2026 New Mexico Open will have an AI presence
This year’s golf tournament could be the first professional event to feature an AI broadcaster.
ELEPHANT BUTTE, N.M. —
History could be in the making at the 2026 New Mexico Open. The popular event could become the first golf tournament to feature an AI broadcast personality that will interact with human hosts during live coverage.
Gopher Hole Productions created an artificial intelligence broadcast personality, Duff Foreman, who will join Notah Begay III and Ryan Burr, on-camera, throughout the tournament. Foreman was designed to engage in live, unscripted discussion at the event.
“Working with Notah is a genuine honor,” Foreman said. “The guy’s a four-time PGA Tour winner, shot 59 on the (Nike) Tour Dominion, played the Presidents Cup and he’s a New Mexico kid. This is his backyard and that’s the magic of the pairing.”
This year’s event is expected to attract PGA professionals and amateurs from across the country. It’s also expected to be one of the top four paying State Opens nationwide. And Duff Foreman will break everything down, from putting to swing analysis.
“Notah brings the lived experience – what it feels like standing on 18 with a one-shot lead, I bring the measured layer,” says Foreman. “Human ceiling meets machine floor. He’s felt it, I’ve measured it. And the viewer gets both.”
The New Mexico Open will be held September 14-16 at Turtleback Mountain Golf and Resort in Elephant Butte. The prize purse is $137,000, which includes a $30,000 check for the winner. Admission is free.
