CBS Boss: LIV Golfers Will Be Treated Equally to PGA Pros in Masters Coverage

With last week’s slight against LIV Golfers, who had previously won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, and Augusta National’s penchant for carefully controlling coverage of the Masters, it’s led many to wonder how those who have qualified for the first major of the year will fare in coverage of the big event next week.

To his end, CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus says that the league a golfer represents won’t matter within the confines of America’s most famous golf tournament.

McManus said on a Monday conference call discussing the tournament:

“We’re not going to cover up or hide anything. As I’ve said often, our job is to cover the golf tournament. We’re not going to show any different treatment for the golfers who have played on the LIV Tour than the other golfer. If there is a pertinent point or something that we feel we should bring up in our coverage Saturday or Sunday or on our other coverage throughout the week, we’re not going to put our heads in the sand.”

LIV pros not getting a fair shake is top of mind after Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson’s wins in the Match Play event were not included in a graphic on Saturday’s telecast that listed the most recent winners of the event. The exclusion was pretty much universally panned on social media.

Wonder why they’re doing this…
Showing the players names who won doesn’t effect anything… does it?

— Steve Elkington (@elkpga) March 25, 2023

Augusta National, of course, is not affiliated with any pro golf tour. They announced late last year that LIV Golf pros would be able to play if they met the eligibility requirements.

It sounds like that philosophy is how CBS will handle things as well.

McManus added:

“Unless it really affects the story that’s taking place on the golf course, we’re not going to go out of our way to cover it. I’m not sure there is anything that we could add to this story as it already exists. It’s a factor and we’ll cover it as suitable.”

CBS has live coverage of the third and fourth rounds of the event. ESPN handles first- and second-round coverage next Thursday and Friday.

Cover Image Via Golf.com