Over the last week the LIV Golf Invitational Series has added three players and one fan-favorite analyst to its upstart team of talent. It appears the Greg Norman-led and Saudi Arabia-funded series its closing in on another beloved broadcaster.
On a recent episode of the Pat McAfee Show, 11-time NBA All-Star and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley said he’d “kill a relative” for $200 million in regards to the reported deals that PGA Tour players have received for joining LIV Golf. Last week Barkley confirmed he’d meet with LIV and on Thursday he told the New York Post that he’s playing in next week’s pro-am for the third event of the series at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
According to the Post, Barkley and Norman met for dinner in Atlanta Wednesday night and discussed what his role would be with LIV. The current LIV broadcast, which is only available via online streaming, boasts former voice of the Premier League on NBC Arlo White, who is in his first foray as a golf announcer. He’s joined in the booth by former Golf Channel analyst Jerry Foltz as well as Dom Boulet.
LIV Golf has long been criticized as a way for the Saudi government to sportswash its human rights record. It offers 54-hole events with no cuts and guaranteed money for the 48-player fields, as well as multi-million dollar deals, some north of $100 million.
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