PGA Tour’s Gen-Z takeover, wholesome Players moments | Rogers Report

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Hello, friends, and welcome to this edition of the Rogers Report, where we’re averaging 18,000 steps a day at the Players Championship! Friday at TPC Sawgrass got off to the perfect start when I walked into media center dining and saw an omelette station. After a hearty breakfast and an oat milk latte in the media center, I made my way over to the first tee to follow the star-studded group of Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler.

My favorite thing about Players week is always the catch-up chats I get to have with other people who work in golf. It’s the first tournament that many of us see each other at all year, and there’s nothing better than taking a golf course stroll on a 70-something degree spring day with pals as we watch the best golfers in the world tee it up. There’s also been a handful of off-course dinners, and I can officially say I am a big fan of Jacksonville.

Players merchandise

I finally made my way over to the Players Championship fan shop on Friday afternoon and I can confidently say they’ve got the best merchandise of any PGA Tour event. It’s always been good, but I found myself wanting absolutely everything they had to offer. When I say every single brand knocked it out of the park, I am not exaggerating. Let’s take a look at what La Favre, a Jacksonville-based company who is making their Players merchandise debut this week, has to offer.

Folks, I think we might be in the golden age of golf tournament merchandise. Back in my day (see: five years ago when I first started really traveling for golf), it was rare to go into a pro shop or fan shop and find clothes that you’d be proud to wear off of the golf course. Collared shirts and quarter zips? Absolutely! But there wouldn’t really be anything you’d want to wear to a bar once you graduated from an SEC fraternity. It’s now the total opposite. The Players Championship fan shop is more like a streetwear shop than a golf one, and it’s exactly what the modern golf fan needs. Props to the Players and all their partners for absolutely crushing it.

Gen Z’s PGA Tour takeover

Gen-Z is officially taking over the PGA Tour, and the 36-hole leaderboard at the Players Championship is proof. Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee are heading into the weekend at 11-under par, and they’re the perfect representation of athletes born in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Let’s take a look at their social media presences.

Lee might have the best Instagram content of any PGA Tour player, and Bhatia has been vocal about wanting to grow his YouTube audience. Could they be the catalysts for golf’s merger? No, not that one. The one that brings together Gen-Z YouTube golf fans and PGA Tour fans together. Only time will tell.

Wholesome moments at the Players

The Players Championship hasn’t just had some really good golf this week. There’s also been some really good, really wholesome interactions between the pros and golf fans. I’ve seen kids jump for joy after getting a high-five from pros on the course, scream with excitement after a caddie tosses a golf ball their way and sprint over to show their parents their freshly autographed hat. The PGA Tour’s social team has shared some particularly special moments between players and fans this week, and I encourage you to check them out below.

Here’s to a great weekend at TPC Sawgrass!