“A player wins a golf tournament in a forest and no one sees it” - PGA Tour star takes a dig at Brooks Koepka's LIV Golf win

Brooks Koepka defeated Peter Uihlein to win the LIV Golf Jeddah event on Sunday (October 16).

The American golfer won the competition at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia, picking up his first victory since February 2021. Following the win, a PGA star has now come out to take a jibe at Koepka and LIV Golf over the series’ lack of audience.

American golfer Joel Dahmen questioned the legitimacy of his compatriot’s win. Addressing Koepka’s maiden LIV title victory, Dahmen took a perceived dig at the series and asked if it ‘counts’ due to low viewing figures.

Posting a cheeky tweet following the LIV Golf Jeddah event, Joel Dahmen wrote:

“If a player wins a golf tournament in a forest and no one sees it, does it count?”

Dahmen’s comments come as LIV Golf continues to struggle with low viewership figures. As per reports, only 17,000 people tuned in to watch the rebel series’ Jeddah event. The event streamed live on the circuit’s YouTube channel and once again failed to attract viewers.

It is pertinent to note that LIV Golf has been struggling to increase viewership for a while now. Moreover, CEO Greg Norman has continuously failed to land a TV streaming deal for the Saudi-backed series. It will be disappointing to note that the series lands low on viewers despite being free.

However, the relatively young series has managed to gain some influence in the golf world and that is reflected in internet searches related to LIV Golf. Several TV networks are currently in talks with LIV. However, outlets, including ESPN, NBC, CBS, and others are unlikely to be involved due to the controversial nature of the Saudi-backed circuit.

While LIV claims to have broken the PGA Tour’s monopoly on golf, it is yet to make a serious move when it comes to a television deal.

Joel Dahmen slams LIV Golf players over defection

This is not the first time Joel Dahmen has taken a jibe at LIV Golf and its players. Earlier in August, the PGA Tour player took a jibe at the 11 LIV players who filed an antitrust lawsuit in an effort to lift their suspensions placed by the American circuit.

Dahmen had tweeted:

"It sounds like some people want their cake and to eat it too. Please stay away in your fantasy land. Sincerely, most tour players… I don’t have an issue with anyone going to LIV. I have an issue with them wanting to come back and play. If the grass is so green, why do you want to come back?"

Despite the constant criticism from fans and players like Dahmen, most golfers on the LIV Golf tour seem happy. Having landed hefty paychecks for the defection, golfers like Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka have rallied behind the rebel series.

Former World No.1 Dustin Johnson even recently took a jibe at LIV’s critics recently. Speaking after winning the individual championship of LIV Golf’s inaugural season, Johnson mockingly said that he 'really regretted' his decision to move to the rebel series and that it was 'bothering' him.

He cracked the joke in an interview after clinching a whopping $18 million paycheck for winning the series’ individual championship.