Colin Cowherd praises LIV Golf: ‘It’s just got great energy’

LIV Golf has a fan in Colin Cowherd.

While attending LIV Golf’s Chicago tournament, Cowherd raved about the event and league in an interview with Rachel Drummond.

“It’s just got a great energy. It’s a younger audience. I was a big supporter when it started ’cause you just have to — when I was a kid growing up, NBA didn’t shoot all these three-pointers. And now they do. And baseball didn’t have a pitch clock. I just think golf needed to tweak itself. I think it needed a new energy. It needed to get younger. And I think that’s what LIV provides. Today, it’s so clear. I was at the driving range and I turned around and looked. There’s 18-year-old kids and 16-year-olds and 22. It was a young crowd. And I think LIV’s done a really good job. It feels like an event.”

Colin Cowherd on LIV Golf:

“It’s just got a great energy. It’s a younger audience…I just think golf needed to tweak itself. I think it needed a new energy. It needed to get younger. And I think that’s what LIV provides.”pic.twitter.com/BVAlvJELeL

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 9, 2025

Cowherd continued, comparing LIV and the PGA Tour to UFC and boxing.

“It reminds me of the first time I went to a UFC fight. I’d been to boxing matches. But UFC felt different. And I’ve been to golf tournaments. This just feels different.

Drummond then noted that Cowherd had spent time with both LIV Golf’s CEO, Scott O’Neil and the players and asked him for his take. Cowherd praised both O’Neil and the players as well as the positive relationship between the players and the league.

“The players are now business partners. And I think that was one of the things, on the PGA, players didn’t feel like they were partners. So when you’re a partner in any business, you’re more willing to give.

“I’m sitting there watching the driving range, and Brooks Koepka comes over to me,” Cowherd continued. “‘What are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’ I just think fans, we ask so much of fans in sports that the more players can be accessible and give back to fans, that’s all they want. They just want acknowledgement. And I think LIV and the players do it. Just to sit next to Phil Mickelson at his age. And he’s talking to fans and he’s selecting his music. It’s the way golf needed to kind of evolve. And I think they have.”

Cowherd concluded the interview by once again praising what he feels is a fan-friendly environment.

“I bet you 30% of the people here aren’t even huge golf fans. They just want to have a good time. This is a good time. People are in a good mood and the fans are closer than ever to pro athletes.”