December 18 -- No Tiger Woods? No problem for the PGA Tour, which hopes to lure viewers to their TV sets with 3D broadcasts of golf tourneys.
After all, high-def TV is so yesterday.
Sony Corp. and the PGA Tour announced plans to bring 3D golf to golf fans in time for the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii. If all goes well with 3D experiments in 2010, the partners will make the Hawaii event the first PGA Tour tourney shot and available for distribution in 3D to certain viewers.
3D in 2010. Sony and the tour will begin by shooting parts of the 2010 Sony Open in 3D. Golf and the tropical setting of Hawaii lend themselves particularly well for 3D broadcasts, said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.
"High-definition television is already driving increased golf viewing," Finchem told reporters in a Thursday conference call. "We believe that 3D has the potential to put the fan right in the center of the action and make our telecasts even more exciting and engaging. The beauty of the Sony Open in Hawaii makes this the perfect setting to debut this technology."
Some TV manufacturers are selling 3D-ready sets. Such equipment requires viewers to purchase additional gear and wear special glasses to experience the 3D experience.
Need it now? If you just can’t wait to surprise your favorite Boston golfer on the last day of Chanukah or the first day of Christmas, Philips sells a fully equipped 3D TV set for some $9,000. And you won’t need to don nerdy glasses to watch Woods (sometime, perhaps, in the distant, hazy future) hit a tee shot into your lap.
Finchem believes golf will do just fine with or without Tiger Woods on tour next year. Read about it at Golf will thrive even without Tiger Woods.
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