KK: Well, I feel like everybody is the media, right, because everybody is so self-serving on social media that they’re trying to promote themselves through all avenues, so isn’t everybody a part of the media anymore that is trying to advertise or talk about themselves? I think it’s a very interesting question because you can pretty much control your own narrative through your own channels if you want to. I think we’re all part of it. Like 10 years ago, I felt like if I wanted to say something, I would have to call you, right? I don’t look at you anymore thinking, I need you on my team to help me get out my story. I think we all work together to try to tell the people who you truly are.
GWK: It’s certainly changed. I’m just curious, where do you draw the line?
KK: The way I’ve always looked at it is I’ve used the podcast and people’s channels as kind of my off-the-cuff stuff and I use the print journalists as more my professional stuff. I don’t know if that’s right or wrong or how you rate that. But if somebody really wants to see what I’m like off the golf course hanging out at home, I try to do that podcast. But if people want to see who I am with my sponsors and the things I’m trying to promote professionally, then I try to use my print media friends for that.
GWK: Have you seen the younger players want to control their message more?
KK: I think there’s too much agent involvement in the younger players. Guys are playing for so much money that they don’t know how to do things on their own as much as they used to.
GWK: Do you think pro golfers understand the importance of non-biased press?
KK: I don’t know, that’s a good question. Probably not the young guys at all, right? I would say they don’t understand the Golfweek articles and the other types of articles that are out there are helping them promote their brands and why they’re there, when they think, I can just go write it on X or put it on Instagram.
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Spanish