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.
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
GolfWRX is live from the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities!
Back from our overseas journey, we have plenty for you to digest from Minnesota, including WITBs and in-hand looks at some pretty impressive putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #1
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #2
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #3
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #4
WITB Albums
- Luke List – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Isaiah Salinda – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Akshay Bhatia – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Kaito Onishi – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Seamus Power – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Chris Kirk – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Andrew Putnam – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Thomas Campbell – Minnesota PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Max Herendeen – WITB – 2025 3M Open
Pullout Albums
- Rickie’s custom Joe Powell persimmon driver – 2025 3M Open
- Custom Cameron T-9.5 – 2025 3M Open
- Tom Kim’s custom prototype Cameron putter – 2025 3M Open
- New Cameron prototype putters – 2025 3M Open
- Zac Blair’s latest Scotty acquisition – 2025 3M Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
GolfWRX was live this week across the pond for The Open Championship! Check out links to all our galleries from Royal Portrush below.
General Albums
- 2025 The Open Championship – Sunday #1
- 2025 The Open Championship – Monday #1
- 2025 The Open Championship – Monday #2
- 2025 Open Championship – Monday #3
- 2025 The Open Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 The Open Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 The Open Championship – Wednesday #1
Pullout Albums
- Cobra’s 153rd Open Championship staff bag – 2025 The Open Championship
- Srixon’s Open Championship staff bag – 2025 The Open Championship
- Scotty Cameron 2025 Open Championship putter covers – 2025 The Open Championship
- TaylorMade’s 153rd Open Championship staff bag – 2025 The Open Championship
- Shane Lowry – testing a couple of Cameron putters – 2025 The Open Championship
- New Scotty Cameron Phantom Black putters(and new cover & grip) – 2025 The Open Championship
- FootJoy x Harris Tweed limited-edition shoes – 2025 The Open Championship
- Nike “Open Championship” collection shoes, bags and hoodies – 2025 The Open Championship
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
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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.