Legendary commentator Jim Nantz takes aim at LIV Golf during PGA Championship
America's voice of sports Jim Nantz poked fun at LIV Golf while he was in the commentary booth for the PGA Championship.
The world's best golfers have descended upon Rochester, New York for the second major championship of the year at Oak Hill Country Club, and it is one of a handful of events on the calendar when players from the PGA Tour and the breakaway Saudi-backed LIV compete together.
LIV member Bryson Dechambeau was the leader after Thursday's round one, but Nantz could not resist making a jibe about the rival tour during a commentary stint with two-time major champion Dustin Johnson stepping up to the tee.
"Not sure if you had a chance to see it, but he was a winner last week in Tulsa in a playoff over Cam Smith and Branden Grace," Nantz said, referencing an embarrassing moment at the LIV Golf Invitational Tulsa last weekend.
A thrilling finish was on the cards in the third and final round at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Oklahoma on Sunday with Johnson – one of LIV's biggest stars – duelling with reigning Open champion Smith and South African Grace for the $4million (£3.2m) top prize.
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The trio finished tied at 17 under par after a clutch birdie from Johnson on the 18th, and he repeated the trick at the first playoff hole to clinch his second LIV title, taking his earnings since he joined the tour last year past the $40m (£32m) mark.
However, many viewers in the United States were unable to see the winning moment on TV after LIV's broadcast partner The CW cut short coverage in many markets with four holes to play.
What made the decision so peculiar was what was shown instead of the thrilling climax at Cedar Ridge. Sitcom The Goldbergs was shown in some regions, while Frank Buckley Interviews, Penn & Teller: Fool Us and even an infomercial for a skincare product were shown elsewhere.
Dustin Johnson finished at -3 after the first day of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill on Thursday. (David Cannon/Getty Images)Perhaps most embarrassingly for LIV, even the Tulsa-based affiliate for The CW, KQCW, did not show the conclusion of the tournament on TV, with an episode of The Neighborhood taking priority.
Instead, viewers were urged to turn to The CW's app or website to tune in to see the remaining holes.
Broadcasting has been a significant issue for Saudi-funded LIV since it launched in 2022, with Greg Norman fronting the operation as commissioner. It was unable to secure a TV deal during its first season, meaning tournaments were streamed for free on its YouTube channel.
A deal with The CW in its second year gave LIV a foothold on American TV, but thus far it has been unable to secure an agreement with a big-name outlet like NBC, EPSN or CBS, all of which have deals with the PGA Tour.
Despite attracting huge names like Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, LIV remains without a broadcast partner in the UK.
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