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Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LIV Golf is on the ropes
The numbers are in for LIV Golf's major broadcast TV debut and they aren't good. Sunday's final round, aired on Fox and featuring some of LIV's biggest names in the hunt — Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson — garnered an audience of just 484,000 viewers. In comparison, the PGA Tour's Valero Open — which didn't feature any of the Tour's big names in the hunt — drew an audience of 1.746 million. This is troubling news for the breakaway tour. To this point, LIV could blame anemic ratings (sometimes in the tens of thousands) on low visibility (airing on the CW) or inconvenient air times. Who's staying up to watch a tournament live from Singapore? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement LIV had no such excuse this weekend. The tournament was held in Miami, aired on Fox and played opposite a Tour event which most of its best players skipped in preparation for this week's Masters. To be sure, LIV has a broader geographic focus than the PGA Tour. Eight of its 14 events are played outside the United States. So yeah, garnering a large American audience isn't the end-all-be-all that it is for the PGA Tour. But still ... 484,000 for a Sunday afternoon event hosted by the President of the United States? If, indeed, this was a make-or-break weekend for LIV, as many billed it, then LIV busted. And it matters a lot. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Two years ago, when LIV and the PGA Tour announced a partnership agreement, the belief was the Saudi-backed tour had the American tour on the ropes. It had deeper pockets — much deeper — and was still in the process of poaching the Tour's best players. It already had Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, and would soon add Jon Rahm — the world's No. 3 player at the time — and Bryson DeChambeau — the sport's No. 1 attraction, outside Tiger Woods. To stay afloat, the PGA Tour needed to capitulate and end the war with LIV, or so the thinking went. Week after week, month after month, and now year after year, the question came: When would the two tours reach a settlement? Week after week, month after month, and now year after year, there was no news. There were meetings, empty platitudes about progress and not much else. Still, it was always when would a settlement be reached. Meanwhile, the Tour went out and got billions in private backing. It also sat back and waited for LIV to show signs of life. LIV Golf is now in its fourth season. () Now here we are in 2025, five events into its fourth season, still waiting for LIV to show signs of life. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Just a week ago, it was reported that the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the financial backer of LIV, approached the PGA Tour with an offer for a $1.5 billion investment in return for a guarantee that LIV would continue on and the installation of PIF overseer Yasir Al-Rumayyan on the Tour's policy board. The PGA Tour rejected the offer outright. Now, as the best from both tours ascend on Augusta National for one of golf's unified events, talk of reunification has gone from "when" to a hardly audible "if." "As I can tell and you guys can tell, it's not happening anytime soon," Rahm said Tuesday at Augusta National. And with the clock ticking on those giant contracts LIV used to lure those big names, such as Rahm, why would the PGA Tour act now? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement So far, LIV's strategy to buy eyeballs hasn't panned out. Turns out it takes more than a few big names to make people care about something. If that wasn't profoundly evident before this weekend, it is now. And now, LIV Golf is the one on the ropes.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LIV Golf is on the ropes
The numbers are in for LIV Golf's major broadcast TV debut and they aren't good. Sunday's final round, aired on FOX and featuring some of LIV's biggest names in the hunt — Sergio Garcia, Bryson Dechambeau and Phil Mickelson — garnered an audience of just 484,000 viewers. In comparison, the PGA Tour's Valero Open — which didn't feature any of the Tour's big names in the hunt — drew an audience of 1.746 million. This is troubling news for the breakaway tour. To this point, LIV could blame anemic ratings (sometimes in the tens of thousands) on low visibility (airing on the CW) or inconvenient air times. Who's staying up to watch a tournament live from Singapore? LIV had no such excuse this weekend. The tournament was held in Miami, aired on Fox and played opposite a Tour event most of that tour's best players skipped in preparation for this week's Masters. To be sure, LIV has a broader geographic focus than the PGA Tour does. Eight of its 14 events are played outside the United States. So yeah, garnering a large American audience isn't the end-all-be-all that it is for the PGA Tour. But still ... 484,000 for a Sunday afternoon event hosted by the President of the United States? If, indeed, this was a make-or-break weekend for LIV, as many billed it, then LIV busted. And it matters a lot. Two years ago, when LIV and the PGA Tour announced a partnership agreement, the belief was the Saudi-backed tour had the American tour on the ropes. It had deeper pockets — much deeper — and was still in the process of poaching the Tour's best players. It already had Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, and would soon add Jon Rahm — the world's No. 3 player at the time — and Bryson Dechambeau — the sport's No. 1 attraction, outside Tiger Woods. To stay afloat, the PGA Tour needed to capitulate and end the war with LIV, or so the thinking went. Week after week, month after month, and now year after year, the question came: When would the two tours reach a settlement? Week after week, month after month, and now year after year, there was no news. There were meetings, empty platitudes about progress and not much else. Still, it was always when would a settlement be reached. Meanwhile, the Tour went out and got billions in private backing. It also sat back and waited for LIV to show signs of life. Now here we are in 2025, five events into its fourth season, still waiting for LIV to show signs of life. Just a week ago, it was reported that the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the financial backer of LIV, approached the PGA Tour with an offer for a $1.5 billion investment in return for a guarantee that LIV would continue on and the installation PIF overseer Yasir Al-Rumayyan on the Tour's Policy Board. The PGA Tour rejected the offer outright. Now, as the best from both tours ascend on Augusta National for one of unified events, talk of reunification has gone from "when" to a hardly audible "if." "As I can tell and you guys can tell, it's not happening anytime soon," Rahm said Tuesday at Augusta National. And with the clock ticking on those giant contracts LIV used to lure those big names, such as Rahm, why would the PGA Tour act now? So far, LIV's strategy to buy eyeballs hasn't panned out. Turns out it takes more than a few big names to make people care about something. If that wasn't profoundly evident before this weekend, it is now. And now, LIV Golf is the one on the ropes.
Fox News
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 Masters odds, predictions: Favorites, long-shot bets to make
The 89th edition of The Masters is finally here! Last week, Marc Leishman won LIV Miami, shooting 4-under on Sunday to put up a 6-under for the tournament. His strong day was good enough to outlast Charl Schwartzel by a stroke. Of the 95 golfers who will play at Augusta in Georgia from April 10 through 13, 12 of those are from LIV. On the PGA Tour last week, Brian Harman won the Valero Open, closing out with a 3-over-75 for a three-shot victory— his first title since the 2023 Open Championship. To play in the Masters, a golfer must be invited in one way or another — think of it more as qualifying, despite the language. Being a former Masters champion, or placing well enough in a recent major event, can get you a proverbial ticket to Augusta, which is how most of the LIV participants find themselves heading to Georgia once again for the Masters. Last year's favorite entering the tournament was Scottie Scheffler at +500, and the 2022 winner of the tournament took home the title for the second time in his career. He is again the favorite this year at +400, followed by Rory McIlroy at +650. The Irishman has won every major except for the Masters, with his best finish coming in 2022 when he placed second. Rounding out the top five are Jon Rahm (the 2023 Masters winner), Collin Morikawa (finished third last year), and Xander Schauffele (finished second in 2019). Check out some other notable names along with their odds to win below. After Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau at +2000 and Brooks Kopeka at +3000 are the LIV golfers with the best odds to win the event. Check out some other notable names along with their odds to win below. Scottie Scheffler: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)Rory McIlroy: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)Jon Rahm: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)Collin Morikawa: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Xander Schauffele: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)Bryson DeChambeau: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Ludvig Aberg: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)Justin Thomas: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Brooks Kopeka: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Hideki Matsuyama: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)Jordan Spieth: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Viktor Hovland: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Tommy Fleetwood: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Patrick Cantlay: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Joaquin Niemann: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)Shane Lowry: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)Tyrrell Hatton: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)Russell Henley: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)Cameron Smith: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Sergio Garcia: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Min Woo Lee: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Robert MacIntyre: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Corey Conners: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)Will Zalatoris: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)Akshay Bhatia: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)Sepp Straka: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)Jason Day: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total)Tony Finau: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)Wyndham Clark: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Patrick Reed: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Keegan Bradley: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)Tom Kim: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Aaron Rai: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total)Daniel Berger: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total)Phil Mickelson: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total)Justin Rose: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total)Davis Thompson: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total) Golf is one of the best sports to bet on long-shots to win, as there have been several instances of huge underdogs winning major tournaments. For the 2025 Masters, there are several big name players with some real value from a wagering standpoint. Here are a couple of bets worth sprinkling some cash on: Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox Sports
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 Masters odds, predictions: Favorites, long-shot bets to make
The 89th edition of The Masters is finally here! Last week, Marc Leishman won LIV Miami , shooting 4-under on Sunday to put up a 6-under for the tournament. His strong day was good enough to outlast Charl Schwartzel by a stroke. Of the 95 golfers who will play at Augusta in Georgia from April 10 through 13, 12 of those are from LIV. On the PGA Tour last week, Brian Harman won the Valero Open, closing out with a 3-over-75 for a three-shot victory— his first title since the 2023 Open Championship. To play in the Masters, a golfer must be invited in one way or another — think of it more as qualifying, despite the language. Being a former Masters champion, or placing well enough in a recent major event, can get you a proverbial ticket to Augusta, which is how most of the LIV participants find themselves heading to Georgia once again for the Masters. Favorites Last year's favorite entering the tournament was Scottie Scheffler at +500, and the 2022 winner of the tournament took home the title for the second time in his career. He is again the favorite this year at +400, followed by Rory McIlroy at +650. The Irishman has won every major except for the Masters, with his best finish coming in 2022 when he placed second. Rounding out the top five are Jon Rahm (the 2023 Masters winner), Collin Morikawa (finished third last year), and Xander Schauffele (finished second in 2019). Check out some other notable names along with their odds to win below. After Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau at +2000 and Brooks Kopeka at +3000 are the LIV golfers with the best odds to win the event. Check out some other notable names along with their odds to win below. 2025 Masters Odds (DraftKings Sportsbook, as of April 7) Scottie Scheffler : +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total) Rory McIlroy : +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total) Jon Rahm : +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total) Collin Morikawa : +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total) Xander Schauffele : +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total) Bryson DeChambeau : +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total) Ludvig Aberg : +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total) Justin Thomas : +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) Brooks Kopeka : +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total) Hideki Matsuyama : +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total) Jordan Spieth : +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total) Viktor Hovland : +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Tommy Fleetwood : +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Patrick Cantlay : +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Joaquin Niemann : +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total) Shane Lowry : +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total) Tyrrell Hatton : +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total) Russell Henley : +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total) Cameron Smith : +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Sergio Garcia : +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Min Woo Lee: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Robert MacIntyre: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Corey Conners: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total) Will Zalatoris : +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total) Akshay Bhatia: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total) Sepp Straka: +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total) Jason Day : +7500 (bet $10 to win $760 total) Tony Finau : +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total) Wyndham Clark : +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total) Patrick Reed : +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total) Keegan Bradley : +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total) Tom Kim: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total) Aaron Rai: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total) Daniel Berger: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total) Phil Mickelson : +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total) Justin Rose : +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total) Davis Thompson: +11000 (bet $10 to win $1,110 total) Long-shot bets to make Golf is one of the best sports to bet on long-shots to win, as there have been several instances of huge underdogs winning major tournaments. For the 2025 Masters, there are several big name players with some real value from a wagering standpoint. Here are a couple of bets worth sprinkling some cash on: Brooks Kopeka: +3000 Joaquin Niemann: +4000 Cameron Smith: +6000 Bubba Watson to make the cut: +115 Phil Mickelson to finish Top 20: +280 Bubba Watson to finish Top 10: +1800 Sergio Garcia to finish Top 5: +1000 Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
