The PGA Tour has unveiled its newest broadcast feature, PGA Tour Rapid Rounds Highlights, starting Thursday at the 3M Open in Minnesota. This initiative delivers full-round highlights of selected players to fans, aiming to enhance engagement and coverage across digital platforms.
Details on the Production and Distribution of Rapid Rounds
The tour, together with its broadcast partners, will determine which rounds are selected for the Rapid Rounds packages. These highlights will be produced with commentary and include natural course sounds, then distributed on digital platforms after play concludes. The exact number of Rapid Rounds produced each week will vary. During the initial rollout, highlights will be posted to ESPN+, PGA Tour platforms on weekdays, and weekends will see coverage on either NBC or CBS depending on the network’s broadcast rights. CBS is the weekend broadcaster for the 3M Open this year.
Fan Forward Program Driving Broadcast Innovations
Rapid Rounds is a new addition to the PGA Tour’s Fan Forward initiative, launched last year to improve fan interaction through fresh broadcast approaches. The Fan Forward program has worked alongside CBS, NBC, and ESPN+ to incorporate innovations such as player interviews before rounds and drone tracing technologies.
The tour’s outreach to fans in the last 6-12 months has been very impactful and helpful,
said Tom Knapp, NBC’s EVP of Golf.
It’s been a significant focus of the tour to hear from fans and apply what we learn.
Enhancing Broadcasts Beyond Weekend Telecasts
According to Knapp, many advancements revolve around ancillary broadcast elements rather than the main weekend coverage. The tour experimented with these at fall events, focusing on increasing interest on Fridays by highlighting the cut line. For example, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Mastercard sponsored segments emphasizing player-caddie conversations.
Showing the bottom half of a Friday leaderboard instead of the top half was really interesting to do,
Knapp said.
When you get to Sunday, it’s the top of the leaderboard that matters, but on Friday it’s the bottom and that’s where the drama is.
Evolution of Broadcast Strategies Under CBS Leadership
Since Sellers Shy became CBS’s lead producer in 2021, the network has incrementally enhanced its golf coverage. Changes introduced include a constant leaderboard displayed on screen and the addition of a rules analyst. Shy emphasized the importance of technology in shaping future broadcast narratives.
We’re constantly looking,
Shy remarked.
Looking ahead and what’s next, I think the technology steers the narrative. Once we see the tech evolve, then we hope to follow suit. We’ll never please everyone. We’re talking about millions of people. We just feel like it’s up to us.
Innovative Features and Player Interviews Expand Viewer Experience
In 2023, CBS introduced in-round interviews with players such as Max Homa during the Farmers Insurance Open, a feature also adopted by NBC and Golf Channel. ESPN+ has been offering pre-round interviews on the driving range via PGA Tour Live, further enriching fan access to player insights. CBS has also been praised for its innovative use of drone and crane shots, with production planning sessions taking place each fall to source new ideas.
Along with the tour we’ve done a good job of taking chances and testing new things,
said John Suchenski, ESPN’s senior director of programming and acquisitions.
Through our ESPN Betcast or Every Shot Live, this is just another iteration.
Impact on Viewership and Future Prospects
The PGA Tour has seen a rebound in viewership throughout 2025, following significant declines in 2024. Since the season began with the Farmers Insurance Open in January, most Sundays have reported year-over-year growth in audiences, signaling positive reception of the new broadcast approaches. Rapid Rounds and other innovations reflect the tour’s ongoing commitment to engaging fans amid a competitive media landscape and evolving viewing habits.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What is a PGA?
A. PGA stands for the Professional Golfers’ Association of America.
Q. What does PGA mean?
A. The Professional Golfers’ Association is a group for male golfers in the U.S., created in 1916. Its full name is the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. It organizes key golf events annually, including its own PGA Championship.
Q. What is PGA in medical terms?
A. Polyglandular autoimmune (PGA) syndromes, also known as polyglandular failure syndromes, involve multiple hormone glands not working properly. Another term for these conditions is autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome (APS).