LIV Golf has used the start of its Mexico broadcast to slam the “absolute nonsense” written by “fast typists” about the future of the rebel league.
But on a day would have desperately wanted to put it’s best foot forward, it barely put anything forward at all.
The broadcast was offline for more than two hours, with a “severe local power outage” eventually blamed. It was the second time this week a power outage was blamed for technical gremlins.
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On Thursday morning (AEST), reports emerged the league was on the brink of collapse as the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund prepared to pull the pin on funding.
Bryson DeChambeau in Mexico City. Getty
In an email to staff, LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil said the tour was “100 per cent funded” until the end of the year, but made no mention of 2027 or beyond. Earlier this year, he said the league was funded until the end of 2031.
A line telling staff they “mattered”, rather than “matter”, also got tongues wagging.
At the top of the broadcast of this weekend’s LIV event in Mexico City, commentator Arlo White was the first to address the reports.
“We’re delighted to report that the reports of the imminent demise of the LIV Golf league were, in fact, greatly exaggerated,” he said.
“I had a good chat with LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil in the last hour – he was very confident, very bullish about the future of the LIV Golf league.”
When he got his turn, veteran golf commentator David Feherty, who was one of the most high-profile non-playing signings LIV made, didn’t hold back.
“I’ve been in the professional game for 50 years now and I don’t think I’ve ever had two or three days where there was more absolute nonsense spread out,” Feherty said.
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“There are still some writers and broadcasters that take pride in their work, but this generation has spawned a bunch of fast typists that consider themselves to be experts, and evidently they’re not.”
White then added it: “It must be exhausting trying to will the LIV Golf League out of existence”.
Aussie Cameron Smith in action during the first round of LIV Golf Mexico City. Getty
“Take a day off everybody and enjoy the golf,” he said.
But if LIV bosses were hoping that would be the end of the problems, they were in for a rude shock. News also emerged on Friday morning (AEST) the league was facing a lawsuit in the UK.
LIV is reportedly being sued by it’s predecessor Premier Golf League. The PGL was put forward in 2019, and held talks with Saudi investors.
The lawsuit alleges the Saudi’s instead took the idea for their own and founded LIV.
Sky Sports UK reported the lawsuit had been filed in the London Commercial Court, and named the Public Investment Fund, Golf Saudi, various LIV Golf entities and two individuals.
Joaquin Niemann then got the tournament off to the perfect start with a hole-in-one on the par-3 fourth – his first hole of the day in the shotgun start format.
But it wasn’t long before the problems started. Viewers around the world were shown a blank screen with the simple message “Please stand by: technical issues”. Aussies watching on Channel 7 were shown a replay of the Adelaide LIV event.
Arlo blamed a “severe local power outage” when the broadcast resumed, and hoped for no further issues “if the gremlins stay away”.
A power outage was blamed for the cancellation of the usual pre-tournament press conference LIV bosses and key players were scheduled to appear at. The press conference was scheduled for the hours after the initial news reports broke.