David Feherty Reveals Move to LIV Golf Was About Money and Cancel Culture

As has become abundantly clear, defecting from the PGA Tour to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Series has been quite profitable for pro golfers (except Phil Mickelson).

Speaking with The Toledo Blade, former NBC/Golf Channel broadcaster David Feherty revealed that cash was also the biggest reason he abandoned his former employers to call tournaments that air on YouTube for the upstart circuit.

“Money,” Feherty said when asked why he left NBC to join LIV Golf. “People don’t talk about it. I hear, ‘Well, it’s to grow the game.’ Bullshit. They paid me a lot of money.”

While there haven’t been any concrete reports on how much the 63-year-old was paid to pledge allegiance to LIV, it was probably a pretty penny as the cash-rich circuit has not been shy about handing out lump sums to top talents.

Possibly because of its financial status or appearance of straying from the norm, LIV Golf has gained some sort of renegade status, despite it being a professional golf league that is generally made up of white guys in polos and khakis. That sort of outlaw appeal apparently also had some appeal to Feherty, who sounds as if he has concerns about cancel culture in the mainstream media.

“It’s become more and more difficult, especially in sports broadcasting, to have any kind of character. Charles Barkley can say pretty much anything he wants, because it’s, ‘Oh, that’s just Charles.’ And it is just Charles,” Feherty said. “But I have become more and more guarded over the last few years. There are people waiting around every corner hoping to be offended by something. Fuck those people. Our lives are being shaped by small groups of mean-spirited people who have no sense of humor. We’re in danger of losing our national sense of humor because of this.”

Funny he cites Barkley, who openly flirted with taking a job with LIV before ultimately turning it down to stay with TNT, after he chose not to follow Feherty. The Northern Irishman’s avoidance of really answering why he was fine with taking Saudi Arabia’s blood money by mentioning Russia and China was also somewhat humorous. “You can point to various countries throughout the world,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to behave like that, but wherever golf is, good happens, and I’m hoping this will do the same thing. LIV has said it’s going to donate $100 million to area charities.”

What area that would be, aside from Feherty’s pocket, remains unclear.