Mike Tirico Credits LIV Golf for PGA Tour’s Boost in Popularity, Not Just Its Stars
Recent PGA Tour events featuring Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have drawn massive viewership. McIlroy’s long-awaited career Grand Slam win at the Masters drew a staggering 12.7 million viewers, marking the most-watched round since 2018. Justin Thomas followed with his first win in three years at the RBC Heritage, attracting 4.36 million viewers—the event’s largest audience since 2002. While many attribute these numbers to the star power of players like McIlroy and Thomas, veteran broadcaster Mike Tirico sees another force at play: LIV Golf.
In an appearance on The Smylie Show, Tirico weighed in on the influence of the PGA Tour’s growing media accessibility and innovation. When asked about Thomas’s open letter encouraging fellow pros to engage more with the media, Tirico acknowledged the importance of that push but redirected credit to LIV Golf.
“What LIV has done is open up this reality that we’re now in a competitive space,” Tirico said. “If you’re the PGA Tour, you’ve got to get better. You can’t just stay the same.”
Tirico pointed to changes like walk-and-talk interviews, real-time commentary via AirPods, and player interactions during arrivals—all new practices the Tour has embraced, partly in response to LIV Golf’s innovation.
For instance, the PGA Tour recently updated its content guidelines, allowing more social media flexibility for partners and content creators, especially during practice rounds and pro-ams. It also introduced drone tracer technology at the 2024 Travelers Championship—though many fans were quick to note LIV had already adopted similar tools.
Both leagues are clearly trying to win over younger audiences through influencer collaborations and digital media strategies. LIV Golf’s The Duels reached over a million views in just 24 hours—beating the PGA Tour’s Creator Classic, which took weeks to hit the same number. LIV’s success has been driven by strategic partnerships with high-profile YouTubers like Rick Shiels (with nearly 3 million subscribers) and Grant Horvat, who frequently collaborates with stars like Phil Mickelson.
The PGA Tour, slower out of the gate, is catching up. It has formed a Creator Council featuring names like Paige Spiranac, Bob Does Sports, and No Laying Up to boost its online engagement. With a second Creator Classic scheduled ahead of the Truist Championship, the Tour is ramping up its influencer game.
In the end, whether it’s Rory’s heroics or JT’s comeback, the PGA Tour is benefiting from more than just its players—it’s evolving in response to a changing media landscape shaped by competition with LIV.