The inaugural Saudi-backed LIV Golf tournament has failed to secure a UK television deal despite the rights reportedly being offered to major channels.
The 54-hole tournament gets underway on Thursday, with a prize fund of £3.8 million on offer to the winner. Overall, £25 million will be distributed to the 48-man field, with a team competition running alongside the individual event.
And the rebel venture, the brainchild of LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, has landed some savage blows to the PGA Tour this week. The notion that the first event would be short of star power was dismissed when Phil Mickleson confirmed he would be returning from a prolonged break from the sport to take his place in St Albans.
Former world No 1 Dustin Johnson also shocked fans by revealing he had resigned his membership from the PGA Tour to sign up with Norman, making him ineligible for next season's Ryder Cup. And now Bryson DeChambeau has made a u-turn on his previous stance, and will play in the second LIV Golf event in Oregon on June 30.
The likes of Ryder Cup heroes Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graham McDowell, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia will also tee off at The Centurion Club this week. But despite the personnel involved, the concept is yet to convince the leading media companies.
The Daily Mail has reported that representatives of the LIV Series offered coverage rights to Sky Sports, BT Sport, DAZN and the major streaming services. However, they were rejected on all fronts.
As a result, the LIV Series will stream this week's tournament free on their own website, YouTube and Facebook. And Norman and co will hope that viewing figures online can persuade the likes of Sky Sports into a u-turn next time around.
However, Sky is pitched as 'the home of golf' in the UK, showing over 100 tournaments each year. The station owns the rights for all four majors as well as the Ryder Cup, and the broadcaster's close links with the PGA Tour would undoubtedly hinder any negotiations with LIV Golf.
The players have certainly not gone short of TV time this week though, with press conferences signified by difficult questions over the notion of 'sportswashing'. On Wednesday, Poulter refused to answer if he'd play in a tournament organised by Vladimir Putin.
Westwood meanwhile, was quizzed on whether he would have played in South Africa during apartheid. The Englishman issued a feisty response.
"You're just asking us to answer a hypothetical question which we can't answer a question on that," he said. Mickleson meanwhile, was interrogated on human rights issues in Saudi Arabia.
“I don’t condone human rights violations. I don’t know how I can be any more clear,” he insisted. "I’ve seen the good that it’s done and I see the opportunity for LIV Golf to do a lot of good for the game throughout the world and I’m excited to be a part of this opportunity."
