CW broadcast of Brooks Koepka-Jon Rahm duel at LIV Greenbrier beat out by … pickleball?
On Sunday, Brooks Koepka, a five-time major champion, and Jon Rahm, a two-time major champion, engaged in a sudden-death contest with a prize of $4 million at stake. In an alternate scenario where both players were still competing on the PGA Tour, this matchup would have been a highly anticipated event. However, in reality, it resembled the pro golf equivalent of a tree falling silently in the Amazon rainforest.
Despite the initial excitement surrounding the new league and the seemingly boundless financial backing from the Saudi Private Investment Fund, LIV Golf—where both Koepka and Rahm currently compete—has not resonated with golf enthusiasts. This was starkly illustrated by the television ratings from Sunday, where a high-stakes confrontation between two of the league’s prominent figures was significantly outperformed by midday pickleball.
It is essential to recognize that these ratings reflect only the television audience and do not include streaming data (the same applies to the PPA). Additionally, it is noteworthy that the final round of the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship—featuring notable players such as Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Viktor Hovland—experienced a decline in viewership from 3.2 million in 2023 to 2.2 million in 2024. Nevertheless, this should raise concerns for LIV Golf, which has struggled to gain a solid fan base over three complete seasons of competition.
In December, when Rahm—one of the participants in Sunday’s playoff—made his unexpected transition to LIV Golf, it appeared that the league was gaining significant momentum. A potential agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF seemed imminent, especially with prominent players such as Koepka, Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau now part of LIV’s roster. However, despite DeChambeau’s impressive performances during the summer in major tournaments and on YouTube, the star power has not effectively translated into broader appeal, diminishing LIV’s negotiating leverage with each tournament that unfolds.
As we approach the fourth year, it remains to be seen if this situation will change. Should LIV fail to enhance its connection with fans, it is possible that Sheikh Mansour may consider investing in pickleball instead.
