PGA TOUR: The Power of Social Media Among TOUR Golfers

Social media has become a powerful tool in today’s society and the same goes for the PGA TOUR. Here’s a look at how social media is helping the game of golf.

It’s been interesting to watch the evolving image with the game of golf. Golf started as a rich, white man’s game, but that barrier was then torn down by an African American kid named Tiger Woods.

With Tiger fading out, there is concern that the game of golf has stalled and isn’t growing fast enough. These, of course, are the thoughts of outsiders looking in because those who follow the game on a regular basis know that golf is in a phenomenal state. Something that has helped keep the game relevant is the youth that has begun to take over.

The level of golf these young golfers compete at is enough to get excited about, but thanks to the power of social media, golf fans have the opportunity to get an inside look at the lives they live. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat, social media is creating a new way to attract people to the game.

I’m not saying that just following these golfers on social media will make an outsider want to immediately play the game (although that’s the case for myself). However, seeing how they interact with each and the comradery between them spike the interest to watch them each weekend.

Long gone are the days of rivalries on the PGA TOUR. There are no longer the heated pairings of Tiger and Sergio or Big Cat and Lefty. While there may be some “rivalries,” they are more like friends playing a round of golf.

For instance, this past week at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, long-time friends (I apologize for the narrative) Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas were grouped together in the third round. The two took to social media to exchange a friendly bet about the loser shaving their head. A bet that took on a life of its own.

Outside of the Twitter interaction amongst PGA TOUR players, the new world of Snapchat provides incredible inside the rope access into the lives these golfers live, on and off the course.

Some of the most notable golfers on Snapchat are Rickie Folwer (@rickiefowler15), Justin Thomas (@jlthomas34), and Michelle Wie (@themichellewie).

Justin Thomas is pretty good a showing you his pre-round warmups, practice rounds, and what he does when he’s not playing golf. It’s fun to see how they live in between rounds whether it’s going out to dinner, playing ping pong, or just hanging out with the other golfers in the comfort of their own homes.

If you happen to be following Rickie Fowler on Snapchat, then you saw first hand his hole in one at Ernie Els’ charity event to get $1 million donated to Els for Autism. It was pretty awesome to see through the eyes of his personal account, but of course it was captured by many others. Els took to his own Twitter account to celebrate the moment.

You can find most big name PGA TOUR golfers on Twitter or Facebook which makes it’s easy for golf fans to stay updated on their workouts and recovery process. When Rory McIlroy was injured after rupturing a ligament in his ankle, he posted progress videos to his social media accounts as he rehabbed his way back. We also saw this recently from Tiger Woods.

Social media is an incredibly powerful platform that is doing wonders for growing the game. For one, the younger generation is constantly glued to their smart phones. It’s very easy for these exciting moments to pop up on one of their timelines and reach millions of people.

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It allows us to see a different perspective of the game of golf, outside of the status quo. While outsiders see golf as a boring sport, social media attempts to break down that stereotype. It shows that these PGA TOUR golfers in a light outside of just post-round interviews and press conferences. #GiveGolfAChance