PGA Tour, Turner Sports Launch Free iPhone/iPod touch Application

The PGA Tour and Turner Sports--which have been in a partnership to produce the PGAtour.com Web site since 2006--on Monday launched a free iPhone/iPod touch PGA Tour application. According to the partners, the new app will leverage PGAtour.com's live video streaming and live scoring capabilities to provide an "enhanced experience" to iPhone/iPod touch users for each of the four PGA Tour playoffs for the FedExCup tournaments, starting with The Barclays (August 27th-30th). Following the playoffs, the partners say, the app, which is sponsored by Nike Golf, will be available through the PGA Tour fall series and beyond. The partners claims that it is the only golf application to offer fans access to PGAtour.com's exclusive content, including custom live leaderboards, video highlights, play-by-play coverage, player stats and editorial franchises. "PGAtour.com leads the field in its coverage of the PGA Tour and continues to provide innovative, inside-the-ropes access that allows fans to follow golf action no matter where they are," Matthew Hong, VP and general manager of sports digital at Turner Sports, said in a prepared statement. "The launch of the official PGA Tour App expands the site's portfolio of live coverage and the set of platforms on which our exclusive content around all aspects of the PGA Tour is optimized." Added Lee Bushkell, VP and general manager of PGAtour.com: "This new application is a natural extension of the PGA Tour's desire to serve golf fans with the highest level of PGA Tour coverage wherever they are. We're excited to introduce it in time for fans to follow the excitement throughout the PGA Tour playoffs as the third FedExCup champion is crowned."

According to Turner Sports and the PGA Tour, the new app will stream live video from all four playoff tournaments: The Barclays (see above), the Deutsche Bank Championship (September 4th-7th), the BMW Championship (September 10th-13th) and The Tour Championship (September 24th-27th). In addition to providing live video streaming from PGAtour.com's Live@ franchise, the app will offer live scoring, customizable leaderboards and tee times (which the partners say will give fans "instant access to every live shot for their favorite Tour players"), course breakdowns, hole images and descriptions from all Tour events. Other features, according to the partners, include in-round video highlights and shots of the day, player profiles and stats, PGA Tour news and leaderboards, tee times and tournament schedules for the Champions and Nationwide Tours. (Note: for a detailed overview of the extensive new media coverage that Turner Sports and the PGA provided for the recent PGA Championship--which among other things saw them offering a paid iPhone/iPod touch app--see the article published on itvt.com, August 17th.)