PGA Tour announcer aims brutal dig at LIV Golf | Golf News

The debut FOX Sports broadcast of LIV Golf was mocked by PGA Tour announcer Colt Knost, who took a second during a reside CBS Sports broadcast to focus on their dismal viewership.

Knost, a former PGA Tour participant himself, not too long ago joined CBS as an on-course commentator for the WM Phoenix Open, generally referred to as ‘The People’s Open’.

The occasion is legendary for its vigorous spectators, significantly across the famed sixteenth gap Coliseum. On Saturday, because the CBS cameras captured the throng at the sixteenth gap, he quipped: “Around 24,000 circled around the coliseum here. That’s 12,000 times two if my math is right.”

The comment served as a delicate jab at the mere 12,000 average viewers tuning into the initial FOX broadcast of LIV Golf.

While negotiations proceed concerning a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, with latest cordiality marking the management interactions, the strain amongst gamers and followers persists. Expectations are that the re-election of President Donald Trump would possibly hasten these discussions.

Despite challenges, LIV Golf has actively sought higher visibility, securing a TV settlement with FOX Sports domestically and ITV abroad. Their efforts included adjusting the schedule of LIV Golf Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to higher go well with U.S. viewers, with its first spherical being televised on FOX Sports 2 this previous Thursday.

The match kicked off at 6:15 pm native time, inserting the printed within the late morning by way of afternoon slots within the United States. Despite the pleasant airtime, FOX solely managed to attract an average of 12,000 viewers.

This was a stark distinction from CBS’s latest success with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am remaining spherical, which drew an spectacular average of 3.3 million viewers, buoyed by Rory McIlroy’s win – marking the occasion’s highest remaining spherical viewership since final March and the best for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am since 2021.

At its peak, 4 million tuned in to witness McIlroy secure his twenty seventh PGA Tour victory. These numbers signal a sturdy starting to 2025 for the PGA Tour following a viewership dip final yr.

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As the PGA Tour continues to operate independently from LIV Golf, followers are left unsure in regards to the future of skilled golf. Tiger Woods, in the meantime, has been at the forefront of talks with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Public Investment Fund and chairman of LIV, with insiders suggesting a decision could also be on the horizon.

In a noteworthy development, the PGA Tour has shared that President Trump will play a function in upcoming discussions, expressing optimism concerning potential Saudi investment. “We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and longtime support of the game of golf,” the PGA Tour outlined in a assertion.

“We asked the president to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.”