Golf, apart from having competition on the field, also has been having a long conflict away from the field between the two leagues. The disagreement between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour has made it difficult for the fans and players. With restrictions on players and limited opportunities, the overall experience for the fans is being hampered. However, irrespective of the conflict, both leagues are part of the comparison to determine which league is performing better.

When LIV Golf was formed, things were different and no one expected it to be the biggest competitor of the PGA Tour. However, now after 3 years and having some of the biggest golfers in the league like Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, and many others. It has been the topic of talk for everyone. With each passing year, LIV Golf has overcome many hurdles which include generating revenue after offering grand contracts to mainstream players. Though with new partnerships and sponsorship opportunities, the Saudi-backed league has found its path to sustain the competition.

Now with both the leagues having a huge audience, they have to adopt new strategies to increase visibility and coverage of the events. Social media is the best medium to utilize and reach out to the masses. In the past, many professional golfers have chosen part-time influencing. Fans love to see their favorite stars away from the field preparing for the events. However, with the increasing trend of social media, golfers have chosen their part-time path of showing their life beyond the greens on these platforms. Bryson DeChambeau is the foremost example due to his YouTube channel. But what about LIV Golf and the PGA Tour? Are the two leagues focusing enough on social media to increase visibility? Let’s check whether both the leagues have changed their strategy along with the changing trend of the internet.

Players and Influencers’ freedom for social media engagement by LIV Golf and PGA Tour

As stated, professionals choosing part-time influencing on social media is a trend and it is getting bigger among the fans to connect better with their favorite players and understand what goes into the life of a professional golfer. On one side, LIV Golf has no restriction on covering and shooting for social media. However, on the other side, the PGA Tour has many restrictions with it. There have been many instances where influencers and players were not allowed to record or be a part of social media posts. One of the major incidents that got the spotlight was of Rory McIlroy, who kept his persistent approach to play with the LIV Golfer for “The Showdown vs. LIV Golfers Brooks & Bryson.” Initially, he was not allowed for it, but his persistent way helped him get the media release to play.

The restriction showcases a lack of freedom for influencers or players to be a part of any video or create any with another league as well.

The social media presence of both leagues

Other than just allowing the events to be covered and players to be part of the video with different league players, there are a lot of restrictions. But that is not all where the PGA Tour has fallen behind. In the past, the PGA event was questioned by fans for not sharing updates of it. The PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry was live but the official page of the PGA Tour has not updated any post related to that particular event. Fans seemed angry with no update even after Corey Shaun’s exceptional performance during the first round.

On the other side, LIV Golf has been very active with social media updates. There hasn’t been any issue from the fans to witness the coverage of their events on social media.

Dedicated partnership for better social media engagement and coverage

As mentioned and followed by many professional golfers, the social media game has been a major factor in reaching out to the fans. This becomes a great opportunity for the leagues to create a partnership with golf influencers and expand their visibility. However, in this case, the PGA Tour has been a step ahead as compared to LIV Golf. The recent initiatives of the PGA Tour resulted in the creation of a dedicated ‘Creator Council’ where brands and influencers will be members of it.

As per the partnership, influencers will get media passes to cover the events. Other than this, they will be included in the discussions to create better opportunities for the events to overcome shortcomings. However, LIV Golf apart from offering the freedom has not partnered with any influencer or brand to improve the league’s online presence till now.

In comparison, LIV Golf has been the leader in the social media game, but with the new initiative, the future of the PGA Tour looks bright. The creator council will be a great opportunity for everyone including the fans to get coverage of the game from inside the ropes. But, we will have to wait a little to see how influencers get to use their membership with the PGA Tour. What are your thoughts on the social media game of both leagues? Which league’s social media platform do you follow? Let us know your pick in the comments section.