In a letter first obtained by The Athletic, PGA Tour player Justin Thomas asks his fellow members to consider providing more access to both the media and broadcast partners.

In the letter, Thomas expresses the desire to “better connect with fans and keep building on the momentum ... the more I think about it, the more I feel us giving more access and insight can make a world of difference.”

The two-time major winner asks players to be more open to being mic'd up or to do mid-round interviews.

“Believe me, in the past I’ve been the first to ‘no’ before things are even done being asked. I’ve had no interest when someone asks for an interview mid-round or suggests trying something new. But I also know how much the fans love those moments—hearing our thought processes, conversations with our caddies, our reactions to the shots, and understanding the ups and downs of competing at the highest level,” Thomas writes. “I’ve recently done mid-round interviews at both Hero and Sentry and found them totally fine and easy. While we may (at least I know I do) think it’s not that important or interesting, our fans do.”

Thomas’s plea comes amidst declining ratings for the PGA Tour at a time when YouTube golf viewership has skyrocketed. Channels owned by Bryson Dechambeau and Grant Horvat, for example, have surpassed one million subscribers.

Additionally, LIV Golf has just signed a broadcast deal with Fox, and the competition in the golf space is as fierce as ever.

TGL viewership has also been solid in the early going, with ratings indicating roughly one million viewers in each of the first two matches.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Justin Thomas Asks PGA Tour Players to Provide More Access During Broadcasts.

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