It amazes me that despite he’s not in the field, the biggest discussion on The Golf Channel is who will play with Tiger next week. I am personally tired of the speculation, the questions and such. Now I personally have no issues with TW the golfer; he’s set the standard for future golfers, he’s changed the way the world approaches the game and he’s inspired a world of young people to play a game that few would have considered before the phenomenon known as Tiger. Tiger has made a huge splash in golf no one can deny that. He single-handedly made golf a sexy sport. But when exactly did the ‘Golf Channel’ become the ‘Tiger Channel’. I’ve watched GC for years because it was the ONLY golf coverage you could find on demand; European, Asian, PGA, LPGA, CPGA and NW tours were always on the tube. Then slowly, programming was phased out in favour of Tiger-based shows. Tiger as a kid, Tiger’s first Major, Tiger Tiger Tiger. Now I respect Tiger as arguably the best golfer that has ever played the game, but I also champion the Jason Gores and John Does that make up the meat-n-potatoes of the PGA Tour.

In my mind it’s not fair to the several hundred PGA pros that grind out a Top 25 or 50 every week, make cut after cut and receive zero coverage in the press. These schleps that pay their entrance, scrounge for sponsors and make a living as a touring pro golfer. Would they have to scrounge and scratch so much if their good steady play got a little coverage, of course not. All a sponsor wants is their 15 seconds to showcase their product, if John Doe gets that for them consistently for being an average hard working pro then he/she get’s a pay raise; a better coach; exemptions to better tourneys and maybe the chance to elevate their game to where it can be. Unfortunately, The Golf Channel has taken on a TMZ / Access Hollywood style of journalism that pushes Golf the Game to the back burner and focuses on Golf the Headlines.

Case in point: on Twitter @golfchannelnews tweets; Tiger Woods’ return brings extra buzz, business to Augusta ; @PGATOUR tweets; Woody Austin just tallied ace at 7th hole @ShellHouOpen . Just a simple case of what the two entities regard as golf journalism.