Tiger Woods' ex-coach reacts to the Golf Channel showing a LIV Golf Leaderboard for the first time

Tiger Woods' former coach Hank Haney recently reacted to an unexpected change as Golf Channel, which has long been associated with the PGA Tour, displayed a LIV Golf leaderboard for the first time. Haney's reaction came amid an ongoing rivalry, where the Saudi-backed Tour has received minimal exposure to tournaments given the PGA Tour's influence over traditional golf media.

Haney took to X and reacted to a post by a popular handle PGA/LIV Hot Takes which broke the news that the Golf Channel was showing a LIV Golf leaderboard during coverage. Haney wrote:

"That’s a little change"

The rivalry started with the beginning of LIV Golf in 2021. The Saudi-funded league poached numerous PGA Tour players, giving them lucrative contracts which led to player suspensions and legal disputes, eventually harming PGA Tour's ratings.

Hank Haney, who coached Tiger Woods from 2004 to 2010, has been supportive of the LIV Golf. In a Hank Haney podcast in December, he talked about a Ryder Cup-style event between PGA Tour and LIV Golf players. He said (via Golfing Gazette):

"You know what that is? That’s a money maker; that’s what that is. Think about how much money the Ryder Cup makes. The stupid Presidents Cup makes money. What would LIV vs PGA Tour?"

He said a tournament like Ryder Cup can be lucrative for both the tours and earn up to $100 million. He said:

"That’s another match they could put together, and it’s got to be able to make $50 million, maybe it will make $100 million. It’s got to make a lot of money! A three day match, put something together, that is something that is very doable."

Haney said that if a new PGA Tour Enterprises is established with PIF owning 6%, their primary focus would be to make the business profitable. He said that the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf match must be the "first thing" on their priority list. He said it's inevitable and "great for golf." He said that his loyalty wasn't to either tour but to golf itself he wanted the game to thrive.

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Tiger Woods' ex-coach Hank Haney in awe of LIV Golf Adelaide's success

In a recent post on X, Tiger Woods' ex-coach Hank Haney expressed his astonishment over LIV Golf Adelaide. He quoted a video by golf account Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) showing a huge crowd at LIV Golf Adelaide and wrote:

"Kind of looks like this LIV event is a pretty big success."

In 2023, the event received around 77,000 fans while in 2024, attendance increased to 94,000 setting a new record, as per Sports Business Journal. In 2025, more than 90,000 tickets have been sold and around 100,000 fans are expected to attend the event, as per the Government of South Australia.

Talking about the 2025 event, Premier Peter Malinauskas said:

"2025 is bigger and better - and more people can be part of what is now a bucket-list event for any sports or events fan."

"The buzz around this event cannot be overstated, and it means South Australia is being seen and talked about not just here in Australia, but across the world - and that is the true value of delivering the World's Best Golf event," he added.

LIV Golf Adelaide is currently being held at the Grange Golf Club from Friday, February 14 to Sunday, February 16.