As Sky reports, Phil Mickelson moved to 14 under, joining three others two shots behind Henrik Stenson heading into the final round of the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.
That should be a nice bonus for NBC, which is getting plenty of attention here in the UK for airing the weekend rounds on the network. And since this could be a historic weekend for network golf in the U.S. and especially the European Tour if a success, I emailed questions to Golf Channel President Mike McCarley about the Aberdeen Asset Management Open, now signed through 2017 including a likely 2016 return to Castle Stuart.
McCarley served as SVP Communications, Marketing and Promotions for NBC Sports & Olympics before joining Golf Channel in February, 2011. He kindly answered my questions while attending this week's Scottish Open.
GS: What's the backstory on this week's Scottish Open ending up getting network air time on NBC?
MM: This is a simple and logical next step in our continual innovation to create more interest in the game. It's a pretty natural evolution. Golf Channel has been partners with the European Tour since the network launched 19 years ago (the 1995 Dubai Desert Classic was the first live tournament on Golf Channel). The relationship with the European Tour has always been collaborative, so when Golf Channel became part of NBC Sports two years ago, the opportunities to help build interest in the Tour increased and we saw a lot of immediate success. Not only did the European Tour see a significant overall ratings lift because of the larger audience now watching Golf Channel, but also we've been able to better promote European Tour golf to a broader audience on NBC.
In some instances, especially for Final Rounds after receiving Saturday NBC promotion, European Tour audiences have increased by as much as 400%. This is all part of a much larger, methodical process to help create more interest in the game. When we introduce new viewers to the European Tour, it helps make these players more identifiable. This, in turn, helps build viewership whenever they play – whether it's on the PGA Tour, during Majors or the Ryder Cup.
GS: Is this something that we could see more of in the future or is this a unique situation because of Aberdeen Asset Management?
MM: This unique situation is a big part of our jobs to bring more attention to the game through innovation, but at the same time our aim is to remain authentic to the game. So you always want to see how something works before you decide exactly how a unique situation like this will work in the future. With that being said, Aberdeen Asset Management has been terrific partners through this process and they share our passion for the game so we will continue to work closely together on this project.
GS: How much did Castle Stuart and links golf in general play into making this something the network would want to show?
MM: It's really a confluence of factors that made this make sense. The European Tour on Golf Channel has featured plenty of links golf courses over the years and plenty of American golfers dream of playing links golf in Scotland. At its best, TV can transport viewers to places they may never be able to go, so for many who watch this week on TV, it may be the closest they get to making that special trip to Scotland. But for some, especially with the pictures they're seeing, it may provide just enough motivation to plan that trip.
The Scottish Open first piqued my interest as a television property when David Feherty, in his own self-deprecating style, told me a story about winning the Scottish Open and then subsequently losing the trophy – yes, he lost the oldest trophy in all of sports. The story involved waking up in another country, with 'at least' two members of Led Zeppelin. Later, it wasn't the humor that I was thinking about it was the history. There is fantastic history inherent to an event and setting like this and it could be an interesting piece for us to explore. Another item of interest is Castle Stuart, when Gil Hanse was selected to design the Olympic course in Rio one of the factors I kept hearing about was the phenomenal job that he did here. While these weren’t deciding factors, these aspects first waked our curiosity about the potential of what this could become.
GS: Does the look of a venue in the HD world play any role in how much coverage? Is that something you discuss with the PGA Tour when looking down the road for future planning?
MM: The sweeping vistas and coastlines are all important as a backdrop and you invest in extra production resources to help bring that to the viewer (a fixed-wing airplane has been added to the production here, similar to the plane we've added in Hawaii in recent years to best capture the coastline scenery). Any sports fan, who watches in HD knows that golf is one of the most visually interesting in sports. We know a lot of TV retailers turn Golf Channel on in their showrooms because it showcases the clarity best and we're starting to see the same tendencies with the emerging 4K technology. We all know one special aspect to golf is that it’s played around the world in spectacular locations where, as an entertainment option, the competition is often enhanced by crisp pictures and breathtaking views. I wouldn’t say that the venue dictates how much coverage an event receives, but it always contributes to our high-quality productions and is a vital part of our storytelling throughout an event.
GS: Speaking of the PGA Tour, how do they feel about their partner network showing a rival tour on NBC?
MM: It's interesting when you look at how the schedule lays out; because the Scottish Open finishes on NBC, Golf Channel is able to air early coverage of the John Deere Classic. And the Scottish Open provides a lead-in to the U.S. Senior Open on NBC that afternoon. So we are actually able to give more exposure to each event. While it's an overused cliché that I can't believe I'm actually going to use, but this truly is a win-win. If this line-up of events gets fans excited about watching more golf, it’s easy to see the potential and longterm positive effects that simple new approaches like this can have for the game.
Even better though was this anecdote from Steve Elkington, who reminds us how quickly things can turn at Muirfield.
