“It’s a closed shop” - Nick Faldo calls LIV Golf a ‘meaningless’ tour
Sir Nick Faldo slammed LIV Golf on Thursday. Calling it a “meaningless tour,” the English golf legend said that the Saudi-backed series had become a “closed shop.”
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir, Faldo said that LIV wasn't ’growing' golf and it ‘gripes’ him. Slamming the controversial series, the six-time Major winner and recently retired broadcaster also said that the format of LIV sounded crazy.
Ripping the controversial series, Nick Faldo said:
“Their tour is meaningless. It really is. It’s a closed shop… And what gripes me is, it’s not growing the game of golf. That really gets me when they fly across the world, and they suddenly say, oh, we’re growing the game of golf, to a country that’s been playing the game of golf for 100-plus years.”
It is pertinent to note that Faldo’s comments come as the PGA Tour and LIV Golf fight continues to rage. However, this isn’t the first time the retired golfer has ripped into the controversial series. The recently retired broadcaster had earlier given his two cents on the PGA-LIV fight while commentating on the Canadian Open. Addressing the two sides of the fight at the time, the Englishman had said that they were “two totally different golf tournaments” compared.
“They’re done. Their tour is meaningless. Once you’ve decided to retire or disappear no one’s going to talk about you”.
Chatted to Sir Nick, who says LIV’s European contingent have burnt their bridges when it comes to ever being involved in Ryder Cup again skysports.com/share/12795513
The legendary golfer said:
“We’ve got two totally different golf tournaments. One, we play for tournaments and national championships over here. And the LIV Tour is what, 54 holes and no cut, shotgun start, you know, sounds crazy.”
Faldo also accused LIV Golf of luring middle-aged players with huge paychecks. He added:
“And the other thing that is very noticeable is the players that have left. Obviously, they’re in mid-40s, they’ve been out here on Tour, they’ve been battling away and they probably know they can’t win out here against these youngsters. So, they’re taking the easy option to go over and try and win a boatload of cash.”
Faldo also addressed LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman as well. In the interview, the Englishman ripped into the Aussie and said that the latter has “wrecked” his legacy by choosing to lead the controversial tour. Calling his longtime rival “a charismatic, exciting golfer,” Faldo said that Norman had made the wrong move.
Nick Faldo mocks LIV Golf's online streaming
Nick Faldo spoke about the Saudi-backed series’ inability to land a TV deal in its inaugural season. Dubbing it “embarrassing,” Faldo said that his ‘Faldo Series’ had more views than LIV Golf.
He said:
“And it’s pretty embarrassing that there’s nobody — at the end of the season, nobody was watching. Didn’t their numbers go down till they were — they’re streaming was like 17,000 people. So, in the whole world? We did a streaming thing for my Faldo Series — we put a camera on a par-3 — we got 100,000 people, you know, moms and dads and probably granny and grandads were watching their young lads or grandkids playing golf.
"We got 100,000 people watching the Faldo Series streaming. How about that? And they’re spending a fortune to get 17-odd-thousand people watching globally.”
Faldo’s comments on LIV Golf’s viewership came only weeks after Norman announced the tour’s broadcast deal for season two with the CW network.