PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf: All the most popular players on social media
Hold on to your green jackets, sports fans, because The Masters 2023 is about to unleash a thrilling, high-stakes battle unlike any we’ve seen before in the annals of golf.
While The Masters has long been considered the Holy Grail of sports events, this year’s installment carries more gravitas as the ultimate face-off between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf factions in the wake of golf’s most dramatic civil war.
Who will emerge from the rubble of this colossal clash with their reputation intact? More importantly, who will bear the brunt of social media fallout? Let’s dive in.
Full Swing’s impact
As the four major tournaments become the only battlefield where PGA and LIV gladiators can cross swords, tensions will reach an electrifying high in the hallowed grounds of Augusta, Georgia. Amidst this brewing storm, all eyes are on Rory McIlroy, the 15/2 golf betting favorite.
The shockwaves from this seismic schism haven’t just sent tremors across the golf world—Netflix has also caught fire, riding this wild wave with their ground-breaking documentary, Full Swing. Full Swing was supposed to be a behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of the PGA Tour. Instead, it became an explosive, fly-on-the-wall look at players torn between warring factions during the LIV defections of 2022.
The epic storyline of Full Swing includes both PGA loyalists and LIV defectors. This gives viewers an unfiltered look at the historic changes that have shaken the sport to its core. And now, using the cutting-edge social media analytics tool Linkfluence, we can see the extent to which Full Swing has impacted the players’ profiles and popularity.
Who bore the brunt of the social media fallout? We can easily take a closer look.
The finer details
To gauge Full Swing’s impact on players’ profiles, we compared social media data from the 45 days pre- and post-release of the show. The standout star of this statistical showdown? Justin Thomas, whose profile skyrocketed by an astonishing 473% following the documentary’s release. Thomas’ captivating story of friendship with Jordan Spieth and his journey to the 2022 USPGA Championship crown in Full Swing’s first episode won him legions of fans.
Not far behind, Cameron Young enjoyed a 171% surge in posts following his Full Swing debut, highlighting his breakout year in 2022. The world’s best player, Scottie Scheffler, came in second with a 168% increase in social media posts. Even though LIV Golf tried to get them to switch, all three top players stayed with the PGA Tour.
Due to his high-profile defection and subsequent victory as LIV’s first individual champion, Dustin Johnson led the pack on the LIV side with a 127% post-Full Swing bump. Other players riding the Full Swing wave include Jordan Spieth (+69%), Rickie Fowler (+67%), Mito Pereira (+59%), Brooks Koepka (+38%), and Matt Fitzpatrick (+34%).
However, not everyone emerged unscathed; Sahith Theegala (-67%), Ian Poulter (-64%), Collin Morikawa (-45%), Tony Finau (-24%), Joel Dahmen (-13%), and Rory McIlroy (-4%), all experienced declines in their social media profiles post-Full Swing.
Big question
But the real question is: How has Full Swing affected players’ popularity? By using Linkfluence’s social listening tool to look at conversations, we can find out how many positive and negative posts there are about each player.
With reputations at stake and emotions running high, the upcoming Masters 2023 promises to be a scintillating spectacle where the heroes and villains of golf’s greatest upheaval go head-to-head in a clash for the ages.
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What do you think will be the league’s top survivor? LIV or PGA? Most importantly, who do you think will be the player to reap all the rewards from the frenzy? Let us know in the comments!
Source: Betway
