Colin Cowherd says he declined huge offer to promote LIV Golf Tour

The golf world was rocked on Tuesday morning by the news that the Saudi-backed LIV Golf has merged with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, leading to some immediate and harsh backlash toward the PGA Tour after the stances it had taken toward LIV Golf over the past few years.

Simply put, the PGA Tour was highly critical at just about every turn of any golfers who moved to the LIV Golf circuit.

In the wake of the merger, though, broadcaster Colin Cowherd went on a relatable rant about the news, chiding anyone taking shots at the PGA Tour on moral grounds.

He also revealed that he was offered a very, very hefty sum to help promote LIV Golf. He turned it down.

“The only people that are only right on the Internet are anonymous. Isn’t that a coincidence?” Cowherd said. “They’re always right. And the only people with morals and values in the world are never offered big money or enormous opportunities. I don’t have to love the LIV Golf tour and everything it stands for.”

“By the way, I was offered six figures to do some reads for the LIV golf tour. I didn’t accept it. But, but, I didn’t bad mouth other hosts that did. That’s the difference. I was offered six figures to do stuff with LIV golf. I was invited to tournaments. I said, ‘No thank you.’ But I didn’t lecture sportscasters that did. I didn’t lecture anybody that did. I’m not in their shoes, I don’t pay their taxes, I don’t have their life, I don’t know what’s going on.”

Ironically, in about a two-minute speech on his show that was definitely a lecture of sorts, Cowherd came down on anyone trying to lecture about the PGA Tour’s decision.

“Stop lecturing. Politicians, golf tours. Stop lecturing us,” Cowherd said. “When people get great opportunities, I’m not in your shoes. I don’t know what it means to your family. Maybe it gets your kids to college. I don’t know. You don’t know.

“Years ago I had a boss … he was a news director. And we were talking about something and I was getting real preachy and being a young journalist. And he said, ‘What’s your favorite candy bar?’ and I said, ‘KitKat.’ He goes, ‘Do you like Three Musketeers?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, it just never worked for me.’ He goes, ‘What if I told you the guy that created KitKat’s the worst human being in the world? Would you stop eating it?’ I go, ‘No, I’d probably eat it.’ He goes, ‘There you go.’ You think you know and you don’t know.”

The point Cowherd was making was that it’s all too easy to cast judgment without taking a real peek behind the curtain, whether that’s with the LIV Golf news or something else.

“I remember listening to all the people preaching about Tiger Woods’ lifestyle choices,” he continued. “I didn’t like what he did with his marriage. I totally disagree with it. But it’s just what you knew. It’s the golf marriage you heard about. Stop pretending you know.

“I don’t have to love every candidate I vote for or every owner of every team. But when people start preaching morals and values, I want to barf.”

Whether it was morals or something else that caused Cowherd to turn down a six-figure deal from LIV Golf, it’s certainly interesting that he was approached with the offer.