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At this point, Nick Faldo’s opinions of LIV Golf are not confidential. So it should come as no surprise that his recent freshman league quotes weren’t flattering.
“No one really cares,” Faldo said. ESPN Thursday, this time taking into account the team’s league format. They will not get the care they want. They call it a team [event] And this is not due to playing strokes. You see your mates on fetch and they say, “Play well,” and you see them in the scorer’s tent and they say, “What did you shoot?” That’s it. There is a team helping, shoulder to shoulder. This is a real team.”
Faldo has been an outspoken critic of the Saudi-backed league since its inception. But he does not necessarily criticize the Saudis’ investment in an existing league.
In the same interview, Faldo took the surprising step of expressing his support for a proposed merger between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund — a merger that would put two tours that Faldo helped build (the PGA Tour and DP World Tour) directly teaming up with the same people responsible for the LIV in Primarily.
“I think when the dust settles, whether it takes six months, or a year, or whatever,” he said. “My God, professional golf is in a better position overall financially than we were in today.”
For those who have followed his myriad criticisms of LIV closely, Faldo’s support for Saudi investment in professional golf raises more than a few eyebrows. He was, after all, the same person who called LIV Golf “senseless,” and later instructed those upset by the backlash to LIV to avoid “all about it.” did he forget Were those criticisms senseless all along?
The reality appears to be a bit more complicated.
It’s hard to pinpoint Faldo’s position on the ethics of Saudi money, but it’s clear he feels strongly about the infusion of money and global influence in the professional game. In this department, it is difficult to argue with his logic. Faldo’s life of golf—first as a player and later as a broadcaster, entrepreneur, course designer, and philanthropist—has given him a unique perspective on the world of professional golf. It’s safe to say that the game didn’t always have access to billions in new funding from an endless sponsor.
“I loved playing [internationally]. “I was one of the few guys who generally played the World Tour that day,” said Faldo. “sword [Ballesteros] Played, Greg [Norman] an act. We went everywhere, all over the world. Those tours really missed. I’d like to see everyone get a chance to play and be seen in those countries.”
While it’s easy to criticize the source of this new funding – the criticism Faldo made HimselfTo be clear – it’s worth noting how much golf’s financial situation has changed over the years.
Yes, Guy Monahan, Jimmy Dunn and the PGA Tour brass might understand the business rationale behind the merger with more clarity. And yes, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, and even Tiger Woods might grasp the full context of what it means to be a touring professional under a new agreement like this.
But the best way to understand it is to live it as a golfer and a member of the golf industry. (Having spent two decades as a professional speaker is an added bonus.) In other words, the best way to understand it is to live like Nick Faldo.
And how does Faldo feel, given all this context, about the agreement that promises to anchor the PGA Tour in a business relationship with a country with an unsavory human rights record? He feels, in short, optimistic.
Perhaps some of that has to do with the promise (and early evidence) of the PGA Tour taking a new global focus toward its business. Perhaps it is about knowing the financial security of future generations of golfers. Or maybe he knows that his old mates on the CBS broadcast booth will once again be showcasing the world’s best golfers every week.
It’s hard to say, but whatever the reason, there’s no questioning Faldo’s view of where it all stands — as strange as it may sound.
“With Guarantor, whatever you want to call it, professional golf is in a very good place,” he said.