Golf fans should be thrilled with PGA Tour's newest broadcast initiative 

Frustrated by excessive commercials interrupting live coverage of PGA Tour events, golf fans will love the changes being made to this week's broadcast of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

On Tuesday, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced NBC and Golf Channel will replace several commercial blocks with more mic'd up player-caddie conversations throughout the tournament. The new broadcast strategy, which will be presented by Mastercard, is part of the Tour's newest Fan Forward initiative. 

"In addition to wanting more live golf action, fans are telling us they are more entertained when they can see and hear a player’s pre-shot process in the heat of the competition," Monahan said of the initiative, per MSN. "We are excited to work with Mastercard and NBC/Golf Channel to step back and allow fans to experience those intimate, real-time interactions during the telecast this week."

This is a positive step for the PGA Tour in its ongoing mission to ease viewers' gripes about the television product. It's exasperating to get hooked on a close tournament just for the broadcast to cut away from the action for five minutes of commercials. The constant ad breaks also force Golf Channel and NBC to be selective with the players and shots they show live.