Yes! Rolex to bring advertising-free golf to Fox

You can't argue with that. Commercial-free golf. Personally, I'm sick of having to record the golf and wait 45 minutes to start watching it just so I can avoid 15,000 showings of the same bloody advert.

It never takes long before my resolve gives way to a desperate need to be watching live, even though it makes no real difference. Unless I've got a bet on.

Anyway, Rolex have teamed up with the USGA for a long-term plan to broadcast eight of the nine televised USGA championships, including the U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur and Curtis Cup matches, ad-free, on Fox Sports and its FS1 network. 

Rolex will be the exclusive presenting partner of coverage of all USGA events on Fox networks. The USGA and Fox have courted attention ever since they announced a $1.1 billion pact in 2013. 

The only USGA event that won't air commercial-free is the U.S. Open, to be played in June at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York. But it's not all bad news here – Rolex will present the final hour of U.S. Open coverage uninterrupted, an unprecedented move for U.S. coverage of golf's second major tournament of the year. Thank you, Mr Rolex.

“Rolex’s support through nearly four decades has been instrumental in helping us drive the game forward,” said Mike Davis, CEO/executive director of the USGA. “The winner in this partnership, ultimately, is the fan. Uninterrupted live golf coverage across eight of our championships is unprecedented. We are excited for the viewer to see the creativity of FOX Sports and be inspired by the stories that unfold across our championships.”

Instead of traditional commercials, Rolex will present a variety of features and video vignettes highlighting key moments, champions, and some of the iconic venues that make up the various USGA championships. These digital features will be "seamlessly integrated to further entertain, engage and educate the audience," Fox said.

"These uninterrupted broadcasts give us the opportunity to innovate and differentiate our telecast while capitalizing on the unique nature of the USGA championships to provide viewers with more live action and new perspectives on the golfers and championships,” said Bruce Lefkowitz, executive VP of ad sales at Fox Networks Group.

By limiting commercials, the USGA is putting its U.S. Open coverage on par with The Masters, which only permits four minutes of commercials per hour during tournament television coverage.

They needed to do something/ Last year's US Open coverage received record downturns in viewing fh=gures for the fourth year in a row on Fox. 

Brooks Koepka's first major victory brought in an audience rating of. 3.8 on Fox, an 8% drop from 2016 and the second-lowest overnight rating for the final round dating back to at least 1988. The 2017 U.S. Open was the first since 1994 to not have Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson in the field. Defending champion Dustin Johnson and former major winners Rory McIlroy and Jason Day missed the cut.

I think we can safely say this year will be different with Tiger teeing it up at Shinnecock Hills, and Phil Mickelson (back in the winner's circle in 2018) looking to win the only major to elude him. Bring it on.

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