ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Here is a rough approximation of my rules of the universe:
1. When it’s cold out, you put on a jacket
2. When it’s raining, you bring an umbrella
3. When you attend a major championship as a member of the golf media, you record a video of yourself throwing a golf ball into the rough
On that final point, I should note that I am no better at said activity than the legions of golf content creators before me. When the GOLF.com crew arrived on-site here at the 2023 PGA Championship, I could hardly keep my eyes off the thick green stuff that’s just about everywhere at Oak Hill Country Club. A few quick conversations with players and caddies revealed that the rough has indeed been a topic of discussion early in the week at the season’s second major. More than a few folks even compared it to Winged Foot.
I was hooked. I grabbed my colleague (and GOLF visual extraordinaire) Darren Riehl and headed out to the first fairway in pursuit of our least original content idea yet.
Yes, our bit was goofy, but it was also a small slice of life on-site at Oak Hill. That’s our wheelhouse. There’s much to see in the early weeks at the majors, and the TV cameras bring you precious little of it. As credentialed media, we have the access, relationships and connections to bring new, interesting and (hopefully!) funny stories to you daily. And through a lens you’re not getting elsewhere.
That’s the mission of our new “Seen and Heard” video series — our latest effort to give you an inside look at golf’s biggest events through our eyes and ears.
Our cameras will be running all week at and around the PGA Championship, capturing the intrigue, oddities and drama of a major championship week. Above (and below) you can find Episode 1, chronicling the golf world’s arrival in Rochester, the strange scene on the range and, of course, our attempt at a rough assessment.
James Colgan is a news and features editor at GOLF, writing stories for the website and magazine. He manages the Hot Mic, GOLF’s media vertical, and utilizes his on-camera experience across the brand’s platforms. Prior to joining GOLF, James graduated from Syracuse University, during which time he was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from. He can be reached at james.colgan@golf.com.
