Third and final day of the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament provides SA with a ripper farwell party
With Adelaide hosting LIV Golf for a second successful time, locals and visitors have flocked to the final day for a ripper party.
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Fans arrived in droves for the event’s last hurrah with maroon, gold caps and t-shirts covering the greens as they came out to cheer on the Aussie Rippers team one last time.
On the third and final day of the LIV Golf Adelaide competition, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the difference in the event compared to last year was the “size and the scale”.
“I’m just so grateful. I mean, people have travelled from afar to be here in South Australia this weekend, and we’ve got the eyes of the nation on us. What’s not to like,” he said.
“So this year, of course, we’ve increased capacity by an extra 50%, and the vast bulk of those tickets are actually going to people from outside of our state, including a lot of internationals.
“So that’s what we’ve noticed, has gone up this year, we’ve got over 10% of all tickets sold to people internationally, and then another 30% to people from outside of SA in the country, so we’re really happy about that.
“The economic benefit is substantial and all the focus, understandably, is on hotels, being full, seats on planes being occupied, and what it’s doing in the hospitality sector.
“But the power of this is having the rest of the country looking at South Australia differently in a really positive way.”
At the exclusive Club 54 venue, Australian international cricketer, Alex Carey, returned to his home state for the weekend of golf.
“It’s a fantastic event, I was here last year and it was an amazing atmosphere and it’s only getting bigger and bigger,” Mr Carey said.
“Adelaide has really turned it on this past month, to go to Gather Round and then the golf is great,” he said.
Mr Carey showed his support for the LIV tournament returning to Adelaide next year, stating that the players should be listened to when considering the location for future events.
“They all love it here, so hopefully it finishes well today and Adelaide can lock it in for a few more years.”
Over by the Watering Hole, the Franklin family from Sydney returned to Grange Golf Club for a second year after sons Beau and Jake left last year’s tournament with a passion for putting.
Beau and Jake were seated in prime position, staring down the fairway, while waving their massive head cut outs, of fan favourites Cam Smith and Bryson DeChambeau.
“We were here last year when Chase Koepka got the hole in one and the boys just loved it so we had to come back this year and my wife organised the head cut outs,” the boy’s father, Mick Franklin said.
Nine year old Beau was so inspired by his golfing heroes that he decided to participate in one of their trademark celebrations, earning him a one-of – kind experience.
“We did a shoey last night,” Beau said.
“Because they did the shoey they got four VIP passes for Fisher and were up on stage dancing with him”, mum, Sonia Franklin said.
“It was so fun,” Beau said.
Liv Golf promises to be ‘golf but louder’ and there is no denying that the Adelaide tournament has lived up to this expectation.
With pumping music, rowdy fans and blasting pyrotechnics, the location is nothing short of party central.
The gang from Gums Gallery Social Golf Group soaked up the exciting atmosphere, with member Aiden Ben getting on his mates shoulders to recite a repertoire of chants.
International players soaked up the Aussie spirit, with English golfer, Ian Poulter donning a mullet wig during his final appearance at the Watering Hole.
This action was met with cheers and chants from The Gums Gallery boys with a thumbs up in their direction from Poulter sending the crowd into overdrive.
The electrifying atmosphere attracted attendees from across Australia and overseas with New Zealand trio, Mickey Rawlings, Kylee Soanes and Johno Wright raving about their experience in Adelaide.
“I think Adelaide is Australia’s best kept secret,” Ms Soanes said.
“We have come especially for the golf and it’s so underrated and more people should come here,”
“Froth-levels are through the roof,” she said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Brisbane couple and keen golf fans, Justin and Dana Underhill.
“We were supposed to come last year but unfortunately we were sick, so we’re glad we could make it this time,” Mr Underhill said.
“It is great here in Adelaide, way more fun than a lot of the other tournaments we have been to.”
There was more than one reason to party for a group of Adelaide mates coming to catch some golf while celebrating Casbout’s bucks show.
Despite the warm weather, Mr Casbout wore a fur covered orangutan suit, an ode to his red hair, while his friends were dressed as zookeepers.
“There’s 35 of us here today for Nathan’s bucks party and we have to meet at different holes at a certain time and if we don’t we have to scull a drink,” Nathan’s father, Shane Casbout said.
“We’re having a great time.”
Thousands gathered at the 18th hole as Rippers and Stinger GC came head to head in a nail biting finish to the weekend.
As fans watched on, the crowd became silent for what possibly could have been the first and only time throughout the competition.
As the Aussies were crowned as winners, onlookers went wild in a fitting conclusion to a lively three days of golf.
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