Richard Bland becomes candid about the ‘too loud’ music played at LIV Golf events - “I think they've toned it down a little bit”
LIV Golf has been largely criticized for its approach to golf ever since its inception. The background music at LIV events justified the Saudi-backed circuit’s ‘Golf but louder’ tagline. Now, Richard Bland has come out to reveal that the music was indeed “too loud” during the initial days.
Bland, who recently won the US Senior Open, noted that the circuit’s organizers seem to have “toned it down a little bit.” Furthermore, the 51-year-old Englishman claimed that the Greg Norman-led circuit is still “still evolving.” Bland admitted that he didn’t expect the LIV series to get things “right” from day one as it was a brand-new product.
The veteran golfer also lauded the series for “constantly asking feedback” from the players. He noted that it “doesn’t happen too often” on other tours like the DP World Tour.
Speaking about the ‘too loud’ music at LIV Golf events in an interview with Golf Monthly, Richard Bland said (at 26:50):
“I think they've toned it down a little bit. I think in 2022 it was probably a little too loud. But that's one of the things I love about LIV, they're still evolving. We knew it was never going to be right on day one… It's not even probably with PGA tour DP World, they've been going for decades and there's probably still stuff that they can change.
"They are still evolving as a tour and they always will. You have to evolve with the times. But the one thing I about LIV is that they're constantly asking feedback from the players, and this is not a criticism of DP world or any other tour that I've played on, that probably doesn't happen too much.”
Richard Bland details the ‘player-tour conversation’ at LIV Golf
Bland said that the LIV Golf management is actively listening to its players’ suggestions. The two-time PGA Champions Tour winner claimed that the players are subjected to a “midseason survey” every year for the improvement of the comparatively new series.
According to Bland, the loud music was toned down after receiving player feedback. However, he noted that the atmosphere at events like Australia remains loud, owing to the ‘fantastic’ party hole. The ace golfer noted that the Saudi circuit is “still trying to find where it's going to fit in the World of Golf.”
The LIV golfer noted that certain features of the series are for improving the ‘experience’ for fans watching from home. Bland said that his family ‘can just put the TV on watch a LIV event and they just watch me,’ thanks to the series’ broadcast setup.
The viewer can skip the players and shots they don’t wish to see unlike on the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour. He reiterated that the circuit is making things ‘better’ constantly.