ShotLink

What ShotLink does

ShotLink is the exclusive, real-time scoring and statistical data platform operated by PGA TOUR, Inc. for professional golf tournaments in the United States. The platform captures data on every shot by every player at approximately 93 annual events across the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and Korn Ferry TOUR, using radar, camera, and laser sensors combined with pre-mapped digital course imagery to determine ball flight, resting location, and shot distance. Walking scorers and tablet-based spotter volunteers collect and plot data at the venue; a centralized operations hub at PGA TOUR headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, then distributes the data within seconds to downstream consumers.

The product surface includes the core ShotLink scoring system, LED scoreboard integration, on-site mobile production infrastructure (ShotLink Plus Truck, ShotLink Truck, TEL Truck, scoreboard, structure, and fiber trucks), Player Performance Center trailers, licensed radio-frequency coordination, and a modernized RESTful API with OAuth2 security delivering native JSON data. Distribution flows directly into television broadcast workflows for GOLF Channel, CBS, and NBC (generating 2,500+ on-air executions annually), into PGATOUR.COM and mobile platforms, into on-site LED scoreboards and video boards, and to over 50 syndicated downstream clients.

ShotLink is not a commercially sold product and has no external pricing model; it is an internal operational technology system of PGA TOUR, Inc., staffed largely through a volunteer network of more than 300 individuals per tournament week, with no independent revenue, no venture funding, and no third-party ownership. Its competitive position rests on multi-decade exclusivity with the PGA TOUR, deep integration into broadcast and digital workflows, and an unmatched longitudinal shot-level dataset.

Name

ShotLink

Legal name

PGA TOUR, INC.

Website

https://shotlink.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ShotLink is the PGA TOUR's exclusive real-time scoring and statistical data platform, capturing every shot at professional golf tournaments via sensors and digital course mapping, and distributing data to broadcast partners, PGATOUR.COM, LED scoreboards, and 50+ syndicated clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Scoring and Analytics Software

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Data/Stats & Betting Rights Distribution (Official Data Feeds) (MPABAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf Tours & Professional Circuits (MPAKAAAK), Sports Data-Driven/Interactive Streams (Stats Overlays, Alternate Feeds) (MPAKAOAH)

Keywords

• Real-time golf scoring
• Sports data analytics
• Tournament statistics platform
• Broadcast data feeds
• Sports scoring software

Headquarters

HQ city

Ponte Vedra Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Distribution channels4 records

Core offering

ShotLink is a real-time scoring and statistical data platform operated by the PGA TOUR that captures every shot by every player during tournament competition using radar, camera, and laser sensors, combined with digital course mapping to determine exact ball locations. Captured data is processed and delivered within seconds to broadcast partners (GOLF Channel, CBS, NBC), PGATOUR.COM, mobile apps, on-site LED scoreboards, and 50+ syndicated data clients via a RESTful API with OAuth2 security.

Product overview

ShotLink is a unified real-time scoring platform operated by the PGA TOUR that combines hardware infrastructure, volunteer operations, and data delivery services. The core ShotLink System uses radar, camera, and laser sensors to capture every shot by every player, with data delivered to broadcast partners (GOLF Channel, CBS, NBC), PGATOUR.COM, and on-site LED scoreboards. Supporting infrastructure includes mobile production trucks, Player Performance Centers (fitness and therapy trailers), and a distributed volunteer network trained as Walking Scorers and Tablet Operators. Data distribution occurs via a RESTful API with OAuth2 security. The system operates across PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and Korn Ferry Tour events (approximately 93 events annually).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ShotLink System Real-time scoring and statistical data platform that captures and reports information on every shot by every player during tournament competition using radar, camera, and laser sensors with digital course mapping, delivering results within seconds to broadcast, web, mobile, and on-site display systems. For use by PGA TOUR broadcast partners, digital platforms, players, and on-site fan enhancement partners.
• ShotLink Data Feeds

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,500+ broadcast executions per year enabled by ShotLink data
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GOLF ChannelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary broadcast partner receiving real-time ShotLink scoring data and statistics for television coverage of PGA TOUR events.
• CBS SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast partner receiving ShotLink data integration for CBS television golf coverage including graphics and statistical analysis.
• NBC SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast partner receiving ShotLink data integration for NBC television golf coverage including graphics and statistical analysis.
• BearcomcoreTechnology or IntegrationVendor managing ShotLink voice radios for PGA TOUR events, providing radio equipment and frequency coordination services.
• Golf Cart ExpressminorOthersProvider of 13 utility golf carts for camera setup and fiber run operations during tournament events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sportradar: Sportradar is a global sports data and technology company that collects, distributes, and monetizes official sports data feeds for leagues, broadcasters, and sportsbooks. Highly comparable to ShotLink as both operate at the intersection of real-time sports data capture, league partnerships, and broadcast/betting distribution.
• Genius Sports: Genius Sports provides official data, live odds, and fan engagement technology to sports leagues, sportsbooks, and media companies. Directly comparable to ShotLink's role as an official-tour data provider feeding broadcast, digital, and downstream syndication clients.
• Stats Perform: Stats Perform is a sports data and AI company providing live data feeds, predictive analytics, and broadcast graphics to leagues, media, and betting operators. Closely aligned with ShotLink's combination of real-time data capture, statistical analysis, and broadcast integration across multiple sports.
• Hawk-Eye Innovations (Sony): Hawk-Eye is the dominant real-time ball-tracking technology used across tennis, cricket, soccer, and other sports, capturing shot data for officiating and broadcast. Directly comparable to ShotLink's real-time, sensor-based capture of every shot for officiating-adjacent, broadcast, and statistical purposes.

Emerging players

• Second Spectrum (Genius Sports): Second Spectrum applies computer vision and AI to professional sports broadcast feeds to generate tracking data and analytics, now part of Genius Sports. Comparable as an emerging alternative capture modality that could compete with on-course shot-tracking infrastructure like ShotLink.
• TrackMan: TrackMan provides radar-based shot tracking technology used in golf practice, broadcasting, and player development. Directly comparable as a golf-specific shot tracking technology, though primarily consumer and range-focused rather than tour-level integrated like ShotLink.
• KinaTrax: KinaTrax provides markerless, computer-vision-based player and ball tracking for MLB and other professional sports. Comparable as an emerging real-time player/ball tracking platform that represents the kind of alternative capture architecture that could compete with traditional tour-based scoring systems.
• Catapult Sports: Catapult Sports provides GPS and wearable-based athlete tracking and performance analytics for professional sports teams. Comparable as a sports performance data platform, though focused on team sports and athlete-worn sensors rather than ShotLink's ball-tracking focus.

Others

• ChyronHego: ChyronHego provides broadcast graphics, virtual placement, and sports telestration tools that integrate real-time sports data into live television productions. Comparable as a downstream ecosystem participant that consumes real-time sports data (like ShotLink's) to produce broadcast outputs.
• Vizrt Group: Vizrt provides broadcast graphics, live production, and visualization software for sports and news media. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant that integrates sports data into broadcast presentations, similar to how ShotLink feeds integrate with GOLF Channel, CBS, and NBC graphics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/shotlink
• Instagraminstagram.com/shotlink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ShotLink