Once seen as a new world of golf, LIV Golf has found itself in trouble amid dwindling viewership and sponsor defections.

LIV Golf was created in 2021 with the goal of challenging the PGA Tour and introducing a new and more modern format to golf. The focus of the league is mainly on the players. This includes higher payouts, a more flexible schedule, and a team-based competition format.

“LIV” stands for the Roman numeral 54, which represents the number of holes played per tournament. (Traditional PGA tournaments have 72 holes.)

However, there has been backlash from LIV golfers saying that the schedule and lifestyle are harsh and tiring. LIV initially offered fewer events compared to other tours, such as the PGA. However, LIV tournaments are often spaced closely together and require traveling to many different countries, sometimes overseas. This has led to less time for recovery and has affected the games of many players.

In addition, the higher frequencies of play and global events take a heavy toll on the physical and mental health of the players.

Since its first tournament in 2022, LIV Golf’s revenue and viewership have declined, prompting concerns about its longevity.

One of the main factors contributing to LIV’s failure is that tournament purses are significantly larger than those on the PGA Tour. The average LIV golf purse is $25 million, whereas the PGA Tour has an average purse of $8-10 million.

On the surface, LIV’s purses appear to be a good thing because the stakes seem higher, and the player payouts are grander; however, the public perception has been a problem because many golf fans see LIV Golf as a “money grab.”

One prime example of a player who decided to grab the LIV money is Patrick Reed.

While playing on the PGA Tour, Reed had 272 starts, earning a total of $38,152,515. While playing on LIV, Reed has already earned $37,489,509 in just 47 events.

The fact that players are getting paid a lot more, combined with the fact that ratings are down, brings up the question of financial sustainability. In 2022, the LIV season reportedly cost approximately $784 million.

This is problematic because LIV only generated $81 million in revenue in 2023. 

Saint Paul’s sophomore star golfer, Rylan Hess, is among many who continue to wonder about the league’s long-term success. 

“Without Saudi Arabia’s funding, LIV golf wouldn’t be able to pay the players this type of money. Additionally, LIV Golf’s revenue isn’t enough to be stable, which makes you wonder how long they can keep going as they continue to produce underwhelming amounts of money,” Hess said. In other words, the Saudi Arabian fund can be abundant, but operating at such a massive loss each year would deter even the wealthiest.

Hess’s mention of Saudi Arabian funding highlights a major point of contention for many golf fans. “The source of LIV’s funding is concerning,” Hess states.

The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the primary source of financing for LIV Golf. Many fans are suspicious of Saudi Arabia, believing it is only funding to improve its reputation in the United States.

Most golfers believe that when LIV offers obscene amounts of money to players, it undermines the accomplishment of the game and detracts from competition. A competitive environment is paramount for a golf league because it gives viewers recognizable players to root for, rather than watching players they’ve never heard of before. 

Saint Paul’s junior Ethan Cocus claims that LIV Golf’s lack of competitive environment is eroding the spirit of the sport. “I have hardly heard of any of the players on the LIV Golf. It really takes away the tension and the fun in watching the game when you don’t know anybody… It’s costing them heavily,” Cocus said.

Fans like Cocus believe that LIV dangled unbelievable amounts of money to players, and whether the players “selling out” was justified or not, the player pool of the world’s top golfers has been divided, resulting in fewer stars and less competition on the PGA Tour.

“The whole sport seems watered down now,” Cocus argues.

Proof of this underwhelming competitive environment is shown by the fact that the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) pushes back against LIV golfers because LIV Golf tournaments aren’t seen as competitive enough to count toward standings.

The OWGR is a primary system for players to qualify for numerous tournaments, which can lead to increased sponsorships and endorsements. The PGA holds four major tournaments each year, and many LIV golfers believe that they should be able to play in them. However, due to the OWGR rules, they don’t even get the chance.

John Rahm, a two-time major championship winner, believes that many LIV golfers are good enough to compete in the majors but are unable to do so due to the rules of the OWGR.

“At this point, to not give LIV world ranking points and the credibility it deserves, I think is wrong. I understand we’ve all made a decision, and it’s not as easy as it sounds, but to say that LIV players don’t deserve some spots in major championships, I think, is wrong, and I hope that evolves into what it should be, right?” Rahm argued.

The OWGR reasoned that players should not receive ranking points for LIV tournaments due to the league’s lack of promotions and stated that it isn’t similar enough to traditional tours.

It’s true: the format of LIV Golf has its differences, and this has also sparked controversy.

For starters, the entire vibe of golf changes when fans enter a LIV Golf tournament. Music playing and boisterous fans while players are on the course are normal on the tour and are quite different from the silent, tense atmosphere of the PGA Tour.

Additionally, LIV Golf tournaments consist of only 54 holes. This is a significant development because the traditional golf tournament consists of 72 holes, and the PGA Tour has implemented this format since 1958.

In fact, 29-time PGA Tour winner Rory McIlroy was seen mocking LIV’s 54-hole format.

“The 70th hole is a nice time to take the lead of a golf tournament … or the 52nd if you play somewhere else,” McIlroy told Sports Illustrated.

Due to the circumstances, all LIV golfers “make the cut” every tournament and get to play the whole weekend. While this sounds nice in theory, it takes away fan engagement, player incentives, the integrity of the tournament, and creates a lack of competitive pressure.

The format also consists of 12 teams, each with four players, and two “wild card” spots for players who haven’t been assigned to a team.

During the season, the top three scores are combined to form a team score. Once the season is complete, the best teams participate in a team championship, where stroke and match-play games are played to determine the overall team champion.

This can make the viewer feel like they are watching a game show rather than a professional golf tournament.

For these reasons, the once-considered “new world of golf” hasn’t exactly been a hole-in-one, and the league has been rough on both avid and casual golf fans alike.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: (David Rumsey/ Front Office Sports)