The LIV Golf Broadcast team (L-R); Jerry Foltz, Troy Mullins, David Feherty, Su-Ann Heng, Dom Boulet and Arlo White at the El Camaleón Golf Course on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Photo: Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)
Friday’s first rounds in 2023 weren’t on television and could only be streamed. International events on a tape delay make for a bad look, especially when compared to live events in the same time window. With six domestic events and eight around the world planned for 2024, LIV’s small following of dedicated fans in its biggest market will know the outcome hours before the event airs. The playoff in Jeddah last year between Talor Gooch and Brooks Koepka should’ve been must-see TV. For a league struggling to lock in fans on a consistent basis, that’s a glaring weakness that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Now for the talent. This reporter can be prone to hyperbole at times and knows live television isn’t easy. However, the constant over-the-top expressions to manufacture hype and drum up interest are disingenuous to those watching. On Saturday during the Team Championship, within a matter of an hour, Jerry Foltz said Phil Mickelson was playing 39-year-old Dustin Johnson in his prime as if it was 2019 again and Arlo White said the 4Aces GC and HyFlyers GC match was “box office” no less than three times.
White has improved as a golf broadcaster after an extremely successful career as the lead voice for NBC’s soccer coverage. David Feherty is David Feherty, you know what you’re getting each round. But on-course reporters Dom Boulet, Troy Mullins and Su-Ann Heng leave something to be desired. Analysts should provide color and teach viewers something about what’s happening, and LIV’s staff lacks in that department. Yes, it’s only two years in, but this crew should be much better by now. It might be time to look elsewhere.
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