While speaking with the media in his pre-tournament press conference for the Cognizant Classic, Rickie Fowler speculated that there may currently be too much golf on television, with the product needing to improve.

“We’ve got to figure out a better way to entertain our fans and it come across better on TV”.

The former PLAYERS champion wondered aloud whether fans need a longer off-season for golf to get excited for it to start back up again the following season.

“If the season is kind of where it’s at with the January to August, is there ways to do different things in the fall,” Fowler said.

“We kind of have to create the want for golf. Right now, you can basically watch golf every week of the year for the most part. There’s not really an off-season.

“I feel like with other sports, people can’t wait for football preseason to start up, and that’s just preseason. The games don’t really matter a whole lot.

“Something along those lines to create a little bit more of a demand for golf because depending on how you want to talk about it, is the product potentially diluted with how much golf is available?”

When asked if he thinks there needs to be format changes, Fowler said he still thinks the events should be 72 holes with a cut.

“I think within reason [there could be format changes], but at the same time, it’s also a very traditional sport with traditional tournaments, 72 holes, cut going into the weekend.”

Rickie said he trusts that the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) will figure out a way to improve the product for fans going forward.

“I feel like ultimately we’re in the entertainment business, and we’ve got to figure out a better way to entertain our fans and it come across better on TV.

“How we do that, I don’t exactly know, but like I said, I feel like with the people that are involved, I definitely trust the guys.

“I feel like the guys – especially since they’re not just golf guys, I think they have enormous respect for the game of golf, but also they come from a lot of different avenues in sports and business, and I feel like they can help us kind of give direction on where we can or need to go.”

Fowler will tee it up in the Cognizant Classic on Thursday at PGA National.

More from the 19th Hole

While speaking with Australian Golf Digest, Talor Gooch made the point that the Masters will have an “asterisk” if more LIV players aren’t in the field.

“If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his [Career] Grand Slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk. It’s just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there.”

The quote has made the rounds on social media, with plenty of people now taking shots at last year’s individual LIV Golf champion.

Writer Joel Beall was first in line, sharing a story about the Oklahoma State product wearing shorts to Augusta National.

Just remembered Talor Gooch showed up to Augusta National for Masters practice in shorts before being told, Buddy, this is Augusta National pic.twitter.com/1Yei7A9vn1

— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) February 27, 2024

Dan Rapaport shared that he believes Gooch is referring to himself who should be in the Masters field, which Gooch responded to.

If that's how I felt I would've said player not players*** Burmy, Louis, Mito, Carlos, HV, Kokrak, Leish, Abe etc etc etc.
Winning a major w/out some of the best in the world, while no less of an accomplishment, it is noteworthy. Fans/ majors/players-who benefits from not adding

— Talor Gooch (@TalorGooch) February 27, 2024

a path to majors through LIV? What if Puig and Surratt finish top10 and beat cam brooks Bryson this season, do fans benefit from not seeing them in majors? Lots of things the majors need to resolve for the fans/players. If you wanna know what I really mean^ Im always here to chat

— Talor Gooch (@TalorGooch) February 27, 2024

Alan Shipnuck, the author of “LIV and Let Die”, called Gooch “the unwitting king of content”.

What Talor Gooch should be most bitter about is not being eligible for the PIP. He is the unwitting king of content – every time he opens his mouth Twitter erupts!

— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) February 27, 2024

Kevin Casey on X shared that someone changed Gooch’s Wikipedia page to reflect an asterisk.

Whoever did this to Talor Gooch's Wikipedia page, I can't. ? pic.twitter.com/W2QnsC5kKe

— Kevin Casey (@KevinCaseyGC) February 27, 2024

Gooch will tee it up this week at LIV Golf Jeddah on Friday.

More from the 19th Hole

LIV Golf makes its third stop at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City this week to play LIV Golf Jeddah. 

Royal Greens Golf & Country Club is a par-72 that measures 7,010 yards. There is plenty of water on the course and it features large greens and numerous sand traps. The fairways are Zoysia grass and the greens are Paspalum. The course has hosted several prestigious events in the past including the Saudi International, LIV Golf Jeddah, the Aramco Team Series and the Aramco Saudi Ladies International. The course is undoubtedly one of the best tracks that the Middle East has to offer. 

LIV Jeddah will be absolutely loaded with storylines this week. Perhaps the most exciting of them all is the return of Anthony Kim to professional golf.

Last seen at Quail Hollow in the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship, the golf world often wondered aloud what ever happened to the charismatic party boy who once played a major role in the United States 2008 Ryder Cup win at Valhalla, thrashing Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia 5&4 in a singles match.

Throwback to one of the most ultimate “in the zone” moments from golf history. After dispatching Sergio in the ‘08 Ryder Cup, Anthony Kim walked straight to the next tee without realising he had closed out the match. That’s focus!@ewanports

pic.twitter.com/0dDPtwzXYK

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) August 28, 2023

Six months later, “AK” made eleven birdies in a single round at Augusta National, shooting a -7 (65). The following year, Kim would finish 3rd at The Masters.

Kim was a “can’t miss” star who was poised to be near the top of the world rankings for the next decade. Until he wasn’t.

Starting in around 2010, injuries started to derail AK, causing him to have surgery on his Achilles tendon in June of 2012.

Reportedly, the then 26-year-old cashed in on an insurance policy that paid him somewhere between $10 and $20 million, which would force him into retirement.

Twelve years later, Kim will be playing at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club beginning on Friday this week.

There is still a great deal of mystery regarding what’s occurred in the past twelve years, but reports indicate that Kim is receiving somewhere between $5 and $10 million to sign with LIV Golf.

Details aside, Kim’s return to golf should be absolutely captivating.

Anthony Kim hitting the range in Jeddah. ?

(?: @carters_golf) pic.twitter.com/smQc0lb5Ia

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) February 27, 2024

Past Winners at LIV Jeddah

• 2023: Brooks Koepka (-14)
• 2022: Brooks Koepka (-12)

Past Winners at the Saudi International

• • 2023: Abraham Ancer (-19)
  • 2022:Harold Varner III (-13)
  • 2021: Dustin Johnson (-15)
  • 2020: Graeme McDowell (-12)
  • 2019: Dustin Johnson (-19)

The top of the odds board will be tough to beat this week. Jon Rahm has played well to start the year but still hasn’t gotten in the winner’s circle. He ought to be hungry to get it done this week. Brooks Koepka has won the event two straight years and is a force to be reckoned with. Dustin Johnson has a staggering record at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. In six trips to the course, he’s finished in the top-8 each time including two wins and a runner-up. 

Stats From LIV Las Vegas

2024 LIV Jeddah Picks

Sergio Garcia (+2500 FanDuel)

Sergio Garcia began his 2024 LIV Golf season with a bang, losing in a four-hole playoff to the Chilean superstar Joaquin Niemann at LIV Golf Mayakoba. Despite the runner-up finish, it was an encouraging start to the season for the former Masters Champion.

Garcia’s strong week didn’t directly follow him to LIV Las Vegas, where he finished 26th, but the unfamiliar course didn’t necessarily fit his skill set. Royal Greens Golf & Country Club is a relatively short course that can get extremely windy. Garcia still has the iron game to compete with the elite players in this field, and is a great wind player and shot maker. 

In Sergio’s seven trips to the course, he’s finished in the top-6 three times, and finished 3rd in both of LIV’s trips to Jeddah. 

The 44-year-old can still stripe it and my gut tells me he will be a part of the story late on Sunday. 

Paul Casey (+3500 DraftKings)

I’ve been extremely high on Casey to kick off 2024 and thus far things have gone extremely well for the Englishman. In his two starts this season, Casey has finished in a tie for 11th and a tie for 5th, and was the first-round leader at LIV Las Vegas. 

Casey has had success at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club and has finished 5th in two of his past three trips to the golf course. The 46-year-old is a superb ball striker and wind player when he’s healthy, and all signs point to him finally being back to full strength. 

In Vegas, Casey led the field in birdies made (tied with a few at the top), and finished in the top ten in both fairways hit and greens in regulation. 

Veterans have done well on LIV to date, and Casey may be next in line of players on the back nine of their careers who show they still have the game to compete with some of the world’s best. 

Matt Wolff (+4100 FanDuel)

The mercurial Matt Wolff has seemingly found a comfortable home with the RangeGoats and has been playing his best golf to date on LIV in his two starts this season. Wolff finished 4th at LIV Las Vegas and followed that up with a tie for 7th place finish at the Asian Tour’s International Series Oman. 

In his past four trips to the course, the 23-year-old (Wow! He’s still only 23?) has finished in the top-10 three times. 

The Oklahoma State product was once tabbed as a future superstar, and it’s still far too early to give up on such a talented player. A win is coming soon. 

Bubba Watson (+8000 FanDuel)

It’s been a long road back for Bubba Watson since he had surgery to repair his meniscus a few years ago, but the two-time Masters champion is beginning to show some signs that he may once again be healthy enough to complete.

In his two starts this season, Bubba has finished T21 (Mayakoba) and T15 (Vegas). Watson has always been a player who plays “his” tracks well, with multiple wins at Augusta, Riviera and TPC River Highlands. With a few more cracks at it, Royal Greens Golf & Country Club could certainly be one of those courses. He’s only played the course three times, but has a 2nd place finish in 2022 when he lost to Harold Varner III in a playoff.

In Vegas, Watson was 7th in the field in Greens in Regulation. When he’s on his game, there are few players more fun to watch than Bubba.