(BLOOMBERG) - The golfers have been called hypocrites, sell-outs and traitors, while their new league has been dismissed as little more than a series of exhibition matches.

As a lifelong golf fanatic, I have closely followed the drama and mudslinging surrounding LIV Golf. But I needed to see it for myself.

So as the upstart tour began its second event in Portland, I went online and gorged myself on the controversial product at the centre of golf's civil war.

Backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, LIV Golf has lured some big stars, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, with enormous prize money and a lighter schedule.

For defecting to a rival circuit, the golfers have been suspended from the PGA Tour and have spent weeks awkwardly defending their decision to join a league backed by a country with a history of human rights abuses.

Not surprisingly, during the several hours I watched LIV Golf, there was no mention of those controversies.

Instead, I listened to the announcers go on and on about how happy the golfers were and the energy of the crowd. Every few minutes, a positive tweet about the broadcast popped up on screen.

Over the tournament, I found plenty to like about LIV Golf. I saw more shots than I usually do watching a PGA Tour event on TV. There was constant action thanks to the lack of commercials and a shotgun start, a set-up in which all the players appear on the course at the same time.

If I missed an exciting moment, I got caught up quickly via a frequent, fast-paced montage of highlights called "Don't Blink". A high-speed drone flew over the holes, creating a fun roller-coaster-like sensation.

The unique format of four-man teams, with golf-themed names like Stinger and Niblicks, added an interesting sub-plot.

But there were also plenty of off-putting features. Segments where cameras follow the golfers on their way to the course or eating breakfast provided little insight. There was an odd interview that began with what the golfers bought in the merchandise tent.

So far, LIV Golf does not appear to have a large audience. The Portland event drew an average of about 55,000 viewers on YouTube in the first two rounds and about 93,000 for the final, according to Apex Marketing Group.

For comparison, the final round of the PGA's Canadian Open on CBS last month drew an average of 2.8 million viewers.

Not being on an American TV network will make it hard for LIV Golf to win over many fans - the average age of a golf fan is 64, a demographic that is often more comfortable watching sports on cable than streaming.

At the end of LIV Golf's Portland event, I could not shake the feeling that something was missing.

They were not playing for a spot in the history books or world-ranking points determining whether they get to compete in what matters most: golf's four Majors. They were simply playing for a lot of money.

The winner got a whopping US$4 million (S$5.6 million) and the winning team split US$3 million. It was hard to get excited about millionaire golfers playing for a few million dollars more.

And because there is no cut in LIV Golf events, everyone got paid handsomely, no matter how poorly they played. That included American Pat Perez, who shot an embarrassing final-round 80.

"He's in store for a US$750,000 cheque!" LIV Golf announcer Jerry Foltz said of Perez. "In addition to what he makes in the individual competition!"

The other LIV Golf announcers laughed. I was not amused.