited — usually only showing a couple holes, still not up to the multiple cam/group choices offered by the Masters online. Ah well, there’s always next year. Just be sure to tune in to the last 15 minutes on Sunday, when the great tension of the playoffs comes to an end and one of the millionaire golfers gets to add another 10-spot to his career earnings. A construct, but $10 million makes you watch.

Bonus TV coverage this week on Golf Channel, starting at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday and Friday, and then at 12 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. Sunday before the NBC broadcasts; also on ESPN3 for those who follow at work; ESPN3 will mimic the Live@ coverage times, 1-6 p.m. each day.

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP / FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS

(all times Eastern)
TV COVERAGE

Thursday, Sept. 20 — Golf Channel, 1 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept, 21 — Golf Channel, 1 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 22 — Golf Channel, 12 p.m. — 2 p.m.; NBC, 2 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 23 — Golf Channel, 11:30 a.m. — 1:30 p.m. NBC, 1:30 p.m. — 6 p.m.

RADIO
SIRIUS XM (Satellite)
12 p.m. — 6 p.m. every day

ONLINE
Live@ video is back this week —
Live@ coverage — 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., every day

ESPN3 will offer live action from 1-6 p.m. each day with unique views of the Par 4 No. 1 hole and the Par 3 No. 11, plus the Par 3 No. 18 each day when play finishes on No. 1.

PGA SHOT TRACKER
If all you want is shots and distances (which can be addicting) get your fix via Shot Tracker, which will definitely be in action at the Barclays.

FACEBOOK PAGE
We don’t know why it’s an all-caps TOUR Championship but here is their FACEBOOK PAGE.

TOP TWITTER FEEDS TO FOLLOW

The TOUR Championship Twitter feed.
Geoff Shackelford — well known golf writer. If you’re not following Geoff you are missing the online boat.
Golf Channel — official Golf Channel feed
@PGATOUR — official PGA Twitter feed
@StephanieWei — great golf writer who is a Twitter fiend.
Doug Ferguson is the lead golf writer for AP. Good Twitter insights that often aren’t part of your wire-service lead.

WHAT’S THE COURSE LIKE?
Here’s the deets on East Lake GC in Atlanta.

WHO WON THIS THING LAST YEAR?
Bill Haas, with his amazing chip from the waves. Then he had to be told that he won the overall playoffs too. So don’t feel bad, the players are as confused as you are. But they’re also a lot richer.

FEDEX CUP PLAYOFF LEADERS
1. Rory McIlroy, 7,299 points
2. Tiger Woods, 4,067
3. Nick Watney, 3,586
4. Phil Mickelson, 3.420
5. Brandt Snedeker, 3,357

RESET POINTS (used to calculate final FedEx payoff)
1. McIlroy, 2,500 points; 2. Woods, 2,250; 3. Watney, 2,000; 4. Mickelson, 1,800; 5. Snedeker, 1,600.

See the playoff full standings at the PGA site.

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1. Rory McIlroy; 2. Tiger Woods; 3. Luke Donald; 4. Lee Westwood; 5. Adam Scott.
See the official World Golf Ranking list.

Watching Golf this Week: The John Deere Classic, and Senior Open

July 12, 2012 by Paul Kapustka 1 Comment

So who needs the big names? If you, like me, watched the end of last weekend’s Greenbrier tourney you saw some top-notch golf from guys I guarantee you never heard of before — and saw Ted Potter Jr. show off some stones, going eagle-birdie to get into a playoff with um, um, with… oh yeah, Troy Kelly, and win.

I love these guys. Tiger who? Phil who? The anonymous-guy PGA could continue this weekend as the pros head to a spot near and dear to my heart — western Illinois, aka Quad Cities territory — for some Midwestern heat, corn bugs, fireflies and the John Deere Classic, where Steve Stricker will be trying to win the thing for the fourth time in a row. And just for good luck, Stricker’s wife will be carrying his bag.

Steve Stricker must be angling for Husband of the Year honors. Letting his wife carry the stand bag this week.

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGC) July 5, 2012

With Zach Johnson as your highest-ranked star, it’s a field that may have you saying “who’s he” a bunch. But as last week showed, maybe that’s not so bad.

So if you need a bunch of birdies before tuning in to the wind and gorse at the British Open next week, head on over to the Golf Channel and CBS (no online video this week) for a taste of the Midwest.

BONUS GOLF COVERAGE: If the John Deere isn’t your cup of tea — or even if it is, don’t forget that the U.S. Senior Open also takes place this week, in Lake Orion, Mich. See below for TV, which is basically ESPN Thursday-Friday and NBC Saturday-Sunday. There may be some online action via WatchESPN, but you need a compatible cable contract if so.

Here’s where to follow the action:

THE JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

(all times Eastern)
TV COVERAGE
Thursday, July 12 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Friday, July 13 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 14 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 15 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.

U.S. SENIOR OPEN TV
Thursday, July 12 — ESPN, 3 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Friday, July 13 — ESPN2, 3 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 14 — NBC, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 15 — NBC, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.

RADIO
SIRIUS XM (Satellite)
12 p.m. — 6 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. — 6 p.m., Sunday

ONLINE
No Live@ video this week — the PGA’s live online video doesn’t return until the Barclays in late August, so you will need to get your online fix from…

PGA SHOT TRACKER
If all you want is shots and distances (which can be addicting) get your fix via Shot Tracker.

FACEBOOK PAGE
Of course the John Deere Classic has a Facebook page. Like it.

And don’t forget the Senior Open Facebook page.

TOP TWITTER FEEDS TO FOLLOW
The John Deere Classic has its own feed.
Geoff Shackelford — well known golf writer. If you’re not following Geoff you are missing the online boat.
Golf Channel — official Golf Channel feed
@PGATOUR — official PGA Twitter feed
@StephanieWei — great golf writer who is a Twitter fiend. Check her Instagram stream for some cool shots of the Homestead, one of our favorite places.
Doug Ferguson is the lead golf writer for AP. Good Twitter insights that often aren’t part of your wire-service lead.

TOURNAMENT APP
This is new — at least to us — but if you are there the John Deere Classic has its own app, which looks like it has all the stuff the regular PGA app has plus some local info. Download away.

WHAT’S THE COURSE LIKE?
The tourney has some fine info on the TPC Deere Run. Here’s the course’s own website.

WHO WON THIS THING LAST YEAR?
Stricker. And the year before. And the year before.

LOCAL FLAVOR
I love that Wikipedia names five cities for the Quad cities. In the old days the hard one to get in trivia answers was East Moline, which if memory serves was bigger than Moline itself. Argue in the comments if you know better. We’ll link to the Quad Cities Times for our local coverage.

FEDEX CUP LEADERS
1. Tiger Woods, 1,952 points
2. Jason Dufner, 1,849
3. Hunter Mahan, 1,654
4. Bubba Watson, 1,617
5. Matt Kuchar, 1,423

See the full standings for the FedEx Cup points list.

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1. Luke Donald; 2. Rory McIlroy; 3. Lee Westwood; 4. Tiger Woods; 5. Webb Simpson.
See the official World Golf Ranking list.

Filed Under: Apps, CBS Sports, ESPN, Golf, Golf Channel, NBC Sports, PGA, Tiger Woods, US Open, WatchESPN Tagged With: British Open, ESPN, John Deere Classic, Mobile Sports Report, Paul Kapustka, PGA Tour, Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods, U.S. Senior Open

Watching Golf this Week: The Greenbrier Classic

July 5, 2012 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

With two weeks to go to the next major — the British Open — you can call this weekend’s Greenbrier Classic the last big tune-up for all the big names. And there is no name bigger in golf right now than Tiger Woods, who won last week in D.C. to earn his third win of the season — and if possible, even more conjecture over whether “he’s back” or “he’s not.”

Now No. 2 on the alltime tour win lists, there’s no place better for Woods to keep stalking No. 1, since Slammin’ Sammy called this area his own. And who wore a hat better? Nobody.

The unusual appearance of Woods — and other big names like Phil Mickelson and U.S. Open champ Webb Simpson — at the Greenbrier is also open to commentary, with some folks insinuating that there are some back-door appearance fees being paid here. For the couch surfing golf fan, however, it’s all good since it means there will likely be the drama of a “big name” on the leaderboard come Sunday.

No online video, but Shot Tracker should be back in action after losing a day last weekend due to the big storms that hit Congressional.

Here’s where to follow the action:

THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

(all times Eastern)
TV COVERAGE
Thursday, July 5 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Friday, July 6 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 7 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 8 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6:30 p.m.

RADIO
SIRIUS XM (Satellite)
1 p.m. — 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Sunday; 12 p.m. — 6 p.m., Saturday

ONLINE
No Live@ video this week — the PGA’s live online video doesn’t return until the Barclays in late August, so you will need to get your online fix from…

PGA SHOT TRACKER
If all you want is shots and distances (which can be addicting) get your fix via Shot Tracker, providing the weather stays nice at the Greenbrier.

FACEBOOK PAGE
Of course the Greenbriar has a Facebook page. Like it.

TOP TWITTER FEEDS TO FOLLOW
The Greenbrier has its own feed.
Geoff Shackelford — well known golf writer. If you’re not following Geoff you are missing the online boat.
Golf Channel — official Golf Channel feed
@PGATOUR — official PGA Twitter feed
@StephanieWei — great golf writer who is a Twitter fiend. Check her Instagram stream for some cool shots of the Homestead, one of our favorite places.
Doug Ferguson is the lead golf writer for AP. Good Twitter insights that often aren’t part of your wire-service lead.

WHAT’S THE COURSE LIKE?
Here’s some history on the Old White TPC. And here’s the PGA’s nuts and bolts description.

WHO WON THIS THING LAST YEAR?
Scott Stallings, for his first win on tour.

LOCAL FLAVOR
The Greenbrier, if you didn’t know it, is America’s Resort and a place with some great waters to take.

FEDEX CUP LEADERS
1. Tiger Woods, 1,952 points
2. Jason Dufner, 1,849
3. Hunter Mahan, 1,654
4. Bubba Watson, 1,617
5. Matt Kuchar, 1,423

See the full standings for the FedEx Cup points list.

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1. Luke Donald; 2. Rory McIlroy; 3. Lee Westwood; 4. Tiger Woods; 5. Webb Simpson.
See the official World Golf Ranking list.

Filed Under: CBS Sports, Golf, Golf Channel, PGA, Tiger Woods Tagged With: Mobile Sports Report, Paul Kapustka, PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson, Sam Snead, Shot Tracker, The Greenbrier, Tiger Woods, Webb SImpson

PGA: All Tour TV Coverage Will be Simulcast Online and Via Mobile Apps in 2013

June 14, 2012 by Paul Kapustka 7 Comments

All the live coverage of PGA Tour events next season will be shown simultaneously on the tour’s digital platforms, including via its mobile apps and at the PGATour.com website, a tour executive said Wednesday.

In a phone interview with Luis Goicouria, the vice president of operations and business development for PGA Tour Digital, Goicouria said that for the 2013 season, all live tour TV coverage will be simulcast online, giving mobile and web-connected fans the same experience as those sitting in front of a TV. The expansion of live video content, Goicoura said, is a direct response to fans’ desire for more mobile content, especially live video of tournament play.

“Our [online + mobile] video content consumption is going through the roof,” said Goicouria, who said that tour-hosted video starts are up 81 percent so far this year over last, and YouTube views of archived videos has increased 94 percent in the same time frame. Currently, the Tour offers its “Live@” program for 10 selected tournaments during the season, typically the bigger ones like the recent Memorial tourney. The Live@ production is separate from and typically less comprehensive than any network coverage, though of similar production quality. According to Goicouria, the Live@ broadcasts typically attract between a half-million and a million video streams per event.

The Live@ coverage typically focuses on one or two “scoring” holes or signature holes, like the island green at the Players Championship. Though it doesn’t offer the breadth of coverage a typical network broadcast from partners Golf Channel, CBS, NBC or ESPN does, the Live@ shows aren’t chopped liver either.

“It’s not like we just slap a couple webcams on a green,” Goicouria said. “It’s a full-blown studio production.”

But Goicouria said the costs associated with such production keep the tour from rolling out Live@ at every stop. Unfortunately that leaves online-only or mobile-centric fans behind their counterparts on the couch when it comes to live video. Next season that ends, with the digital platforms (the website, as well as the iOS and Android apps) offering simulcasts of the live TV coverage, as well as Live@’s additional focus at the selected events.

Goicouria also said that the tour is working to make its addictive Shot Tracker feature (screen grab below) available for mobile devices, but didn’t yet promise a delivery date. Shot Tracker, which gives real-time updates on a tournament field by showing how far a player has hit a shot and how far he has left to the hole, can be mesmerizing, with players’ statuses constantly updating. The main reason it hasn’t been available for mobile platforms, Goicouria said, was due to the fact that the application was built with Adobe Flash, which isn’t supported on Apple devices like the iPhone or iPad.

“If there was one thing I wish we had for mobile that we don’t, it’s Shot Tracker,” said Goicouria, who pledged a “complete revamp” of the feature for next season.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Golf, Golf Channel, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, PGA, Smartphone, Tablets, The Masters, Tiger Woods, YouTube Tagged With: Live@, Mobile Sports Report, Paul Kapustka, PGA Tour, YouTube

Watching Golf This Week: Texas Time on the Tour

April 19, 2012 by Paul Kapustka Leave a Comment

Did you know that this is the 90th version of the Valero Texas Open? Does that history mean anything to you? Probably not. It may mean a lot to the fine folks in San Antonio who are hosting this week’s PGA Tour stop, but for golf fans this is one of those in-between weeks, where the big names take some time off. No Tiger, no Phil, no Rory, no Bubba… maybe Rich Beem will resurface and be the big story this week. Or maybe Matt Kuchar, the top 10 man, will get himself a long-overdue winner’s check.

Here’s where to follow the action:

VALERO TEXAS OPEN

(all times Eastern)
TV COVERAGE
Thursday, April 19 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Friday, April 20 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, April 12 — CBS, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.

RADIO
SIRIUS XM (Satellite)
12 p.m. — 6 p.m., Thursday-Sunday

ONLINE
The PGA’s Live@ broadcasts don’t return until the Players in early May. So you will have to get by online with…

PGA SHOT TRACKER
Get your online fix via Shot Tracker for the Valero Open.

TOP TWITTER FEEDS TO FOLLOW

Geoff Shackelford — well known golf writer.
Golf Channel — official Golf Channel feed
@PGATOUR — official PGA Twitter feed
@StephanieWei — great golf writer who is a Twitter fiend

LOCAL FLAVOR
This is kind of fun — the First Tee program has some local youth bloggers writing about the Valero Open. Give them a read. And the San Antonio Express-News has a special Texas Open site.

WHAT’S THE COURSE LIKE?
The Express-News has a good hole by hole feature on the TPC San Antonio course.

WHO WON THIS THING LAST YEAR?
Brendan Steele.

FEDEX CUP LEADERS
1. Hunter Mahan, 1,378 points
2. Bubba Watson, 1322
3. Phil Mickelson, 1,136
4. Carl Pettersson, 1,111
5. Johnson Wagner, 1,056

See the full standings for the FedEx Cup points list.

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1. Rory McIlroy; 2. Luke Donald; 3. Lee Westwood; 4. Bubba Watson; 5. Hunter Mahan.
See the official World Golf Ranking list.

Filed Under: CBS Sports, Golf, Golf Channel, PGA Tagged With: CBS, Golf Channel, PGA Tour, Valero Texas Open

Watching Golf This Week: Houston and the Last Chance for Masters

March 29, 2012 by Paul Kapustka 6 Comments

Welcome to a new feature here at MSR, something we are calling “Watching Golf this week,” at least until we come up with a better title. Anyway, what we’re doing is compiling all the ways you can watch the PGA Tour this weekend — online, on TV, on Twitter, and anywhere else we can find. Please give us a shout in the comments if you know of other outlets or have favorite columnists or reporters who follow pro golf. It’s all about sharing here so don’t be shy.

With one week to go before the Masters, this week’s Shell Houston Open is the last chance for players who don’t already have an invite to get one by either winning the event, or by doing well enough to move into the top 50 in the overall rankings, either of which will stamp your ticket to Augusta. Who’s on the bubble and needs to do well? Ernie Els, seeking a Masters title for his Hall of Fame resume, stands at No. 58 and just missed winning a couple weeks ago. Fred Couples (winner last week on the Champions Tour — ready for Augusta?) and defending Houston champ Phil Mickelson will also be on hand, so even with no Tiger the Houston stop should have its own drama worthy of watching.

Here’s where to follow the action:

SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

(all times Eastern)
TV COVERAGE
Thursday, March 29 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Friday, March 30 — Golf Channel, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 31 — NBC, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, April 1 — NBC, 3 p.m. — 6 p.m.

RADIO
SIRIUS XM (Satellite)
12 p.m. — 6 p.m., Thursday-Sunday

ONLINE
No PGA Live@ coverage for Houston. But get ready for plenty of online at the Masters next week.

PGA SHOT TRACKER
This thing is addictive. Live updates of every shot, with length, where it landed, how far the player has to go to the hole. Like eating potato chips.

TOP TWITTER FEEDS TO FOLLOW
Golf Channel — official Golf Channel feed
@PGATOUR — official PGA Twitter feed
@StephanieWei — great golf writer who is a Twitter fiend

LOCAL FLAVOR
The Houston Chronicle and writer Steve Campbell has you covered for local flavor this week.

WHAT’S THE COURSE LIKE?
Check out the PGA’s Inside the Course feature for a look at Redstone Golf Club.

WHO WON THIS THING LAST YEAR?
Lefty — aka Phil Mickelson. He’ll be paired with a couple other Masters champs, Boom Boom Freddie and Charl “no nickname yet” Schwartzel.

FEDEX CUP LEADERS
1. Johnson Wagner, 1,017 points
2. Rory McIlroy, 1,015
3. Kyle Stanley, 954
4. Mark Wilson, 887
5. Phil Mickelson, 880
See the full standings for the FedEx Cup points list.

WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1. Luke Donald; 2. Rory McIlroy; 3. Lee Westwood; 4. Martin Kaymer; 5. Steve Stricker.
See the official World Golf Ranking list.

Filed Under: Golf, Golf Channel, NBC Sports, PGA, The Masters, Tiger Woods, Twitter Tagged With: Fred Couples, Houston, PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson, Shell Houston Open, Twitter

Watching Golf this Week: TOUR Championship, aka the $10 Million Tourney

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP / FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS

Watching Golf this Week: The John Deere Classic, and Senior Open

THE JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

Watching Golf this Week: The Greenbrier Classic

THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

PGA: All Tour TV Coverage Will be Simulcast Online and Via Mobile Apps in 2013

Watching Golf This Week: Texas Time on the Tour

VALERO TEXAS OPEN

Watching Golf This Week: Houston and the Last Chance for Masters

SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

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