'Rory McIlroy's awkward confrontation at Players Championship is exactly what can help save the sport'

A rare blind spot where cameras were unable to pick up the exact spot the ball bounced led to a debate on whether McIlroy's drop was legitimate or not.

In years gone by, that moment would have been swept under the rug and glossed over with the main focus being on McIlroy dropping 10 birdies while also finding the water twice in his first round at TPC Sawgrass.

But modern sports fans are understandably nosy - something golf has struggled to come to grips with.

Golf coverage has barely changed in the past few decades with cameras following around the 'feature groups' with replays shown when any other player does something spectacular or noteworthy during the round.

It's proven a popular format for a long time and remains an attractive product for the ardent golf fan.

But the sport needs to branch out with LIV Golf highlighting its need to offer even more to the viewers.

Whatever anyone's opinion is of the Saudi-backed league, it's controversial introduction has acted as the kick up the backside the sport desperately needed.

Coverage had grown stagnant with broadcasters running out of ideas on how to freshen things up.

LIV Golf may have gone from one extreme to the other with its shotgun start, change to 54 holes, no cut, team element and loud music on the course.

However, the rival tour has given the PGA Tour impetus to try something new themselves.

Now circling back to that McIlroy debate with Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth...

That moment immediately grabbed the attention of sports fans as it caught three high-profile sports stars in a long discussion about the legitimacy of McIlroy's drop.

Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland discuss McIlroy's drop on No. 7.

Rory makes double bogey to move from solo leader to T2. pic.twitter.com/dkV6a5Q22W

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 14, 2024

Cameras moved in with mics to pick up every word and the PGA Tour also understood how popular the clip would prove as they tweeted out an eight-minute-long video of the whole incident.

The clip has since had close to three million views with the majority of viewers lapping up the content.

It's those kinds of off-the-cuff moments that have made the Netflix series 'Full Swing' as successful as it has been.

Modern sports fans want an access-all-areas type of coverage with an overload of content available at their fingertips.

The PGA Tour has begun to understand that now with more and more clips posted on social media of things that happen during the round that aren't just replays of impressive shots.

Golf fans still want to see those special hole-in-ones, spectacular recovery shots and outrageously long drives.

But sport works best as an entertainment package when that is also mixed in with vulnerable moments being caught on camera to make them even more relatable to viewers.

The incident on the seventh hole in McIlroy's group was largely inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

But it's exactly the kind of content the PGA Tour has been crying out for with those discussions taking place on a regular basis on the course.

Fans want to hear more from the players.

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From disagreements between players and their caddie to comments from rivals about one another during the round.

Those kind of moments simply make good television and that's what golf is trying to sell.

McIlroy's debate with Spieth and Hovland was the perfect example of how it can work.

Give viewers even more of that and golf will thrive in the modern world.