Former professional player, now LIV Golf commentator Jerry Foltz, has given his views on a tv deal for the rebel tour, as well as on factors that might change the format of the 14 planned 2023 events.

Speaking on the Fore The People podcast, the former Golf Channel analyst discussed the possibility of having a permanent deal for the Greg-Norman-led tour.

“LIV Golf will be on a TV partner in the United States before we have our next event. I am plenty comfortable saying that.”

Foltz continued:

“I am not involved in the negotiations, but I do hear quite a bit, and I know everything that has led up to it. LIV Golf is seen through television, not streaming, in 180 different countries through 35 or 36 different broadcast partners around the globe, but the biggest one, the biggest carrot of the lot is of course America.” 

He confirmed, 

“They are being very diligent and seeking out the biggest deal they can get.”

The 60-year-old then expressed doubts as to the method of keeping LIV as “a big draw.”

“I hate the fact that we will be because our product will then not be, I hope we sell it as a wholly owned property, and they broadcast it the way it is, but right now we do five hours of commercial-free golf and that is a big draw for the people who enjoy watching.”

“We don’t move away for anything. We certainly don’t see a guy tap in and watch him walk off the green for 30 seconds and show a scorecard hole after hole.We do it completely different. It’s hard to re-train old minds like myself and Feherty to do it differently, but we’ve kind of caught on a little bit to it and hopefully do some more.”

“I dread the fact we are going to be on TV, just because I know how much fun our entire 300-person crew has doing golf that doesn’t have commercials, but hopefully we come up with some sort of model that is more like a soccer game where they don’t have commercials for two halves.”

“There is something that limits the commercial interruption because that is the biggest compliment to us and can play it against Golf Channel and network coverage.”

Although there has been much speculation surrounding an up-and-coming deal, nothing has yet surfaced as definite.

In September GolfWRX reported on an apparent approach to buy airtime on Fox Sports, and while nothing has been forthcoming, LIV Golf Chief Operating Officer, Atul Khosla, has since confirmed that,”On the US front, we are back and forth with a few different networks at this point in time.”

Foltz was then asked several questions surrounding the latest movements on the tour, amongst them his thoughts on the changes that Dustin Johnson has made to his 4Aces GC team.

In the change, Talor Gooch has been transferred to the Niblicks GC, soon to be re-named by captain Bubba Watson, whilst in comes Peter Uihlein, previously with Smash GC, captained by Brooks Koepka.

Foltz admits he isn’t on the inside but that it was “interesting.”

“I’m kinda on the outside looking in to all of this. I talk to a lot of players obviously and you hear a lot of rumblings. You take part in a lot of conversations, and it literally is one big family out there. It’s 48 players, it’s not 144 players each week. You know every single player. “

On the move by DJ:

“The team structure is not something I am fully up to speed on, but there are 12 teams and there is ownership in those teams. The captain of almost all the teams has an ownership, equity stake, and the rest of the players. Starting next year, the money that the team earns isn’t one quarter share per player. The money goes to the team to run the team, to divvy up with the team on a contractual basis.”

Foltz believes we will see more changes:

“So I believe with no confirmation that the two moves that we have recently seen (Gooch and Uihlein), and many of the moves we will see in the future, and I think there will be more to come before we start our next event, I think they have to do with who is getting what from what captain, what percentage here and there, and also to try to play for friends and be a tighter knit group. “

“Peter Uihlein had a hell of a year. Better year than Talor Gooch. Is Talor Gooch a worse player than Peter Uihlein? Hell no, they’re both incredible world class players. It was an interesting move to me, but it’s not the last one. It’s absolutely not the last.”

How the changes are perceived is in doubt, but Foltz believes we may see a bit of tension between the teams in 2023.

“The team aspect, I didn’t get it, I didn’t understand it. But the more I was out there, the more I immersed myself in it, which is obviously part of my job, the more it starts to sell itself because the players are so involved. What is going to happen, and is already starting to happen in negotiations, is that it’s going to create a little bit of animosity. It’s going to leave some hard feelings.”

Foltz explained:

“‘You wanted me to leave and go play for them’ and so on and so forth, therein lies a bit of the Nascar and F1 vibe in terms of the team vs team aspect for the fans. It’s natural human nature that is going to happen.”

“Next year is going to get a whole lot more juicy from that point.”

Much has been written about the astronomical numbers that LIV investors have put in. To offset that, speculation is rife that the teams may well be sponsored, or branded, by some of the biggest companies in the world.

“First of all, when you first saw the 12 team names, did you not think ‘Really?! Is this the best we could do?!'”I thought they were the corniest things ever, but low and behold there was so much research that went into those names. The colours, the logos, not to mention a hell a lot of research into trademarks and social media people with certain handles.”

“I’ve never said the word ‘Ironhead’ in my life or ‘Hy Flyer’. Are you kidding?!

Foltz believes this could be the start of something even bigger:

“I understand two of the team names are changing. Bubba Watson will not tell us what he is changing his team (Niblicks) to, but he is changing his team name. From my understanding, yes, we could have a Team X, Y, Z in the future. There are a lot of conversations happening, and it has to be something that makes financial sense to everybody. I think we will see some of that next year, but by 2024, we will have 12 wholly owned teams that are vying for LIV Golf.”

“You’re going to have a lot of players on the outside looking in who will want to be a part of it at that point. I know a lot of people don’t want to hear that, but that is the evolution of where this is headed, whether they like it or not. It’s kinda cool to have an inside seat to watch it.”

Rumours continue surrounding any new names that may join the tour from both the PGA and DP World Tours, but Foltz says he isn’t aware of who, or how many, despite Norman’s claims he wants seven new players from the PGA.

“Seven players, that’s surprising? I look forward to that news breaking.”

“I haven’t heard those rumours yet. I did hear most of the rumours leading up to this. The only one that surprised me was Charles Howell, but he is an asset to LIV Golf and anywhere as he is just a quality human being.”

“I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting. I look forward to the dust settling, and everyone getting along.”

With Norman and pals ready to create something even bigger, better and louder for 2023,  the silly season may well last longer than usual.

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