For a high-profile tournament playing out under the banner of "golf, but louder,” it’s been a quiet few days.

The Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, a controversial project to many, marked its debut in the eastern United States with a much-hyped appearance at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. A one-hour drive from Manhattan, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s lush, 520-acre property failed to attract the thousands of fans on Saturday that would typically swarm the fairways, merchandise tents and food venues of a pro event on the PGA Tour.

Brian Goodman, a 40-year-old spectator from New Jersey who attended a PGA event in Charleston, South Carolina, during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed surprise at the mild turnout. "There were more people at that than there are probably right now,” he said.

And for the supposed climax of the three-day tournament on Sunday, it doesn’t look a whole lot better: General admission tickets on Stubhub were selling for as low as $7, down from $75 to get in on Saturday.

Adding to that sense of public rejection, basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley this week turned down overtures from LIV and will continue to work with Turner Network Television’s "Inside the NBA.”

"I’m not going to be unfair to Turner,” Barkley, who played in the pro-am event this week, told the New York Post. "I’m not going to be unfair to my sponsors.”

The decision, he said, was unconnected with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s backing of the series.

LIV Golf has been wrestling with mixed publicity since two-time major champion Greg Norman announced the project in March, a deep-pocketed format that seeks to upend some of the long-standing traditions of pro golf.

The absence of an established television channel prepared to broadcast LIV Golf’s events has been a clear obstacle, however. The tournaments are free online — a lure for younger viewers — but its lack of a U.S. TV network presence might make it hard for LIV Golf to attract many new fans, not to mention sponsors.

Bar a handful of established stars still at the top of their game, such as Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, the bulk of LIV Golf’s new hires is an eclectic mix of players whose pomp is behind them — think Ian Poulter or Martin Kaymer — and also-rans who rarely challenged in the big time. Stellar names from Tiger Woods to Rory McIlroy were particularly dismissive of the rival tour during the British Open championship this month.

"There are a few players that everybody wants to see that are coming from PGA, that are former winners that aren’t really in the top 10 but are still legends,” said Shane Cash, a 52-year-old fan from Pennsylvania who was referencing players like Sergio Garcia. "Then you have a lot of people that you don’t know at all. For me, there’s kind of a big gap there.”

Cash spontaneously attended the event mainly out of curiosity and because of its affordability. Noting the ambiance of the event, he called it less uptight than PGA tournaments that demand a level of etiquette eschewed by LIV.

"Here’s a little more chill,” Cash said. "They’re playing music in the background while guys are teeing off. PGA events have ‘quiet’ signs that come up before they tee off.”

Take Phil Mickelson, one of the first big names to sign up for the series. As he began his second round dressed all in black at the 12th hole, the Beastie Boys’ hit "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)” played in the background.

Younger attendees tended to be the most vocal when players were only feet away. Ryan Hager, a 27-year-old insurance manager and member of two other Trump-owned clubs, said LIV seems to cater to a more youthful crowd.

Prize money — that dwarfs what’s currently on offer on the established tours — was also a lure for some fans.

Sunday’s winner takes home $4 million, and whoever finishes last — in 48th place — is guaranteed a check for $120,000. Compare that with the Rocket Mortgage Classic currently on in Detroit, where half of the 156-strong field has gone home empty-handed because they didn’t score low enough over their first two rounds.

Henrik Stenson, the tournament leader heading into the final round, rejected criticism that the guaranteed cash means some players are treating the event as an exhibition rather than a competition.

"Just because you know we’re going to leave with compensation, that doesn’t mean that you’re not trying your absolute hardest,” said Stenson. "It’s certainly as real a competition as you can have.”