Ty Votaw, the PGA Tour’s Executive Vice President of Communications, sent out this nasty email to the media late Thursday that found our inbox:

As you know, our media regulations prohibit the use of real-time, play-by-play transmission in digital outlets.  In order to enforce these regulations, beginning this year, we will revoke the on-site credentials of all journalists affiliated with outlets that post play-by-play coverage, whether those posts are originating from tournament site or otherwise.

So basically, golf – the sport with the oldest fans – is trying to alienate young fans. Are they operating out of the Bud Selig playbook? The threats of pulling credentials from anyone who is talking about a sporting event live as it is happening is an antiquated theory, rooted in the pre-social media era. How laughable. They will lose.

As you can imagine, ink-stained golf scribes are unhappy and ultimately should win this battle. Can the PGA Tour grasp the concept of knowing what happened vs. watching it happen? Significant difference, especially in golf. If anything, reading about a Tiger Woods meltdown in advance might drive more people to watch an otherwise uninteresting non-major.

If you care, KJ Choi and Brandt Snedeker are tied atop the leaderboard at -7. Tiger’s at -4, Phil’s even.

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57 Responses to “The PGA is Threatening to Pull Credentials From Journalists Who Tweet at the Farmer’s Insurance Tournament in La Jolla”

  • 1
    mizerle06 is sarah phillips Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:53 AM

    Phil’s even.

    that’s pre-tax though, right? I’d guess he’s +6 after taxes are accounted for.

  • 2
    mizerle06 is sarah phillips Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:54 AM

    that’s pre-tax though, right? I’d guess he’s +6 after taxes are accounted for.

    that comment makes no sense. I enjoyed typing it though.

  • 3
    Some Random Old Dude Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:56 AM

    Love the arrogance. I wonder who will be the first to disregard the prohibition?

  • 4
    rittyrich Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:56 AM

    So can you tweet what somebody did on the last hole?

  • 5
    Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:57 AM

    There’s always Norm MacDonald live tweeting every second of every fucking golf tournament ever, so no big loss.

  • 6
    scripty Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:58 AM

    So basically, golf – the sport with the oldest fans – is trying to alienate young fans.

    Obviously you are unaware that the PGA offers Shotlink and Shottracker online that will fans access to every shot already, and that doing de facto play-by-play violates most non-broadcast credentials. There is a reason they SELL broadcast rights.

    http://www.pgatour.com/shottracker.html

  • 7
    MeandWillieMcGee Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:58 AM

    Does anyone give a sh*t about what’s happening real-time in a non-major? Anyone?

  • 8
    rittyrich Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    Does anyone give a sh*t about what’s happening real-time in a non-major? Anyone?

    Yes. I do. And not just because I’ve bet on it.

  • 9
    Blue Horseshoe Loves Anacott Steel Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    There’s always Norm MacDonald live tweeting every second of every fucking golf tournament ever, so no big loss.

    To this dismay of Reilly, so I’m all for it.

  • 10
    scripty Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:00 AM

    Writers can tweet updates but they can’t sit there and tweet every shot by Tiger and Rory. This isn’t some oppression.

    /dealt with media credentials for 7 years

  • 11
    Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:00 AM

    Comments appearing jacked up to anyone else?

  • 12
    scripty Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:01 AM

    Does anyone give a sh*t about what’s happening real-time in a non-major? Anyone?

    Outside the USA, tons of gambling on weekday rounds.

    You can bet on who will have the best score of any pairing, etc.

  • 13
    ButtersBC Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:02 AM

    Are they operating out of the Bud Selig playbook?

    I have to think McIntyre knows better here but just enjoys needling people…I mean MLB was ahead of the game when it came to having their league available through other outlets than TV so surely a media watchdog blog would be aware of this

  • 14
    ButtersBC Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:02 AM

    Comments appearing jacked up to anyone else?

    The gravatars all look like they’ve slipped off their foundations

  • 15
    rittyrich Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:02 AM

    Writers can tweet updates but they can’t sit there and tweet every shot by Tiger and Rory. This isn’t some oppression.

    But what if they tweet his score on every hole? Would that irk the PGA? Or are they talking about tweeting every single shot, club, etc.?

  • 16
    Some Random Old Dude Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:02 AM

    Comments appearing jacked up to anyone else?

    Comments look off-center, post links & contact info that are normally on right side are at bottom of page.

  • 17
    NinoBrown Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:03 AM

    i went to the Tour Championship last year, it was funny watching people trying to sneakily take photos (of Tiger especially)on the course with smartphones. Officials would appear out of nowhere.
    I understand (somewhat) during their round, but even when the players were practicing before their round, I dont see what the big deal is. (Ill admit, I thought about snapping a pic of Tiger during practice). They built bleachers so you could watch the players practice…. we talkin’ bout practice, not a game, just practice.

  • 18
    Jay V Of Considerable Influence Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:03 AM

    Obviously you are unaware that the PGA offers Shotlink and Shottracker online that will fans access to every shot already, and that doing de facto play-by-play violates most non-broadcast credentials. There is a reason they SELL broadcast rights.

    Yes, Scripty, and I don’t dismiss your underlying point…but, still, I have to agree with J-Mac here somewhat…it seems like PGA is going out of their way to appear stodgy and digitally-ignorant.

  • 19
    spencer096 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:03 AM

    tim finchem needs to be fired FUCKING IMMEDIATELY.

  • 20
    Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:04 AM

    Finchem? Damn near killed ‘em!

  • 21
    Der Kaiser Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:04 AM

    Writers can tweet updates but they can’t sit there and tweet every shot by Tiger and Rory. This isn’t some oppression.

    /dealt with media credentials for 7 years

    Why would anyone even think to do that? That’s a great way to lose followers.

    1:12 PM
    Tiger hits in the rough

    1:12PM
    Rory drives it straight down the fairway

    1:12 PM
    Phil just ate a burrito

    1:13PM
    Tiger hits it out of the rough

  • 22
    Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:04 AM

    Butter me, I’m on a roll.

  • 23
    ms621 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:05 AM

    Comments appearing jacked up to anyone else?

    The gravatars all look like they’ve slipped off their foundations

    I blame the mobile site.

  • 24
    rittyrich Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:05 AM

    I understand (somewhat) during their round, but even when the players were practicing before their round, I dont see what the big deal is. (Ill admit, I thought about snapping a pic of Tiger during practice). They built bleachers so you could watch the players practice…. we talkin’ bout practice, not a game, just practice.

    Some of this varies from tournament to tournament…which is why you can get on youtube and search for Tiger Practice Round and spend hours watching that dude’s swing.

  • 25
    Cowboy Mike's Old Original Red Hot Ricochet Barbeque Sauce Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:05 AM

    Why would anyone even think to do that? That’s a great way to lose followers.

    It’s exactly what Norm does, with a bit more prose thrown in. I thought it was performance art at first, it was not.

  • 26
    scripty Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:07 AM

    it seems like PGA is going out of their way to appear stodgy and digitally-ignorant.

    They’ve provided a superior product and secondly, providing play-by-play of an event with sold broadcast rights is not allowed. some lazy “reporters” are infringing on that. They can show up without a credential and do this if they want, or discontinue coverage. I’d say this no matter what entity it is. It’s protecting your broadcasting partners who pay your bills.

  • 27
    spencer096 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    Why would anyone even think to do that? That’s a great way to lose followers.

    judging by your jokey tweets, the problem is less with the subject and more with your lack of imagination and writing ability.

  • 28
    Der Kaiser Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    It’s exactly what Norm does, with a bit more prose thrown in. I thought it was performance art at first, it was not.

    I don’t follow him, but I was alerted to the feud between Reilly and him when he was giving out the updates. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was on Team Reilly in that battle. Someone needs to sit Norm down and explain how twitter works.

  • 29
    Milk Steak To Go Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:09 AM

    I mean MLB was ahead of the game when it came to having their league available through other outlets than TV so surely a media watchdog blog would be aware of this

    Because ratings, you know.

  • 30
    Der Kaiser Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:09 AM

    judging by your jokey tweets, the problem is less with the subject and more with your lack of imagination and writing ability.

    That hurt!

  • 31
    spencer096 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:10 AM

    That hurt!

    sorry…i go all mama bear when my golf cubs are being threatened.

  • 32
    NinoBrown Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:11 AM

    Some of this varies from tournament to tournament…which is why you can get on youtube and search for Tiger Practice Round and spend hours watching that dude’s swing.

    You’re probably right, it varies. The Tour Championship is one of the “bigger” tournaments, more enforcement.
    Tiger walked right past me at one point, in between holes. People were shouiting “You still da man!” and other stuff at him, he quietly mumbled “Thanks” under his breath.

  • 33
    scripty Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:12 AM

    There were a lot of good scores at Torrey yesterday. A Snedeker and Tiger group on Sunday would be great.

  • 34
    ms621 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:12 AM

    Spencer, Nada and I were briefly discussing favorite Warren Zevon songs late yesterday. I’m partial to the story of Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner but like the arrangement of Lawyers, Guns and Money more. Your thoughts?

  • 35
    rittyrich Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    Tiger walked right past me at one point, in between holes. People were shouiting “You still da man!” and other stuff at him, he quietly mumbled “Thanks” under his breath.

    I still havent been to a tournament where he’s playing. It’s on my bucket list. But that guy is in the zone when he’s out there. I can’t believe he even mumbled thanks.

  • 36
    sousedbergin Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    1:12 PM
    Tiger hits in the rough

    1:47
    Some uber rich guy who pays too much in taxes for whore’s abortions and for jobless gays to drink champagne while watching hbo on their smartphones steps up to the tee. Great tea-shot, he keeps this up he’ll move to Florida.

  • 37
    spencer096 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:14 AM

    not all that familiar with zevon aside from lawyers, guns and money and werewolf of london. sorry bro.

  • 38
    Milk Steak To Go Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    I’m partial to the story of Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner but like the arrangement of Lawyers, Guns and Money more.

    Norways favorite son. I can still see his headless body walking through the night and the muzzle flash of Roland’s thompson gun…

    for me, it’s Roland by a hair.

  • 39
    HawkEye Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    1:47
    Some uber rich guy who pays too much in taxes for whore’s abortions and for jobless gays to drink champagne while watching hbo on their smartphones steps up to the tee. Great tea-shot, he keeps this up he’ll move to Florida.

    and…scene

  • 40
    Der Kaiser Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    Serious question. Are there golf tournaments where spectators can yell and scream as golfers are taking a shot?

  • 41
    Milk Steak To Go Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:16 AM

    not all that familiar with zevon aside from lawyers, guns and money and werewolf of london. sorry bro.

    Excitable Boy is a really good album.

  • 42
    ms621 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:18 AM

    not all that familiar with zevon aside from lawyers, guns and money and werewolf of london. sorry bro.

    How disappointing. You should work on that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHWmxCoTV3Y

  • 43
    Milk Steak To Go Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:18 AM

    Are there golf tournaments where spectators can yell and scream as golfers are taking a shot?

    Not really, though the 16th (?) at Phoenix is set up for this. It would make things much more entertaining.

  • 44
    phillymantis915 Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:19 AM

    So basically, golf – the sport with the oldest fans – is trying to alienate young fans. Are they operating out of the Bud Selig playbook?

    You just had to go there didn’t you JMac?

    You just don’t get it…

  • 45
    scripty Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:20 AM

    So basically, golf – the sport with the oldest fans – is trying to alienate young fans…Can the PGA Tour grasp the concept of knowing what happened vs. watching it happen?

    Okay looking at the ShotTracker page:

    Now offering The Farmers Insurance Open on Live Streaming – For Your Computer, Tablet or Smartphone;

    PGA Tour – clueless, apparently.

  • 46
    sousedbergin Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:25 AM

    Are there golf tournaments where spectators can yell and scream as golfers are taking a shot?

    O fer fuck their guy.

  • 47
    Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:28 AM

    PGA Tour – clueless, apparently.

    Yep. The PGA Tour is clueless.

  • 48
    sousedbergin Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:33 AM

    Yep. The PGA Tour is clueless.

    SEO should be used for fun stuff, like Jared Allen did coke lines off a boy scouts penis.

  • 49
    ohheelyeah Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:34 AM

    Obviously you are unaware that the PGA offers Shotlink and Shottracker online that will fans access to every shot already, and that doing de facto play-by-play violates most non-broadcast credentials. There is a reason they SELL broadcast rights.

    http://www.pgatour.com/shottracker.html

    Scripty, coming off the top ropes in the comments section! But yea; pretty much this. It appears one person knows whats up, and the other person needs sometime to call him a whambulance

  • 50
    sousedbergin Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:35 AM

    And then in blod you link back to the previous Jared Allen did coke lines off a boy scouts penis comment. Let ferment for under 28 days.

  • 51
    scripty Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:43 AM

    Soused there were two Canadians in the top 10 of this tournament. Enjoy.

  • 52
    Urinal Mint Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:46 AM

    streaming PGA live on my phone is going to murder my monthly bandwhiff.

  • 53
    Nada Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:48 AM

    Damn, who broke the site?

    I’m assuming JMac hit Dildo with the banhammer so hard over his Musial-post stalking that it knocked everything off-center.

  • 54
    Nada Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 11:49 AM

    And to quote Warren Zevon … I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

  • 55
    NinoBrown Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 12:18 PM

    I still havent been to a tournament where he’s playing. It’s on my bucket list. But that guy is in the zone when he’s out there. I can’t believe he even mumbled thanks.

    That was my first time seeing Tiger play in person. Get a few holes ahead of him, so you avoid the massive crowd that walks with him.

  • 56
    dikembemutomballs Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 12:22 PM

    So basically, golf – the sport with the oldest fans – is trying to alienate young fans.

    Or they have had a corporate partner pay for the rights to broadcast an event and tweeting live play by plays of the stuff that is televised later obviously doesn’t help said corporate partner….

    Doesn’t mean I agree with it but there’s usually a reason rules like this get put in place. Further, odds are good I don’t hear a peep about it in most large publications like Golfweek, etc, because they don’t want to piss the PGA Tour off. Smaller publications, bloggers, etc., are up in arms, I’m sure, as to an extent I’m sure they count on providing live updates that others can’t.

    Is what it is.

  • 57
    garmy Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 1:42 PM

    Needs more .gifs.

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