In 2025, LIV Golf continues to disrupt traditional golf by drawing record-breaking crowds, particularly at its recent event in Indianapolis. The surge in fan attendance underscores a growing challenge to the long-standing dominance of the PGA Tour, signaling a shift in the sport’s fan engagement landscape.
The Indianapolis event saw nearly 50,000 fans over three days, marking one of the largest turnouts for LIV Golf in the United States. This achievement follows previous milestones such as over 94,000 attendees in Adelaide, Australia in 2024 and strong U.S. turnouts in Chicago and the UK.
Rapid Growth of LIV Golf Audiences Evident Across Multiple Cities
LIV Golf’s momentum is visible through impressive attendance spikes at various stops. Chicago reported a 25% rise in single-day attendance compared to the previous year, while the UK event drew 43,000 fans in July 2025. Indianapolis delivered the highest U.S. attendance, fueled by complete sell-outs of grounds passes for Friday and Saturday.
According to sports reporter Josh Carpenter,
“@livgolf_league says it sold out of grounds passes for Friday and Saturday in Indianapolis. Local TV reports anticipated crowds of around 50,000 for the three days. LIV was expecting close to 40K in Chicago last week and announced 43K for its UK event in July.”
—Josh Carpenter, Reporter
Local Businesses Experience Economic Boost From LIV Golf’s Presence
The influx of fans has positively impacted businesses in the Indianapolis area, with local restaurants and vendors preparing for significant increases in patronage. Taylor Wentworth, general manager at Field Brewing in Westfield, highlighted the importance of these events, saying,
“Being in the restaurant industry, too, we rely on these events.”
—Taylor Wentworth, General Manager
Similarly, Adam Hoffman, owner of Big Hoffa’s Smokehouse BBQ, expressed enthusiasm about LIV’s arrival in the region. Hoffman noted that their establishment can serve up to 3,000 people during major events and commended the City of Westfield’s marketing efforts in attracting such high-profile sporting occasions.
These developments align with earlier economic projections estimating a $21–29 million impact for Westfield, which is now materializing thanks to the increased activity around the tournament. Friday alone saw 16,430 tickets scanned despite construction challenges on the main road, underscoring the event’s strong pull.
Comparing LIV Golf’s Rise to the PGA Tour’s Established Presence
While LIV Golf’s attendance figures are climbing rapidly, the PGA Tour still commands larger audiences overall. For instance, the 2025 BMW Championship at Caves Valley drew between 100,000 and 125,000 fans, reinforcing the Tour’s continued scale advantage.
However, the PGA Tour is experiencing difficulties in maintaining consistent fan engagement at certain events. Rory McIlroy‘s decision to skip the FedEx Cup opener in 2025 sparked concern among officials including policy director Peter Malnati, reflecting unease about the Tour’s ability to keep star players and fans fully invested.
The question arises whether the PGA Tour is losing its grip on golf’s fan base as LIV Golf generates excitement with its innovative, fan-focused formats that prioritize faster pacing and entertainment value.
Television Ratings Highlight the Gap Between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour
Despite LIV Golf’s growing crowds at live events, television viewership remains heavily skewed toward the PGA Tour. The FedEx St. Jude tournament’s playoff win by Justin Rose attracted approximately 3.6 million viewers on NBC, marking one of the largest audiences in recent years for the Tour.
In contrast, LIV Golf’s Chicago event averaged just 334,000 viewers on Fox, illustrating the significant disparity in broadcast reach and traditional fanbase engagement between the leagues.
This contrast suggests that while LIV Golf’s live attendance signals shifting fan interests, the PGA Tour’s legacy broadcasts retain massive viewership, keeping it in a dominant position within mainstream golf media.
The Future of Professional Golf Hinges on LIV Golf’s Continued Growth and PGA Tour Response
Indianapolis has set a new benchmark for LIV Golf’s fan support in the United States, and event organizers have already confirmed the city will host the tournament again next year. This decision reflects confidence in LIV’s ability to sustain and build upon its growing popularity.
The ongoing competition between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour is reshaping the professional golf landscape, pushing the established Tour to reassess its approach to fan engagement, player retention, and event management.
As LIV Golf capitalizes on its momentum, the challenge for the PGA Tour will be to innovate and maintain its connection with fans while preserving the traditions and scale that have defined it for decades. The coming years promise to be a pivotal period for both leagues as they vie for influence over golf’s future audience and market share.