Talk about a swing and a miss! Golf’s latest numbers of the weekend are in, and they’re raising eyebrows across the sport. It seems that even the biggest names in golf can’t guarantee a crowd. Or can they? The truth is surprising, and it’s leaving some of golf’s biggest stars wondering what’s going wrong. Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour may have reason to smile now as Greg Norman’s league’s numbers are not good.

It looks like LIV Golf’s latest numbers are getting outpaced by an unexpected rival, and you won’t believe what’s drawing more fans—pickleball! Yes! In the latest revelation on their X handle, Sports TV Ratings shared LIV Golf Greenbrier’s viewership numbers. As per ratings, LIV Golf’s latest event at the Greenbrier failed to impress, drawing a minimal 136,000 viewers on Saturday and 165,000 on Sunday on the CW. 

But here’s the kicker: those numbers were crushed by the Pro Pickleball Association’s Bristol Open. The sport drew a whopping 295,000 viewers on Fox on Sunday. Yes, you read that right—pickleball outdrew LIV Golf, leaving big-name stars like Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm wondering what went wrong. The two golfers engaged in a thrilling play-off on the final day which Koepka ultimately won but it was not enough to impress the audience. 

However, both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are feeling the pinch. PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship became the victim too. Despite Hideki Matsuyama’s electrifying win at the first playoff, TV ratings saw a staggering decline in viewership. The event saw a whopping 1 million decline in fans who turned on their TV, compared to last year’s. 

Moreover, its final round on NBC drew a disappointing 2.2 million viewers, a significant drop from the 3.2 million who watched Lucas Glover’s win in 2023 on CBS. Since the golf divide, this has been a regular concern, as loyalties toward players have changed the viewer’s base too. 

Now, coming to the present scenario, golf fans have taken to social media to express their thoughts on the ratings debacle. 

Greg Norman led LIV Golf rating woes spark online backlash

An X user summed up the general sentiment, he commented, “No one cares about LIV golf. But ratings don’t matter to LIV, they got that sweet Saudi blood money to carry them.” His sentiment echoes the concerns about LIV Golf’s funding and its impact on the sport. With reportedly massive player contracts and a $2 billion investment from Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf seems to operate on a different metric than traditional viewership numbers.

The stark contrast in viewership numbers has many questioning the narrative that the split in golf will benefit the game. “Memphis Fed Ex viewers down a million this year compared to last. LIV golf having its 2 biggest stars in a playoff gets 165k viewers. But please keep telling me how the split in golf is going to benefit the game” a golf enthusiast asked on social media. His sentiment shows that it’s clear that the division is hurting viewership and fragmenting the fanbase. 

Another enthusiast chimed in, targeting LIV Golf’s attempts to attract fans with unconventional features. He said, “So the shorts, jugglers and loud music aren’t enough?” highlighting the Saudi league’s failure to gather viewership. LIV is known for its extravagant music and party-type feel, with music on the course, 54-hole events, and team components, differing from the traditional PGA Tour format, but still failing to draw significant viewership.

A golf viewer shared his honest opinion, he noted, “I tried watching it and it’s just not a good product for TV. I am sure live it is awesome with tunes pumping and a big party, but the background noise and the busy graphics are a pure nuisance. Not a product for TV@livgolf_league #golf”. He was more concerned about the disconnect between LIV Golf’s live event experience and TV broadcast. The comment underscores how the very elements meant to enhance the live experience, such as loud music and dynamic graphics. But it rather made it difficult for the league to resonate with a broader audience. Can take the example of Jon Rahm’s eye-to-eye feud with a heckler when he was trying to take a shot at the LIV Golf UK.

A commenter quipped, “Hell yeah pickleball!”, sarcastically suggesting that the rapidly growing sport has become more appealing than golf, implying that the sport has lost its luster amidst the golf split. And its 295,000 viewership adds to the current state of golf as a sport.

How do you see these LIV Golf’s woes impacting the future of professional golf? Will the rival leagues find a balance to sort out their differences and merge? Tell us in the comments section below.