What does it take to grow golf from 26 million to 45 million players in just a few years while adapting to shifting fan expectations? 

Jeff Price, Chief Commercial Officer at the PGA of America, chats with David to explore the evolving role of technology, media, and partnerships in shaping the future of this 2 billion dollar industry.

Jeff shares insights into the PGA’s massive Frisco, Texas campus and how it’s transforming player development, industry collaboration, and fan engagement. He also dives into the explosive growth of women’s golf, the significance of the hybrid golfer, and how AI and technology are enhancing coaching and course management. 

Plus, hear his take on the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage and what makes it one of the most electric events in all of sports.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How the PGA of America is fueling industry growth while supporting 31,000+ golf professionals.
• Why women’s golf is growing faster than ever since the pandemic — and what it means for the industry.
• How technology, AI, and data are reshaping golf coaching and fan experiences, from ball tracing to swing analytics.
• Hybrid golfers and how off-course play is exploding in popularity, especially in the last 10 years.
• What makes the 2025 Ryder Cup different, how it’s set to break records, and why the first tee shot on Friday morning is one of the most nerve-wracking moments in sports.

Resources and Links:

Connect with Jeff Price on LinkedIn and check out the PGA of America website.

Learn more about the Ryder Cup, TGL, and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. 

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

What does it take to revolutionize digital media in professional sports? 

In this episode, Next League’s David Nugent sits down with Scott Gutterman, SVP of Digital Operations at the PGA TOUR, to discuss the evolving intersection of sports, technology, and fan engagement.

Scott shares fascinating insights from his tenure leading the PGA Tour’s digital transformation, including pivotal decisions AND complexities of managing real-time data for a global audience.

From the early challenges of migrating to a cloud-based infrastructure to the rise of generative AI, Scott explains how the PGA TOUR continuously adapts to shifting digital landscapes while maintaining a focus on innovation, revenue growth, and fan experience. 

Scott and Dave go deep on decentralizing content consumption, leveraging data for sponsorships, and planning for the next wave of AI-driven personalization.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The shift from centralized to decentralized sports consumption — and what it means for content creators
• Why the PGA TOUR took full control of its digital media rights — and how this shaped their future business model
• Complexities of delivering real-time sports data at scale, including managing live feeds and latency
• How sponsorships and direct sales played a key role in making the PGA TOUR’s digital operations financially viable
• How AI and automation are redefining sports media and creating hyper-personalized fan experiences

Resources and Links:

Connect with Scott Gutterman on LinkedIn and check out the PGA Tour website.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

AI is the future, and it’s playing a transformative role in sports.

Shripal Shah is a sports and retail industry veteran, here to share all of the latest innovations in AI in 2025, including how tools like Persado are contributing to $5 million dollars in ticket sales for half a dozen baseball teams in the MLB. 

Dave and Shripal discuss AI-driven content creation, how overseas teams are experimenting with AI to predict crowd noises, and specifically, how AI is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s completely reshaping fan engagement, marketing strategies, predictive analytics, and even scouting operations.

Shripal also explores ethical considerations as it relates to bias in AI language models, along with a wealth of interesting stats, including what % of Fortune 500 retailers are now using AI-driven subject lines in their emails.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why AI-generated content is the next frontier in sports media (and what it means for teams and broadcasters)
• The challenges and ethical considerations of AI in sports, from bias in AI models to media rights concerns
• How AI-powered ticketing and marketing tools are driving MILLIONS in revenue for teams
• The impact of AI on scouting and player recruitment
• Shripal’s take on how the retail industry is shaping AI adoption in sports businesses

Resources and Links:

The AI tools Shripal mentions in this episode include Persado, WSC Sports, and IBM Watson.

Connect with Shripal Shah, Chief Digital Officer at Next League, on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.