Golfing legend Sir Nick Faldo wants Australia to be have a place in the sport’s new Saudi-funded landscape, declaring a true world tour should replace LIV that “no one is really interested in”.
Faldo has been a critic of LIV, run by his former on-course rival Greg Norman, since its inception and isn’t sure it will survive as part of the looming shake-up after an agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
What the future looks like remains unclear, with a December 31 deadline set for at least the immediate future to be locked in, which could include an end to LIV and their players, including Australian star Cameron Smith, reintegrated into the PGA Tour.
Faldo, who is hosting the British Masters this week, said the new deal, with a potential influx of billions of dollars from the PIF, should create an opportunity to go global and include countries, like Australia, that have been neglected.
The three-time Masters winners and world No. 1 was a regular visitor to Australia and called on officials to rethink their attitude and look after more than just the US and Europe.
“I think the bodies have all got the best interest in trying to create global golf, and if they are truly on-board, with a bottomless pit of money they should be able to make the call,” he said.
“I’d love them to expand into different areas. South Africa has struggled. Australia has always struggled, hasn’t it. I used to love playing in those places.
“I was one of the few guys who really did genuinely play a world tour back in the day. Seve (Ballesteros) played, Greg (Norman) did. We went everywhere, all four corners of the world. Those tours really miss out.
“I would love to see that. I would love to see them be keen on golfing global – give everyone a chance to play and to be seen in those countries. There’s some great events around the world to play.”
The future of LIV could be determined by PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan and players, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, are confident they will be playing for Norman’s breakaway tour in 2024.
But Faldo wasn’t convinced LIV could survive in golf’s new world order.
“No, I don‘t think so. I think it will just … because nobody is really interested,” he said.
“Sponsorship, they are not going to get the sponsorships they thought. They call it team, and it’s not a team, is it, because it’s stroke play. You see your mates on the putting green, you say, ‘Play well, oh, see you in the scorer’s tent, say what did you shoot’, that’s it.
“There’s no real goals on a team, you look at The Ryder Cup, the passion, the atmosphere … they are not playing with the same passion and atmosphere as The Ryder Cup, a team event.
“I thought it really would just dwindle away because it didn’t have the public interest, globally it’s very small, isn’t it.”