Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 right
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- LIV Golf’s New York event was held at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, the third time the tour has used a Trump property.
- President Trump attended the event and was cheered by spectators while driving a golf cart on the course.
- LIV Golf’s future was thrown into uncertainty after the Saudi Public Investment Fund pulled its funding in April, but CEO Scott O’Neil announced a new lead investor deal this week.
- Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top two players in LIV’s standings, are the tour’s biggest fan draws.
Where they differ
- The New York Post focuses on the golf itself, detailing fan reactions to DeChambeau and Rahm and quoting multiple spectators and player Harold Varner III on the tour’s outlook.
- Fox News centers almost entirely on Trump’s attendance and reception, treating the golf competition as secondary and citing the Post for its facts about the crowd’s reaction to Trump.
- Fox News adds broader context comparing Trump’s reception at this event to his more mixed reception at other sporting events like NBA Finals games.
- The Post includes direct quotes from DeChambeau about his confidence in LIV’s future and interest in playing PGA Tour events, a detail absent from Fox’s account.
LIV Golf held its New York event this weekend at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, marking the third time the tour has played at one of President Trump’s courses. President Trump attended in person, drawing cheers from spectators as he drove a golf cart around the course, while stars Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm drew the largest crowds among players on Saturday, the tour’s third day of competition.
What drew the biggest crowds on the course?
Fans at Bedminster gravitated most toward Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, who currently sit first and second in the LIV Golf player standings. Spectator Christian Pellegrino told the New York Post he could tell from the size of the crowd following DeChambeau that “he’s a pretty big draw,” while fan Kristian Johnson called DeChambeau and Rahm the “big names” people came to see. Between them, DeChambeau and Rahm hold four major championships, including Rahm’s 2023 Masters win and DeChambeau’s two U.S. Open titles. Fan Tate Stevens pointed to DeChambeau’s large YouTube following as part of his appeal, noting it has pulled younger fans toward the sport and toward LIV specifically, while crediting Rahm’s draw to his play and personality on tour.
Why was Trump’s presence notable?
Trump has now hosted LIV Golf at one of his properties three times, and his appearance at Bedminster this weekend continued that pattern. According to Fox News, citing the New York Post, Trump received a big ovation from the crowd as he drove a golf cart along the course. Fox framed the warm reception as unsurprising given the location was his own club, contrasting it with the more mixed reactions he has drawn at other sporting events, such as NBA Finals games versus a college football championship crowd.
What’s the status of LIV Golf’s funding?
LIV Golf’s financial future has been in question since April, when the Saudi Public Investment Fund — previously the tour’s sole financial backer — announced it would stop funding the league. That uncertainty hung over the sport for months. This week, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announced the tour has reached an agreement with a new, as-yet-unnamed lead investor. O’Neil said the deal has been signed by the investor and approved by LIV’s board, and is meant to “anchor the transaction” and support the league’s next phase, which he said would be “driven by and for the players.”
How are players reacting to the uncertainty?
DeChambeau told the New York Post earlier in the week he was “100 percent” confident in LIV’s future following news of the new investment, though he added he’d still like the chance to play PGA Tour events as well. Rahm, who has a contract with LIV extending beyond this year, has been less forthcoming about his long-term plans with the tour. Other players downplayed the drama: Harold Varner III called his time with LIV “one of the greatest things that’s ever happened” to him and urged people to focus on the positives rather than dwell on off-course uncertainty. Fans interviewed at the event said they weren’t particularly concerned about the funding situation, even though it has dominated golf conversation since the spring.
Why this matters
The event captures where LIV Golf stands roughly two years after its Saudi-backed launch upended professional golf: still drawing crowds and star power, still hosting events at Trump’s properties, but working to replace the funding source that made the league possible in the first place. The identity of the new lead investor remains undisclosed, and how the funding shift affects player contracts, prize money, or the league’s competitive structure going forward is not yet clear from either report.
Sources
Featured photo: Ekem via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)