NBC draws criticism for coming back late during Russell Henley eagle at Arnold Palmer Invitational

Sometimes golf executives make watching golf on television very hard.

Golf fans just want to watch golf when it is being played. That is not a crazy thing to ask.

This week brought the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the fourth Signature Event of the PGA Tour season. These events are a bigger deal than others, as they come with bigger purses and offer more FedExCup points. Again, they are a big deal.

Winning, and therefore losing, big-time events like this have major ramifications on a player’s career.

Look no further than what happened down the stretch on Sunday. Russell Henley was one back of Collin Morikawa on the par-5 16th hole. NBC, the network airing the tournament, was amid a commercial break and returned in the middle of a chip from Henley that rolled in for eagle.

Both players would go on to par the final two holes, which meant that Henley’s eagle served as the pivotal moment. He took a one-shot lead then, and ultimately did not relinquish it.

It is not hyperbolic to say that this chip in was the most crucial shot authored throughout the entire tournament. NBC missing it, even partly, was a big deal and did nothing to calm the idea that television partners are not catering to golf fans.

Television comes with commercials and that is an understood part of the deal. We all get that.

But consider that ahead of this week’s action, the API was specifically hyped up to be airing fewer commercials than in the past. The ultimate irony is that the tournament’s most pivotal shot was stepped on by… a commercial.

Let golf fans watch important golf being played. This is all we are asking for.