Generative AI Allowed the PGA TOUR To Add Written Descriptions to 30,000 Shots A major goal of the generative-AI effort is more-personalized services for fans By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 - 3:40 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Every week, there is more clarity about how generative AI and the cloud offer new ways to create content more efficiently. The most recent example is from the PGA TOUR, which used generative AI to create written narrative copy for the TOURCAST app, allowing fans to not only see 30,000+ shots but also read commentary and details about them.
When the Tour began looking at generative AI, according to Scott Gutterman, SVP, digital and broadcast technologies, PGA TOUR, there was plenty of experimenting, but one question was always asked: what can generative AI do to improve Tour-related content creation and, ultimately, better serve fans, players, and the tournaments themselves?
It's about scaling coverage across the entire event, he says. Typically, our staff can cover 25 or 30 golfers, but, with generative-AI content generation and data collected through ShotLink powered by CDW, we can tell the story of every single player. And it's not in a basic way - like JJ Spaun hit a 300-yard drive and has 125 yards to the hole as we have done for years and years. Now it will add context: he just hit his longest drive of the day or, at 125 yards out, he gets to within 10 ft. of the hole 20% of the time. It effectively generates two things: a fact and the context about each shot. We're excited because it gives us that foundation to tell a story for every single shot.
The use of generative AI allowed the PGA TOUR to add shot descriptions to more than 30,000 shots during THE PLAYERS.
The effort has been two years in the making, and the Tour began working with AI partner AWS, becoming a foundation partner for the AWS Bedrock generative-AI toolset. Bedrock effectively allows you to use almost any generative-AI model and a suite of tools to create these types of experiences, Gutterman explains. We are using Anthropic's Claude models to create these types of experiences. In particular, we're using the Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet and have spent the past year moving away from proofs of concept and instead figuring out to operationalize it.
Moving beyond POCs involved building a set of data-acquisition and context services to take data from ShotLink and apply a rules engine so that the prompt engine knows how to use the data and apply context that makes sense: for example, after a player hits the first tee shot of the day off the first hole, it doesn't write that the player hit the longest drive of the day.
You have the data coming in and the context services that talk to a rules base that includes things like prioritizing what types of things to talk about, he adds. For example, we can tell it to talk about greens in regulations on approach shots every three narratives so that the text doesn't become redundant across all the players. We also teach the model with different ways to talk about a drive so that it isn't described the same way every time or the same way a putt would be described. All of that is fed into the Anthropic cloud model to generate the narratives.
The output narrative from Claude 3.5 Sonnet goes through a validation service to make sure the ShotLink data referred to in the output matches up with what was input into the system (for example, drive distance). The next step is cosine similarity: the system makes sure the text falls within a range of how one would talk about a drive. If it passes those tests, the text is sent to the publishing engine, where additional tests ensure complete accuracy.
During THE PLAYERS Championship, Gutterman says, the accuracy on the 30,000 shots was around 96%, which is where we thought we would be.
The system is currently text-based because the models do not process video, especially live video from an event, Gutterman points out. We are building toward a day when it'll be a combination of live data, live audio, live video and then using a multimodal output to create a video and generate a voice. We are working with AWS on a synthetic voice that can read off the prompts. We'll eventually get there.
Bedrock allows the PGA TOUR to be model-agnostic and find the best model for the task. If future models can do a function at a cheaper cost, the Tour can pivot to it without issues. You'll hear some people talking about a model that can do everything, he notes. What we're seeing is, that is not the case. We want to be able to use Antrophic for this instance but use AWS Nova, which is brand new, for things like image recognition and other work. And there will probably be another model for things like translation.
The Tour continues to build internal tools, such as story-generation tools and the synthetic-voice commentary capabilities. For five years, Gutterman explains, we have not had commentary on the 48 streams of Every Shot Live, It has just been natural sound and stats. Our goal is always to have a human telling the story, but having two commentators across 48 streams all day is cost-prohibitive. With AI, the viewer could turn on commentary the same way they turn on closed captioning. And, if they want it in Spanish, they can have that as well.
Those types of personalized services are the goal for much of the generative-AI effort, he adds. It moves us down the road of hyper-personalization, where a fan can get a story at the end of the day with the best video from their favorite players. And we can start to do things like predictive engagement, where the app already knows what you like and just serves you what you want.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
Generative AI Allowed the PGA TOUR To Add Written Descriptions to 30,000 Shots A major goal of the generative-AI effort is more-personalized services for fans By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
