Did Jim Nantz Just Take a Swipe at LIV Golf on the Air?

If so, it was a pretty mild dig

Brooks Koepka
Brooks Koepka of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Pop quiz: have you ever abbreviated the word “crosswalk” as “CW”? Do you know anyone who does this? This is not as random a question as it might seem. Instead, it’s at the heart of what might have been a verbal swipe at LIV Golf on the air — or a mere verbal stumble — during coverage of the Masters.

Golf has a breakdown of what took place. While Brooks Koepka made his way to his third shot on the 15th hole, Nantz described his destination by saying, “There he is right on the C.W.” After a lengthy pause, he clarified that he meant “the crosswalk.”

If this was a dig at Koepka’s affiliation with LIV Golf — which is broadcast on the CW — that could explain a lot. Though it’s also a relatively mild dig at the rival golf tour, if that’s what it was.

Nantz has been critical of LIV Golf in the past. Last year, as reported by Golf Monthly, Nantz discussed the rival tour during the broadcast of the RBC Canadian Open. “What I keep hearing from people, too, is a sense of disappointment, even a little betrayal,” he said. “They’ve always been told the story — and I know it was true — that at some point in their careers the dream was to play on the PGA Tour, build a legacy, build your future financially.”

As criticism of LIV Golf goes, citing the network that broadcasts them seems relatively mild. Perhaps it was a roundabout way of pointing to the proverbial elephant in the room.

Win the Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Experience

Want the F1 experience of a lifetime? Here’s your chance to win tickets to see Turn 18 Grandstand, one of Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix’s most premier grandstands!