PGA TOUR vs. LIV Golf ‘The Showdown’ Reports AWFUL Viewership – What Went Wrong?

The PGA TOUR vs. LIV Golf iteration of “The Showdown” reported absolutely awful viewership metrics for what should have been one of the most successful versions of the series. So what went wrong?

Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal reports that the event only managed to obtain about 625,000 viewers, a highly disappointing figure that puts it at the second-worst rating level in the history of the series.

So what went wrong? Is it truly a sign of the state of professional golf? Was it simply a sign that “The Showdown” is a dying event? 

Truth is, it is absolutely a combination of things, including a lack of promotion, a missed mark on interest from golf fans, and a disappointing event in every sense.

Promotional Mishap

LIV Golf did plenty of promotion for the event, recognizing that there were four players participating. The PGA TOUR had no interest in giving any publicity to the fact that Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, defectors of the PGA TOUR to LIV Golf, were playing.

This was a major drop of the ball by the PGA TOUR, in my opinion. Being petty enough to only mention the two players from your side is 1) a disservice to the event itself, 2) a disservice to professional golf in the sense that viewership is falling, and 3) a strange move considering it is currently in negotiations with LIV Golf’s financier to potentially end division in the sport.

Catch Scottie and Rory in .

Coverage begins tonight at 6 p.m. ET on TNT and Max. pic.twitter.com/8iLzAg7okJ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 17, 2024

From an ad perspective, the narrative of the event was all wrong. People have been talking for years about a Ryder Cup-style matchup between the TOUR and LIV. This was the first taste of that.

If it was done correctly and strategized as a tour vs. tour event, the drama alone might have brought more viewership in. In my opinion, this was not leaned on enough.

More on that in the next section.

Interest from Golf Fans was Remarkably Low

There just was not enough drama here. Unfortunately, sensationalism in today’s media drives clicks and viewership. There was not enough publicity that pitted the two tours and the two teams against one another. It was almost too friendly, at least in some respects.

There was a competitive aspect, but it did not feel like the players had a “We need to win for our tour” mentality. 

Rory’s very public distaste for LIV, which has admittedly cooled off, was far from evident here. There were no barbs in the direction of Bryson and Brooks about leaving, which is something that would have been tasteful and funny.

In reality, Bryson telling Rory the day before the event that “he cost himself the U.S. Open” drew more attention than the event itself.

The trash talking already starting at Shadow Creek #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/zB0bM3gWCn

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) December 16, 2024

Why wasn’t there more of this? Of course, there is respect between these four players, but relatively no real banter through “The Showdown” itself was a true shortcoming.

It Was Boring

The commentary, the play, the banter. It was, simply put, a snoozefest. I love golf, and I’ve been thirsting for some golf to watch, so I watched it. I was disappointed. The commentary was bland and is truly one of the best parts of “The Match” and “The Showdown.” This iteration was flat on every aspect.

The play wasn’t aggressive enough. There were some great shots, but nobody wants to see Bryson hitting iron off the tee, playing strategic golf. Go for greens on the driveable par 4s, and try to reach the long par 5s in two. 

The production was just quiet and boring and flat. It was just missing something.

So, What’s the Fix?

Is “The Showdown” worth saving? I think so. I believe that it is something that could be widely successful with the right promotion, setup, and narrative. Players should be more hostile to each other, without being totally disrespectful.

In Alan Shipnuck’s book “Phil,” he tells a story of Phil conceding a hole in match play against a high school rival even though Phil had an easy route to winning it and going up one. The mind game ended up being his greatest move as his adversary, one who many thought could derail Phil’s dominance as an interscholastic athlete, could not string together any momentum.

Mickelson walked away with the match.

People would love to see this, or perhaps monetary wagers on things like closest to the pin or longest drive. 

The golfers hold some responsibility to make the event entertaining. These four came up short, along with their tours to promote. Ultimately, this should be a learning experience for everyone involved moving forward.

Cover Image via Sporting News