Did Greg Norman’s Efforts to Humiliate Jay Monahan’s PGA Tour Backfire? Golf World Gives Their Verdict

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have been arch-rivals since the dawn of time. Well, at least since the dawn of the Greg Norman-led side. Regardless, the two have been ramming heads together for the past three years. Whether it’s the classic money talk or the viewership woes that have plagued both, however, as the veteran Tour in the golf world, the PGA Tour arguably always has the upper hand.

People are more reluctant to watch LIV Golf events, but on the other hand, they would even watch a rerun of a previous round of the PGA Tour. The cancellation of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am final round earlier this year exemplified this. 3.21 million people watched the third-round replay, compared to the mere 432K who watched LIV Golf’s season opener in Mayakoba.

To change exactly that and attract viewers, the Greg Norman-led league has introduced a new feature called Any Shot Any Time live at LIV Golf Adelaide. The feature allows fans to tune in to the LIV Golf+ app and follow and watch any golfer’s “every single shot” live. Even though this aims to enhance the viewer’s experience and let fans follow their favorite golfer’s live and up close from start to finish, many in the community don’t see it that way.

While a few fans liked the introduction of the new feature, many more contrarily questioned LIV, taking shots at its coverage, which for them no new feature could change. They ridiculed the Saudi-backed league, making it clear that they believed LIV Golf would never one-up Monahan’s league, despite their arduous efforts.

Netizens indulge in a debate over Greg Norman-led LIV’s coverage 

Taking a direct shot at LIV Golf refusing to disclose the exact number of viewers they receive week-on-week, one user sarcastically took a jab at Norman’s League, stating that if LIV really believed their coverage could be improved or was better than the PGA Tour, things wouldn’t be so hush-hush. “LiV broadcast is so good that they don’t publish their ratings because they are so embarrassing.”

Another fan took the opportunity to let the new team know exactly why, despite all their efforts, their viewership would remain low. According to them, the limited field was the culprit. LIV has the same players playing all of their events; the field doesn’t change, and according to the fan, that was the issue. “US viewers want quality fields, not contrived team events with the same 48 players, many of whom are second-rate.”

It had been 3 years since LIV Golf came into existence, and yet people haven’t adjusted to the unique format yet (limited fields, no cuts, and 54 holes). In fact, one fan went so far as to call it a joke; clearly, they crave the 72-hole big-field format! “You turn the LIV broadcast on, and you just can’t take it serious.” Another too shared the same sentiment and suggested that LIV’s entrance into professional golf itself was unfortunate. “What a f**king disgrace we’ve turned the golf game into man.”

Interestingly, not everyone was against the new LIV Golf feature and its coverage. One user found bliss in the contrasting coverage of the PGA Tour and the Greg Norman-led league’s live streams. Unlike regular coverage that has only commentary, LIV has all payers miced up alongside the commentators inputs, and that seemed more freeing and wholesome for the fan. That, combined with the strong players, made it the perfect watch for them.

However, just when things looked good, there was another LIV Golf rebel who spoke against the PIF-backed league’s coverage. When talking about the Any Shot, Any Time feature, this fan stated that they had tried it and it was definitely not worth the hype. Dubbing it bug-ridden, they claimed that it didn’t show all the shots live, but some with a lag! Moreover, they highlighted that, due to the low cameras on the course, catching all the shots was impossible. “This feature is so glitchy and laggy that it ruins the viewer experience for someone who is trying to follow a group. Real bush league stuff. V frustrating. They only have a camera on tee boxes and greens so you can’t see any second shots on par 5’s.”

Another user pointed out that even the one selling the beer for $5 AUD at LIV Golf Adelaide was probably at a loss, just like the league itself. They called the broadcast “chaotic” but gave a thumbs up to the stats feature on the LIV Golf app. However, because of a lack of proper camera work, team camaraderie, and commentary, they declared it wasn’t for them. A battle won, but the war lost in this case!

The golf world undoubtedly seems split over whether LIV Golf has better coverage for its viewers or not! Perhaps with newer and more features, eventually there will be a definite answer, but for now, it’s still a big maybe!