David Feherty says move because of money, being himself

David Feherty is not one to mince words. And he didn’t hold back when explaining reasons why he left NBC/Golf Channel to go to be LIV Golf’s biggest broadcaster.

“Money,” Feherty told the Toledo Blade. “People don’t talk about it. I hear, ‘Well, it’s to grow the game.’ Bull … they paid me a lot of money.”

The LIV Golf Invitational Series is still without a television partner, but Feherty’s move gave the Greg Norman-led, Saudi Arabia-funded upstart circuit a known name on its broadcast team. He made his debut two weeks ago at LIV Bedminster.

Feherty, 63, gave the answer during a fundraiser event in Toledo, Ohio, with former NBC colleague Gary Koch. It brought raucous cheering from the crowd.

He mentioned there were three main reasons for the switch. Money was one. The chance to be a lead analyst was another. Then this.

“An opportunity to be myself again. It’s become more and more difficult, especially in sports broadcasting, to have any kind of character,” Feherty said. “Charles Barkley can say pretty much anything he wants because it’s, ‘Oh, that’s just Charles.’ And it’s just Charles. But I have become more and more guarded over the last few years. There are people waiting around every corner hoping to be offended by something. F*** those people.

“Our lives are being shaped by small groups of mean-spirited people who have no sense of humor. We’re in danger of losing our national sense of humor because of this.”

Feherty also commented on how the 9/11 Commission said the Saudi government was cleared of any wrongdoing in its role on that day. Recent FBI disclosures, however, say otherwise. Feherty also commented on how LIV Golf planned to donate at least $100 million to local charities.

Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.