NEW YORK—The second major of the year for golf, the PGA Championship, will feature some new technology from CBS Sports to bring enhanced coverage to viewers. Motion capture and aerial tracing technology will now be added to the broadcast alongside improved technology elements used during previous tournaments.
First introduced during the coverage of the Masters Tournament in April, CBS has partnered with SIMI for motion capture technology to explore human body analytics during a golf swing. During the PGA Championship, eight high-end industrial cameras will be set up on the 11th tee box to capture golfer’s swings and full body analytics, from hip and shoulder rotation to arm and knee contortion angles.
Being used for the first time during any golf broadcast, according to CBS, is the aerial tracing technology. Using live video captured from a blimp and Toptracer technology, CBS will provide complete shot trajectory from tee to green via aerial views from the blimp.
A number of other technologies present in past CBS broadcasts of golf tournaments are also set for this year’s PGA Championship. In addition to aerial tracing, CBS will feature other Toptracer technology, including Toptracer RF for shot tracing from the fairway on any hole and ARL Virtual Eye.
CBS is bringing back its use of 4D technology, this year on the 15th hole tee box and doubling the amount from last year’s coverage to 90 cameras for 180-degrees of video display. On the greens, CBS will provide Hawk-Eye Green Technology, including Putt Predictor and Undulation Grid.
Additional technology set to assist the broadcast includes SmartCart, SwingVision, aerial drone coverage, full course wind metering and, on the final three holes, 4K HDR.
The 101st PGA Championship is taking place at Bethpage State Park, Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. Across the course, CBS will have nearly 200 cameras, 175 microphones and 41 miles of multi-strand fiber.
The PGA Championship will be held May 16-19.
