Paul Azinger Takes Vicious Shots At The PGA Tour, Calls It 'The Qualifier For LIV Golf'

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There doesn't seem to be a middle ground when it comes to the debate about whether the PGA Tour or LIV Golf is the premier circuit in professional golf. Paul Azinger, the 12-time PGA Tour winner and former lead golf analyst for NBC, has emphatically planted his flag in LIV territory.

While there is no denying that the PGA Tour has taken a hit from a talent perspective and LIV Golf has benefited from it, that's also the only way this was ever going to go. There is a very clear winner and loser in this scenario, but the pace at which LIV has racked up these wins is something that has caught many by surprise.

With the likes of Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, and others headlining a very strong LIV roster, Azinger is convinced the list of players on the Saudi-backed circuit outshines the PGA Tour's.

"The best players aren’t all playing PGA Tour tournaments," Azinger told Golfweek. "That’s over. Suddenly, the LIV Tour, let’s just say it like this: the PGA Tour has fast become the qualifier for LIV and it’s a sad day for golf."

It's worth mentioning some context involving Azinger and the potential influence it has when it comes to him throwing that haymaker at the Tour.

NBC Golf Broadcasts Are Going To Somehow Get Worse

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Following the conclusion of the 2023 PGA Tour season, it was announced in November that NBC and Azinger would be going their separate ways. Azinger, the lead analyst for the network since 2018, was reportedly in the middle of negotiating a new one-year contract, but the money involved became an issue and NBC elected to walk away.

NBC's lead golf analyst chair has been a revolving door to begin the 2024 campaign with the likes of Geoff Ogilvy, Kevin Kisner, and Luke Donald all getting trial runs.

READ: LIV Golfers Need To Stop Whining, Austin Eckroat Plenty Cognizant, And A Terrible One And Done Run

The PGA Tour wasn't the one signing Azinger's paycheck, but given that NBC owns Golf Channel and is the biggest player in terms of PGA Tour broadcasts, Azinger being sour about the situation would be understandable.

Azinger noted "I'm not missing it at all" when referring to being back on the broadcast.

As for the 64-year-old getting back in the booth with LIV, well, he didn't entirely rule out that proposition.

"I would not rule that out. But it ain’t gonna happen," he said. "It would be stupid for me to say, ‘oh, no, I’m ruling that out.’ I don’t rule anything out except the Tour. "I’d rather call the Senior Tour than the PGA Tour to tell you the truth. I’m over the PGA Tour. To call the best senior players in the world, at least they’re the best."

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.