Golf Wars

LIV and Golf's Bitter Battle for Power and Identity

By: Iain Carter

Narrated by: Iain Carter

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

'A superbly detailed account of an uprising in professional golf.'
Andrew Cotter

Golf is at war. PGA vs LIV. Establishment vs upstart.
This is the compelling story of how golf was ripped apart.

The battle for the future of professional golf has been blazing. The Saudi-backed organisation LIV Golf has struck at the very heart of the golfing establishment, setting up rival tournaments with enormous prize pots and pitting the game’s most famous players against each other. Led by legend Greg Norman, it has enticed the likes of Sergio García, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Jon Rahm, parking its tanks on the manicured greens of the traditional game. Its tagline: Golf but louder.

With LIV now in its season and little sign of the struggle abating, BBC Golf Correspondent Iain Carter delivers the fascinating – and ongoing – account of a sporting upheaval.

Golf Wars spotlights the key players, both on the course and in the boardroom, exploring how the PGA Tour and other traditional organisations are fighting back. Carter covers every twist and turn, hearing from influential figures including Rory McIlroy, Jay Monahan, Greg Norman, Keith Pelley and Tiger Woods.

Through expert and up-to-date analysis of all sides of this bitter conflict, Carter reveals how the saga is unfolding and what it means for golf’s future. Has the controversial Saudi Arabian state essentially bought the game? Is LIV just a sportwashing series of glitzy exhibition tournaments? Or is it a welcome challenge to the golfing hegemony and a long-awaited refresh of tired traditions?

This epic tale of fierce internal warfare has shaken golf to its core and marks a seminal moment in sporting history.

©2024 Iain Carter (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

‘If John le Carré decided to take on a golf story, this is the book he’d write.’ (Geoff Shackelford)

'Detailed, revealing and at times shocking, Carter’s insider position in golf’s civil war gives him a unique insight into the carnage caused by LIV Golf's untold riches and just how deep the rifts in the pro game still run.' (Gavin Newsham, award-winning golf writer and co-founder of Golf Punk)

'Few journalists are closer to the professional game than Iain Carter, who offers detailed and balanced insight on a civil war that has plagued golf during the most tempestuous period in the sport's history.' (Alex Narey, author of The World's Greatest Golf Courses From Above)

'As Arnold Palmer said, "golf is the closest game to the game we call life"; while this is the remarkable and entertaining story of a revolution in golf, it's also a sobering reminder of the way the world really works ... Iain Carter has been there through it all and applies his trademark integrity and gift for storytelling to a tale with more twists than a Major Championship.' (Katherine Downes, BBC and Sky Sports commentator)

PGA Tour v LIV

The familiar voice of the BBC’s Golf correspondent Iain Carter reads his diaries from the last 18 months or so during which the emergence of the Saudi backed LIV tour has created havoc amongst the world of professional golf.
I was shocked to hear Iain reading profanity laced quotes from the pros. He made me blush, before I remembered he’s a Leicester City fan.
Check out the Chipping Forecast pod where he is the perennial special guest.
Hope I get a mention now. A great listen.