Why LIV Golf Is Not Popular

Viewership Falls Behind Even the Solheim Cup, a Women's Golf Event
Glamorous on the Surface, but Reduced to an Exclusive Money Party
Competition Format Issues, No Emergence of New Faces
Few Tournaments and No Major Star Power

LIV Golf is still struggling to gain popularity. This is evident from the viewership ratings of the final event held last September. At that time, Jon Rahm (Spain), the world number one, won the tournament held in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He took home a total of $22.375 million (approximately 32.4 billion KRW), combining the winner's prize and the bonus for being the top in the prize money rankings. However, the TV broadcast ratings were disappointing. Only 89,000 households in the US watched, which was far behind the Solheim Cup, a women's golf competition between the US and Europe held the same day in Virginia, which had 657,000 households tuning in.

LIV Golf aimed to boost its popularity by recruiting Jon Rahm but did not achieve the expected results. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News

In the US, the men's PGA Tour records overwhelming viewership ratings, even surpassing the LPGA Tour. However, LIV Golf's ratings are even lower than those of the LPGA. This is a very unusual phenomenon in American professional sports, where men's events in the same sport typically have higher ratings than women's events. LIV Golf has been broadcast on the CW Network for the past two years but has struggled to secure viewership.

LIV Golf was launched in June 2022 under the leadership of "The Great White Shark" Greg Norman (Australia). Backed by Saudi Arabia's vast oil wealth, it recruited a large number of star players. Along with Jon Rahm, notable players such as Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Anthony Kim (all from the US), Cameron Smith (Australia), Paul Casey, Ian Poulter (both from England), Sergio Garcia (Spain), and Henrik Stenson (Sweden) joined, creating a star-studded lineup.

Greg Norman was a key figure in launching LIV Golf, but he stepped back to a secondary role this year as the merger process with the PGA Tour was delayed. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

Thanks to Saudi "oil money," LIV Golf appears glamorous and offers plenty of spectacle, but it has not translated into commercial success. Each tournament creates a festive atmosphere, but in reality, it is merely a party for players and insiders. Moreover, with the merger process with the PGA Tour delayed, LIV Golf removed Norman early this year and appointed American sports marketing expert Scott O'Neil as the new CEO.

One reason for LIV Golf's failure to attract fans is its competition format. The PGA Tour determines the winner by playing 72 holes over four days, whereas LIV Golf runs 54 holes over three days with no cut. This inevitably reduces tension. Additionally, LIV Golf features the same 54 players at every event, leaving little room for new drama as there is almost no player turnover. Since even the last-place finisher receives $50,000 (about 70 million KRW), the thrill of competition is diminished.

LIV Golf is aiming for a turnaround by recruiting sports marketing expert Scott O'Neill as its new CEO. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News Agency

The tournament operation is also confusing. While typical golf tournaments start at the 1st and 10th holes, LIV Golf adopts a "shotgun start" where rounds begin simultaneously at multiple holes. This is intended to have all players finish around the same time but results in a fragmented flow of play. Furthermore, with separate awards for team competitions, the format has become even more complicated. Ultimately, this structure makes it difficult for golf fans to easily embrace LIV Golf.

Golf is a sport where tradition and history are important. Each year, winning records accumulate, creating various stories. Examples include the record for most wins by "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods (USA) and Rory McIlroy's (Northern Ireland) pursuit of a career Grand Slam as world number two. However, LIV Golf has yet to overcome the limitations of a new tour and has not established deep roots. Articles mostly focus on the huge scouting fees, but it has failed to succeed in the US mainland market and is now turning its attention to the Asian market. Recruiting Jang Yoo-bin from the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour is part of this expansion strategy. Five of the 14 LIV Golf tournaments this year are held in Asia.

LIV Golf has signed Jang Yu-bin, who dominated the KPGA Tour, aiming to expand into the Asian market. Photo by Coupang Play

In contrast, the PGA Tour runs tournaments throughout the year. This year alone, there are 39 regular tournaments, including three FedEx Cup Playoff (PO) events. When major tournaments are held, regular tournaments also run concurrently, and after the PO, there is a fall series that includes seven regular tour events. Thanks to this, the PGA Tour maintains continuous interest from fans.

However, LIV Golf lacks continuity. The number of tournaments is far fewer compared to the PGA Tour, and after the Korean event in early May, there is a five-week gap. With this structure, it is inevitable that golf fans will lose interest.