Sir Nick Faldo: Liv Golf ‘an island’ and should continue to play its own tour

Sir Nick Faldo on LIV Golf and the State of Professional Golf

Sir Nick Faldo, a six-time major winner and respected voice in the golf world, has weighed in on the ongoing tensions between LIV Golf and the sport’s established tours. Faldo believes LIV Golf should remain separate from the traditional tours, and he disagrees with Jon Rahm’s belief that he could bring about a quick resolution to the ongoing conflict within the sport.

The “Framework Agreement,” announced in June last year by the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, was intended to shape the future of professional golf. However, progress has been frustratingly slow, and both sides have sent mixed signals about the future.

Recently, Tyrrell Hatton expressed cautious optimism, saying that “certain conversations” this month made him feel more positive about reaching a deal. However, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan hinted that the landscape might be shifting due to Strategic Sports Group’s $1.5 billion investment.

“We now have the structure and the resources we need to define the future of professional golf on our terms, with the significant support of a world-class group of investors,” Monahan said ahead of the Tour Championship.

Faldo, however, would welcome a scenario where LIV Golf remains independent. In an interview with the PA news agency, he said, “I think they are an island and should go and do their own thing. That’s absolutely fine with me—let them play their tour.”

Faldo also questioned the impact that LIV Golf has had, noting that despite three seasons, the tour hasn’t made a significant dent in viewership numbers. He pointed out a humorous comparison: “Amusingly, pickleball outdrew their two stars [Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm] in a play-off. The sort of excitement everyone wants, but it got beaten in viewership by pickleball.”

Faldo believes that while players have benefited financially from LIV Golf, it hasn’t necessarily translated into increased interest in the sport. “The players have got the last laugh because they are being rewarded so much, either through the size of the prize money or appearance fees, and yet they are not moving the needle,” he said. “And I can’t see that changing because, as we know, it’s been damaging to the public’s attitude towards golf. I still talk to my friends in TV, and people are just not watching. It’s hurt the attitude towards golf.”

Reflecting on his time as a television commentator, Faldo recalled how discussions around prize money were once rare. “I did 18 years of television, and I was told not to talk about prize money. When the FedEx Cup went to $10 million, I said, ‘Wow, look at this, this putt is worth $10 million!’ That was about the only time I mentioned money, and now, suddenly, it’s ridiculous amounts. It’s really changed things.”

Earlier this year, ahead of defending his Masters title, Rahm told the BBC that he agreed with the idea that his move to LIV Golf could be a “tipping point” in negotiations between the two sides. But Faldo sees it differently.

“I think they all thought, ‘Why don’t I run off and get all these hundreds of millions, and they’ll sort it out in two years, and I’ll come back with a boatload,’” Faldo said.

“I don’t think it is going to work like that, and it shouldn’t, to be honest. Fine, let LIV go and do their thing. They say they are going to supercharge excitement in golf—good luck.”

Faldo is skeptical of attempts to change the fundamental nature of the sport. “Some people think they can change the excitement level or view of it, but golf is golf. Golf is outdoor chess. The number one goal in golf as a player is to come up the last with a three-shot lead or more, isn’t it?”

He added, “But you have people saying, ‘Well, that wasn’t very exciting, a bit anticlimactic.’ But every player out there wants to come down the last two holes with a cushion.”