The relationship between the PGA Tour and technology is an age-old thing. In 2016, the PGA Tour partnered with Microsoft and started utilizing the tech giant’s Azure cloud platform to develop the Content Relevancy Engine (CRE) to analyze 80,000 hours of digital video and 20 years of ShotLink scoring data. But just because the relationship between the PGA Tour and tech is age-old doesn’t mean it’s always successful, as evidenced by the series of issues the Tour’s app users and Michael Kim are facing.

So, where does Michael Kim’s frustration stem from? It comes from the latest PGA Tour app update. The PGA TOUR leaderboards now feature a “hot streak” indicator for relevant tournaments. This animated indicator highlights a player’s current round score when it qualifies as “hot.” Fans can track the action and view the player’s scorecard for updates.

That is one thing that even the PGA Tour pro, Michael Kim, noticed. The golfer shared a screenshot of the Charles Schwab Challenge leaderboard, highlighting scores from Luke List, Jordan Spieth, and Lucas Glover, with a ring of fire around Spieth’s score. Pointing out the symbol on the screenshot, Kim said in an X post, “The app’s algorithm needs a little refinement, or maybe it’s saying, ‘Wow, that’s a great round for you today, Jordan. You’re on fire!” 😂” On Saturday, Spieth shot 3 under and ended 54-hole play at T32nd. Maybe Spieth Saturdays are back!

But, hey, this is one of the many issues the PGA Tour app has faced over the years. Golf fans have encountered several issues with the PGA Tour app and website, including slow loading speeds, incorrect scores, and a lack of video and imagery. These problems have made it difficult for them to follow tournaments effectively and enjoy the overall experience. Perhaps the PGA Tour thought the “hot streak” update would appease the fans? Well, whatever the thought might be, more than one thing is upsetting the golf fans!

Frustrated golf fans are mockingly calling the PGA Tour app “good stuff”

The problem starts with the navigation and the “My Favorite” feature. According to the various complaints by fans on social media, the Apple Store, and the Play Store, users have encountered issues with the app, particularly regarding navigation and the “My Favorites” feature, along with crashes and connection problems. Many find the new interface more difficult to navigate than before, while the “My Favorites” list often does not display starred players on the leaderboard.

Bringing up the same issue, a fan said, “The PGA Tour app really is something, man. Just clicked on Lucas Glover’s name to see his card, and it unfavorited him. Then I scrolled to find him, and as I scrolled, apparently I barely touched a FedEx ad, and it took me out of the app to http://fedex.com/ on Safari. Good stuff!” The fan added a Jack Torrance (The Shining) gif to further express their frustration. If not the former, many app users around the globe have dealt with click-through.

One fan said, “It actually seems like it’s getting worse lately. It’s truly unbelievable.” Considering the many issues, the PGA Tour introduced a complete overhaul of its app ahead of the 2023 season. It promised quicker loading speeds, especially for the leaderboard, will enhance user-friendliness, and feature a cleaner design. Clearly, that is not the case!

We already know the new update; however, how does the update decide which player is “hot?” The TOUR’s Digital and Data and Decision Science teams created this proprietary feature to identify players whose chances of winning or making the cut increase significantly in a short time. The digital team further enhances this by incorporating scoring-based rules for holes played under par. The problem? Fans do not understand the point of it.

Two fans pointed to the latest “hot streak” update on the PGA Tour update by saying, “I love how the app circled the little fire ring around Hideki when he was -3, but right above him was Lucas Glover at -5, and nothing,” while the other fan said, “Fans: Can we just have a functional app? PGA Tour:” and added a picture with the little ring of fire (hot streak) symbol on the right side.

One fan said, “The LIV app is seamless 🫢.” The LIV Golf League app provides fans with a comprehensive platform for events, standings, live streaming, highlights, scores, a fantasy experience, and a shop for merchandise and tickets. However, it has encountered technical issues that affect the viewing experience, including frequent log-out problems. The “Any Shot Any Time” feature has also malfunctioned, and users have reported streaming issues like buffering and poor video quality, even with strong internet connections.