• Loading stock data...
Sunday, July 13, 2025

Webinar: How The PGA TOUR Drives Digital Engagement

  • PGA TOUR and IX.co discuss their long-standing partnership and how they continue to innovate to engage golf fans
  • How the Pandemic benefitted the game of golf
Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

The PGA TOUR has always been at the forefront of digital engagement and innovation. In collaboration with its longtime partner, iX.co, the TOUR continues to create news ways to engage with its global fan base.

Front Office Sports sat down with Phil Sharpe from iX.co and Scott Gutterman from the PGA TOUR to discuss the changing media habits of fans, the TOUR’s larger digital strategy, and new fan engagement innovations to look out for in 2021 and beyond.

On the balance of including betting and predictive gaming (21:40) 

Scott: “Our rule of thumb right now is we aren’t going to put odds or betting in core places on the platform by default. If fans want to see it, we’ll make it available. We have a new odds leaderboard that’s available, but it’s a step away or a button away from the main leaderboard. Even though there’s a lot of people that want to place bets and understand the odds, there’s a lot of people that just want to consume golf. So again for us, it’s opt-in or one button away and we’ll promote to it.”

On how the PGA Tour is building a personalized fan experience (23:54)

Scott: “This year we’re going to be doing Every Shot Live all 4 days at The PLAYERS Championship. So Every Shot Live really for us is Every Group Live. We’re the only golf tournament that does this right now. You’ll be able to watch every single group, for every single hole and every shot they take throughout the entire day. We will show approximately 8 to 10 thousand shots every single day, so it’ll be somewhere between 30 and 40 thousand shots by the end of the weekend. All of those highlights, all those individual shots will be loaded into TOURCast as they come out.” 

On the impact the pandemic has had on the game (40:47)

Scott: “I think we’re very fortunate to be a sport where you can get outside and be socially distanced and still be able to play and everybody can be very reasonably safe. There are a number of things that are in the works around the industry around continuing to build on that. The other thing that we’ve seen…is the diversity of people that are coming into the game and playing the game has been really encouraging. People have realized they don’t have to come out and play 18 holes, they can come out and play 9 holes…we encourage all of that.”

On the increased demand for modern digital engagement (46:09)

Phil: “One thing we’ve noticed, with many of our clients for example, and I know Scott and the TOUR have been doing this, is kind of [an increase around] social and fan engagement around the live event. It’s not just because people are not attending the live event as much, but because people I think have a desire to now engage more socially because we’re so isolated. So we’re seeing a real uptick in and a real demand both from sports properties themselves and from the sponsors to create these live event engagement experiences.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Apr 6, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The LIV Golf logo is on display along the 10th hole during the second round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral.

LIV Golf’s New Leadership Reapplies for World Ranking Points

The league’s first attempt was denied in 2023.
Stephen Curry celebrates after sinking the winning putt during the final round of the American Century Celebrity Championship golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., Sunday, July 16, 2023.

Golf’s Hottest Celebrity Tournament Keeps Getting More Exclusive

The American Century Championship tees off at Lake Tahoe on Friday.

An FSU Amateur Golfer Beat the World’s Best—but Can’t Accept $79K Prize

Top-ranked amateur Lottie Woad won the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
exclusive

PGA Tour Slashes FedEx Cup Winner Pay From $25M to $10M

The FedExCup is reworking how it distributes its bonus money.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
Sponsored

Women in Sports are Leveling Up

Three graduates of Ohio University’s Professional Master of Sports Administration shared their sports business success stories on FOS Fundamentals.
Sponsored

Webinar: The In-Venue Technology That Can Welcome Fans Back

Representatives from Samsung discuss in-stadium tech solutions to keep fans safe and entertained with Front Office Sports.
Sponsored

Executive Roundtable: Putting Employees First

Best Employers in Sports, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Dolphins, remote work, diversity, inclusion, COVID-19, leadership, career development
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Sponsored

How Digital Technology Is Being Leveraged to Create Great In-Venue Experiences in..

An all-star panel joins Front Office Sports for a webinar on creating strong in-venue experiences for fansduring and after the pandemic.
Sponsored

How Today’s Brands Are Maximizing Sponsorship ROI With Their Own Analytics

Representatives from Dell Technologies, Stanley Black & Decker, GumGum Sports and FOS CEO Adam White discuss sponsorship analysis today.
pexels
Sponsored

OneTeam Partners: Athlete and Brand Amplification for the Cutting Edge Sports Marketer

Reps from OneTeam Partners join this Front Office Sports Webinar to discuss esports, NIL marketing rights, working with NFL players, and more.
Sponsored

Content Marketing: Real-Time Storytelling in the COVID Era

A panel of experts discuss how the PGA TOUR has executed their storytelling strategy during the COVID-19 era.