‘I Would Imagine Fans Have Fatigue’: Max Homa Joins Rory McIlroy In Voicing Concerns Over LIV Golf’s Impact On The PGA Tour’s Viewership

Max Homa didn’t hold himself back after he joined fellow PGA Tour pro Rory McIlroy in commenting on the fall in the TV viewership of the PGA Tour events, resulting from its feud with LIV Golf. The decrease in viewership was most evident at the Masters last weekend, which saw a drop of 20 percent compared to the previous year. This is a huge concern as the Masters tournament is the biggest golf event of the year, with millions of fans tuning in to watch, especially the final round of the major. And this fall isn’t limited to the majors. 

According to reports, there was a visible 35 percent drop in viewership during the Phoenix Open, a 15 percent drop during the PGA Tour’s signature event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and a 10 percent fall during the Players Championship, often labeled as the unofficial fifth major. Reflecting on the scenario, Max Homa expressed how fans got disengaged from the sport owing to the financial battle going on between the management of the two Tours. He said in an interview,

“I’ve actually been pretty amazed this year with the fatigue I have from all of this garbage going on…The Masters was incredible. Bay Hill was awesome. The Players was awesome. All these events I’ve been to have been great. Today was incredible how many people were out there for a Wednesday, yet on the internet and what I’m seeing with those numbers and all that, it does seem like yeah, I would imagine fans have fatigue.”

The six-time PGA Tour winner stressed that the fans were fatigued and were least interested in how much money the PGA Tour pros made.

“They probably should have fatigue. I don’t know why they’d want to care about how much money we’re making and how much more money we want to make. It’s quite nauseating.”

Homa also reiterated that only the golfers have benefited from this money-minded approach to the sport. Golf has lost the trust of its fans during the entire chaos.

In the past, Max Homa also mocked Anthony Kim for joining LIV Golf for money, and now he took a jibe at the LIV fraternity for the PGA Tour’s viewership problem. This wasn’t the first time someone voiced their notions on the viewership, Rory McIlroy did the same in the past.

When Rory McIlroy Raised Concerns Over PGA Tour Viewership 

Rory McIlroy underlined that the LIV-PGAT fight has been taking a toll on the viewership, affecting the fan experience.

“If you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they’re down 20 per cent across the board…That’s a fifth. That’s big. I would say the numbers on LIV aren’t great either in terms of the people tuning in. I just think with the fighting and everything that’s gone on over the past couple of years, people are just getting fatigued” 

He also exclaimed that people turning away from the sport wasn’t healthy for its future. But Rory had high hopes for the majors.  But looking at the numbers from the Masters, there seems to be a loss of trust in these tournaments as well.

Given the situation of professional golf, if a resolution is not found in the upcoming months, the golf world will head towards dark days. Only a merger to unify both circuits can work out as a solution to gain back the trust and interest of fans in the long run.

About the author

Suchita Chakraborty

Suchita Chakraborty is a senior golf writer at The SportsRush. She did her post-graduation at St. Xavier's University. For a year now, she has developed a riveting inclination toward golf, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being her top-tier motivational figures to indulge in the sport. She even lives by the words of the Hall of Famer, "You can always become better", which impels her to excel every day. Her strong suit in golf is covering the LPGA Tour, especially the nooks and crannies of the international event, the Solheim Cup. As a pastime amusement, Suchita also engages herself in reading about golf controversies. Her favorite pick is ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, which covers the PGA-LIV beef.

Read More