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Back9Network busts, suspends operations

Published

11 years ago

on

Startup golf lifestyle network Back9Network announced on Monday in a statement that it has suspended operations due to a “temporary shortfall in capital.”

[quote_box_center]“Management and the board of directors are planning next steps and will continue their efforts to secure long-term, operating capital,” the company said in a statement. “The company will keep the public informed with any new developments.”[/quote_box_center]

While the statement and recent reports indicate that the network was and still is actively seeking the cash it needs to remain afloat, this latest news indicates that those efforts have not proven fruitful to date.

I talked with PGA Tour and Web.com player Kyle Thompson, who Back9 sponsors, earlier to get his take on the news.

[quote_box_center]“I tried to promote them some on social media and wore the logo on my bag,” Thompson told me. “Great bunch working for them. It’s too bad they went under. I feel like it’s just tough these days if you aren’t syndicated in HD.”[/quote_box_center]

Back9 went live on the air on DirecTV back in late September. The network has received $5 million in state loans from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development plus a $100,000 grant. The requirements of the loans awarded to the network back in Aug. 2012 required that Back9 retain 10 jobs and create another 40 by the end of 2014.

In January, the company laid off 35 of its full-time employees. Just a few weeks later, it was reported that Back9 was actively and aggressively seeking to raise a “significant” amount of capital through new investors or a potential buyout in an attempt to keep the network operational.

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John Lahtinen is a Connecticut-based writer with nearly 20 years of experience involving news, media, communications, higher education, PR and marketing. He has been playing golf forever and is still finding unique ways to ruin a good round. Adding to his confusion, he plays both right- and left-handed.

18 Comments

18 Comments

  1. JR

    Feb 25, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    The little I saw of Back 9 I thought it was a joke–very poor programs and content was low budget! As far as the GC, I enjoy the fact they have some maybe a good amount of golf on it, Euro, Gals, Sr. and some of the regular tour tho I do not enjoy it much. I find the fact they re-run Morning Drive about 3 times a morning a bit over the top and cannot stomach Hack on the show–the rest are acceptable and I can live with them. Overall am happy with it and will continue to watch as much as I can.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Phat

    Feb 25, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    An insult to golf and a waste of taxpayer money on page 3 girl photoshoots and lifestyles of the rich and famous junk). They should never have got off the ground.

    Reply Report comment

  3. Bert

    Feb 25, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Never watched the Back-9 Network but from above it sounds like it was poor at best. Concerning The Golf Channel, I have tired of the Morning Drive. I dislike continuous yelling and even though Charlie seems funny, I believe his constant attacks on the Rules of Golf exemplify why he need to move on to something else other than golf. He desires attention, sort of like McCord. As for Hack, I like him allot but when he chimes in on in-depth golf topics, he’s over his head; he’s a hack!

    Reply Report comment

  4. Back9 Joke

    Feb 25, 2015 at 11:20 am

    Bosworth and Gorman are both serial losers……Anyone who put money into this and did not check their backgrounds deserves what they got…..a lot of lost cash.

    What a joke this was from the beginning….only can hope that the State AG starts to investigate this rip-off.

    Reply Report comment

  5. theo

    Feb 25, 2015 at 10:30 am

    it was SD???

    …were they also running late night episodes of All in the Family?

    Reply Report comment

  6. Steve

    Feb 24, 2015 at 8:56 am

    Rashad as your lead anchor, broadcasts in SD. Either they were clueless or someone stole a whole bunch of money.

    Reply Report comment

  7. Roosterredneck

    Feb 24, 2015 at 8:46 am

    Most all the golf anchors or commenters can’t or do not know how to work without Tiger to video breakdown swing & etc. I just want to watch golf and not just Tiger..I like to watch many different golfers not just the leader or Tiger, Phil, Freddie and etc.

    Reply Report comment

  8. Mike Honcho

    Feb 24, 2015 at 7:22 am

    When Ahmad Rashad is the main personality you are hanging your hat on, good luck. There’s a reason he got ran off from GC.

    Reply Report comment

  9. Gdb99

    Feb 24, 2015 at 6:25 am

    I’m Wondering if, as a state of Connecticut resident, will be getting our money back anytime soon…

    Reply Report comment

  10. Bob Eubanks

    Feb 23, 2015 at 9:30 pm

    I enjoy the golf channel however a lot of their shows are rather boring and the anchors per se are bland especially Gary Williams he is a complete tool. The amount of commercials during a pga tournament is ridiculous not to mention the actual coverage needs to improve substantially. Especially during the masters, crap camera angles and to many commercials.

    Reply Report comment

    • Connor

      Mar 1, 2015 at 5:30 pm

      The Golf Channel doesn’t broadcast the Masters…? It’s ESPN Thur-Fri, and CBS on the weekend.

      The Golf Channel just does “Live From” which gets monotonous, but they give you all the information from each day that you’d every dream of. I agree with you on GC’s shows though… quite the snoozers.

      Reply Report comment

  11. Mat

    Feb 23, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    I can livestream in HD on my 5 year old laptop using $200 software and a decent camera. SD isn’t acceptable.

    Reply Report comment

  12. DontChase

    Feb 23, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    It’s 2015 – who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to start a TV channel – of any kind – that’s not in HD?

    So basically you wanted me to buy in to a competitor to the Golf Channel – only not in HD?

    Cant imagine where this idea went wrong…

    Reply Report comment

  13. Fsubaseball21

    Feb 23, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Being employed in the golf industry I will say this. We REALLY need Tiger Woods to become relivent again. Not Rory not Phil not Jordan or DJ can come close to driving the needle such as Tiger did. Say what you want but a lot of us owe our jobs to him.

    Reply Report comment

  14. FTWPhil

    Feb 23, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    Golf Channel is subpar sports coverage… Why make a copy?

    Reply Report comment

    • golfandgamble

      Feb 23, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      I can see why people nitpick the Golf Channel, but I’m just happy there’s a channel I can watch that shows golf. The coverage we get is so much better than it used to be and for that I’m thankful. I’ve never watched the Big Break or any of the lesson shows, but I think they do a good job with Morning Drive, Golf Central and live golf.

      Reply Report comment

      • Dave

        Feb 25, 2015 at 5:44 pm

        Totally agree. Even though GC and on-air “personalities” have become cheesy as hell, it is pretty sweet to have tons of live HD coverage all in one place

        Reply Report comment

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News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

By

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

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

By

Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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