Anti-LIV Golf or pro-LIV Golf? Survey reveals golf fans’ ‘real’ reaction to the rebel series

The highly controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series is nearing the end of its inaugural season, with the last and final team championships to resume on October 30, 2022.

From the start, the league has been a hot topic for its heavy signing amounts, its unique league format, a whopping prize money purse, and not to forget, the competition it offers to the prestigious PGA Tour.

There is constant debate on the pros and cons of this newly formed league. However, Golf Datatech, a research firm focused on the golf industry, recently conducted a survey of serious golfers to learn about their attitude towards the 54-hole league. Their research shows that golfers are not positive about the league's popularity.

According to the survey, serious golfers are not happy with what the league has produced so far, considering the league's broadcast strategy.

The strategy says:

“Due to very limited distribution of viewing of their events through YouTube and the LIV website, very few golfers have seen or experienced the LIV product."

The survey adds:

“In‐person attendance at LIV events has been limited, so real experiences with the properties, either via being at an event or watching it on television, has been minimal. Until LIV can generate broader exposure, they will not be able to change many hearts and minds."

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Anti-LIV Golf contingency outnumbers the pro-LIV group by a two-to-one margin

The survey also found that anti-LIV golf fans outnumbered the pro-LIV group by almost a double margin(2:1). The pro-LIV group mostly consists of the open-minded younger generation, but their support is not enough to fill the gap.

However, there are variations in support of new concepts in the league, like shotgun starts and loud music. However, the team championships featuring a heavy prize money purse are not widely accepted as expected.

According to the survey, less than half of the pro-LIV group have embraced the team championships. This may be because the concept is still new and team identities will take time. LIV Golf is doing its best to come up to par with the world golf circuit, but a lot of work needs to be done for fans.

Previously, Golf Datatech conducted a survey on whether people found the LIV idea to be good or bad. According to the survey, 23% of respondents believe LIV Golf is a "good" idea, down from 27% in a previous iteration of its polling. In addition, 58% believe LIV is a "bad" or "very bad" idea, up from 50%.

However, the majority of the respondents polled by Golf Datatech (66%) agree that they "don't like that Saudi money is funding" LIV Golf.

Another poll conducted for the Americans by the Harris Poll in June with around 1000 respondents It revealed that 35% of US adults were familiar with the series, compared to 80% who were familiar with the PGA Tour.

LIV Golf guarantees payments to all players, as opposed to the PGA Tour, which only pays its top competitors. This practice was supported by 25% of the respondents. However, more than half of US adults (54%) claim that the funding source does not impact their decision to watch the league.

Overall, the LIV Golf Invitational Series has gone under extreme scrutiny and only time will show how successful or unsuccessful the Saudi-backed series will prove to be.