LIV Golf Adelaide 2023: Second Australian event mooted for 2024
The LIV Golf canival will return to Adelaide in 2024 and a second event is being pushed by Cameron Smith and Greg Norman after the weekend’s success.
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The question every Australian wants answered after the stunning success of the inaugural LIV event in Adelaide can’t be answered with any certainty.
But there is an absolute confidence that officials including LIV boss Greg Norman will expedite any and all conversations about a second Australian event with willing parties for as soon as 2024 in the wake of what the players believe was a breakthrough event for their tour.
If Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, and the majority of the other players had their way a second Australian event next year would be added to the schedule now.
That still remains a possibility and even likely such is the groundswell of local government and corporate support with Queensland the front-runner.
Despite conceding to being on the point of exhaustion after a non-stop week on and off course, superstar Smith, who delighted day three fans as he finished fourth, declared they should also try and get even more than the 75,000 people who flooded through the gates over three days when they return next year.
“I really hope it’s bigger next year. To be honest. I think we do we do more stuff, get more people in here,” he said.
“I mean, there’s obviously a want in Australia, I think for really high quality golf. And I think the fans here really enjoyed what LIV offers and yeah, there’s no reason why we can’t make it bigger.
“(A second event) has been spoken about for a few months now and I’m not sure how far along we are. I really stay out of those conversations, to be honest.
“Part of my reason to play was to have an event here and if we got to a second one, I think, you know, that makes so much difference to things.”
Leishman said the resounding feedback from everyone who had travelled from the northern hemisphere was positive beyond even his expectations.
He finished 21st, firing only on the last day with a brilliant seven-under 65, and was almost emotional about the success, which he said reinforced even further that his decision, with Smith, to join the breakaway group was the right one.
“I expected it to be huge but this was, I’ve had chances to win majors, albeit not in Australia, and to have the crowds like that, that was a highlight of my golfing career,” Leishman, who did a shoey out of a fan’s shoe when he finished his final round on the 12th hole, said.
“Everyone is talking about two (events), not just the Aussies guys. I think you go to places that are really going to support it.
“This was on a different level. This week was really, really special.”
“It was a special week for Australian golf. Me and Cam will have a bit of a hug later on tonight and we were already very happy with our decisions, but this certainly verified it.”
Leishman knocked any critics who still called LIV an “exhibition” on the head after a drama packed final round.
“Everyone is playing so hard out there. It’s different, but different is good sometimes,” he said.
“It’s still golf and brings non-golfers to a tournament. THere;’s so many good players, and the entertainment factor is great.”
Smith said the benefits went beyond providing a party for golf-starved fans too.
“This is part of the reason why we play we want to play in front of big crowds that get excited and put golf clubs in the in the hands of kids that you know, one day want to be out here,” he said.
“So, yeah, it was it’s a massive step in the right direction for us.”
GOOCH AVOIDS AN EPIC CHOKE
Talor Gooch should never have doubted it but was given a stern reminder that “golf is really hard” after nearly surrendering a massive 10-shot lead before holding on to collect an extra special victory at the inaugural LIV event in Adelaide.
He knew he’d be nervous as he teed it up on Sunday in pursuit of the $5,7 million pay day, despite setting a new two-round scoring record for the fledgling tour. Those nerves came to the fore as the American’s nearly insurmountable lead was whittled to just three-shots before he held on to collect his maiden LIV title, by that margin.
Gooch only dropped one shot in his closing 73 but a Sunday charge from, well, pretty much everyone including home-town hero Cameron Smith heaped pressure on the leader who had been flawless and bogey-free until his final round wobbles.
He was never passed, despite the best efforts of the chasers including Anirban Lahiri who got closer than anyone, and was only two back with two to play, before finishing second after a closing 65.
“I think golf is just really hard,” Gooch said after a tougher day than he hoped, ready to celebrate with his long-time Australian caddy, Mal Baker.
“It‘s hard to put back-to-back days together like I did and even harder to do it three times in a row. I actually played fine out there today. The golf gods I think said, we don’t want this first win to be easy on you.
“Had a couple bad breaks here and there, so it made things interesting, but it was cool to kind of overcome the adversity and dig deep after I made a double on No. 10. It was kind of a point of we’re either going to dig deep and do this or you’re going to stumble coming in.
“It was cool to dig deep and get the job done.”
Smith, who finally got on the LIV podium in 2023, delighted with a hole-out from a bunker as one of his six seven as he put together a final round 66 full of near misses to end his homecoming adventure in a tie for third.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
19-under Talor Gooch
16-under Anirban Lahiri
15-under Patrick Reed, Cameron Smith, Cameron Tringale, Pat Perez
THE AUSSIES
15-under Cameron Smith
11-under Marc Leishman
2-under Matt Jones
1-under Jed Morgan
AMERICAN STEALS SHOW, LIV GOLF PARTY ROLLS ON
When the LIV caravan rolled in to Adelaide it appeared to be a one-man show with Cameron Smith plastered everywhere and expectation as much as high hopes the Aussie superstar would pocket the $5.9 million winner’s cheque.
Days of adulation and the sort of fan focus his boss, Greg Norman, encountered regularly in his pomp transitioned to enjoyment and a bevy of second day birdies for Smith who jumped in to reach of a podium finish and plenty to play for on Sunday.
But while Smith did enough to keep the masses enthralled, the one-man show became all about Talor Gooch who is just 18 holes away from his first LIV win after a second-straight round of flawless sandbelt golf at The Grange gave him a 10-shot lead going in to the final day.
The American, who credited his long-time Australian caddy, Mal Baker, for his inside knowledge on the greens in particular this week, had a six-shot lead when he made an eagle on the par five 10th hole, aided by a favourable bounce off a tree from the tee.
That lead was a ridiculous eight shots after a seventh birdie, to go with an eagle, as he again went bogey-free again, his second round of 10-under 62, as LIV players all over the course shot the lights out amid a backdrop of mood-enhancing music and uninhibited fans for a second-straight day.
Then a final hole birdie gave him a 10-shot advantage and despite his massive lead, Gooch said he was in for a nervous night knowing what’s on offer on Sunday.
“Whenever you‘re doing something that you’ve worked your whole life for, I think you’re going to get nervous,” he said.
“I’ll definitely be nervous tomorrow throughout. I was nervous today throughout. You don’t want to look like an idiot in front of a bunch of people, plain and simple.”
Gooch, who hadn’t finished better than 14th in the three LIV events so far this season, had the thousands following Smith, who still finished 11-shots behind despite shooting a 66, considering ditching the hometown hero to see the leader, such was the near-flawless level of golf he was playing.
His 20-under is the lowest 36-hole score in LIV history
Smith is “still in the tournament” but seemingly playing for second barring what would have to be one of the most calamitous collapses for Gooch not to snare the massive cash first prize on Sunday.
Coming in to the tournament everyone knew it was shorter than plenty, and as golfers like to say, was “gettable” in favourable conditions.
Calling it gettable seems an understatement with 18 players at eight-under or better, after two days of perfect weather for low-scoring which mixed perfectly with the party-like atmosphere which everyone in attendance knew was something different to what they’d seen before.
The top of the leaderboard was littered with the players they came to see as well.
Brooks Koepka, also a runner-up at Augusta and a last-start LIV winner in Orlando joined the birdie blitz with a bogey-free 65 to grab a five-way share of second place.
Fresh from his runner-up finish at the Masters Phil Mickelson, who had been criticised for his poor output before Augusta, was in second at one-stage on Saturday before dropping slightly after a seven-under 65 left him at nine-under.
The best brought their best on a windless, sunny Saturday.
Between them the players who filled the top 15 positions only had 13 bogeys for the day. It was the entertainment LIV promised in golfing form.
THE LEADERBOARD
20-under Talor Gooch
10-under Pat Perez, Brooks Koepka, Abraham Ancer, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen
THE AUSSIES
9-under Cameron Smith
4-under Marc Leishman
1-over Matt Jones
3-over Jed Morgan
Adelaide confirms LIV Golf truth many pundits didn’t want
– Russell Gould
For many golf pundits the ongoing boasts from LIV boss Greg Norman that his fledgling tour “isn‘t going anywhere” appear, on the surface at least, to be based as much on hope and the patience of his billion-dollar benefactor as anything.
But confirmation that more than half of the 48-man roster, including Australian star Cameron Smith, are on long term contracts, some up to five years, and backroom negotiations around the latest ”bid book” being prepared for a plethora of would-be event hosts is evidence of a certainty among officials which the rest of the golf world should be prepared for.
The fervour for the Adelaide version of the event was undeniable as hordes flocked to The Grange, lining the first fairway from tee to green when Smith teed up for the shotgun start on Friday in scenes Australian golf has rarely enjoyed.
South Australia is locked in to host a LIV event for at least the next four years, and could even be the opening event in 2024 with a fluid schedule trying to find room for another tournament in the region, be it in Queensland, New Zealand, or somewhere in Asia.
It won’t be in Victoria, however, as there have been zero negotiations with any golfing or government officials in a state currently aligned with the USA PGA Tour, and two instalments of the Presidents Cup locked in on their sporting calendar.
Behind closed doors at The Grange, LIV officials were positively beaming at what they saw outside and feeding off the feeling of the AFL’s Gather Round in Adelaide the previous week, the April date could yet remain a lock for a two-week annual party.
But regardless of when it will happen, it will happen because LIV is all about forward planning and dismissing, almost with a wave of the hand, continued negativity around their Saudi-backed circuit which with stern faces they regard as nothing but a production of false narratives being peddled for selfish reasons.
They would say that, and it stands to reason each organisation would push their own cause, given the massive amount of commercial dollars at stake and while LIV is seeking its share for credibility and ongoing profitability, it’s also less immediately necessary given the Saudi Public Investment Fund seems bottomless.
But the tap can be turned off and while LIV officials are still on the hunt for more top-end talent, having spoken to “everyone”, and the offer of long-term deals with sign-on bonuses, although unlikely to be in the nine-figure range offered to the likes of Smith, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, are still forthcoming.
But the need for competitive credibility will ensure that LIV won’t be invitation only, with relegation locked in for the bottom four finishers on the rankings this season, and potential movement for those ranked 25-44 as well.
Although those on long-term deals won’t be going anywhere.
Officials know LIV can’t be a “closed shop” and as one said, it needs to be “hard to get on the tour” given they will be playing for $400 million a year.
There’s a concession the likes of Sihwan Kim, who has come last in all three events this season and had a 10 on the par five seventh hole on Friday as he again sat last, can’t be the sort of player vying for such big money.
But that’s part of the ongoing evolution Norman has spoken about feverishly, and with every event like Adelaide, the more his hopes seem an achievable reality, albeit with a few holes around a product only just over 12 months old, to be more than just painted over.
“We believe in where we’re going … and we’re going to be unwavering in that commitment. We’re going to stay on course on that,” Norman said in Adelaide.
“I‘ve been asked this question a lot about my legacy, and I truly believe that my legacy from 20 years ago to my legacy today is two totally different things. My legacy of what I’m doing with LIV will be my legacy because it’s the right thing to do.”
Norman unveils bombshell next steps for LIV golf
– Rick Broadbent, The Times and AFP
As the first women’s major of the year got underway in Texas, Greg Norman says he has had talks with players about launching a LIV Golf women’s tour.
Ahead of this week’s sold-out event in Adelaide, the LIV Golf commissioner was asked if there would ever be a women’s version of the 54-hole, three day series.
“The answer to the question is yes,” he said. “We talk about it internally and I have had discussions with individual lady players, professional players.
“I personally have had discussions with individual LPGA Tour and LET Tour players. They love what our product is showcasing. They ask all the time, ‘How can we get involved?’ We’d love to see a LIV ladies series.
“Last year was a beta season and we had eight events. This year was our first season where we’re kicking off.
“We can only drink out of a fire hydrant so much, so we have a lot of opportunities and initiatives coming across our plate. Going forward we’re looking at what are the best opportunities to build on what we have today.”
Norman’s remarks, which came as the $5.1 million Chevron Championship got under way in Houston, are interesting as Amnesty International has criticised the discriminatory treatment of women in Saudi Arabia.
However, one man calling out perceived double standards in the coverage of the Saudi-funded LIV project was Peter Malinauskas, the Premier of South Australia. Sitting alongside Norman at a press conference, he said: “Just prior to the pandemic, before borders shut down, South Australia welcomed with open arms the Saudi Arabia defence minister right here in Adelaide without so much as a question from media outlets.
“We sell extraordinary amounts of barley, beef, lamb, amongst other things to Saudi Arabia. It’s a $3 billion trading partnership.”
Norman also said he had never discussed human rights with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while urging people to focus on sport and not “white noise”.
tour bosses face questions about Saudi Arabia’s “sportswashing” — the use of sport to deflect criticisms of its human rights record, including the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Asked if he had ever met Prince Mohammed or senior members of the Saudi leadership to discuss human rights, Norman said he hadn’t, insisting it was not his job.
“Why not? Because I am the chairman and CEO of LIV Golf Investments, and that’s where I focus, I focus on golf, I stay focused on golf,” he said in Adelaide.
“My job is to build out LIV and the product and the platform we have on the global front.
“Golf is a force for good,” he added. “I’ve built golf courses in Third World countries, in communist countries. So golf is a force for good, it goes everywhere with the right platform.” Human Rights Watch told national broadcaster ABC the tournament was a blatant example of sportswashing, calling it a “tool” to improve the international image of Saudi Arabia.
“We really see LIV Golf as a major sportswashing attempt by Saudi Arabia to cover up its egregious abuses,” the organisation’s Joey Shea said.
But Norman said he was proud to have brought the 54-hole, no-cut circuit, branded as “Golf but Louder”, to his homeland, saying it was “what fans want”.
“Forgetting all the white noise that everybody talks about and writes about, this is all about the game of golf and what’s good for the game of golf and what’s good for the local region,” he said.
South Australia state Premier Peter Malinauskas, sitting next to Norman at the Grange Golf Club, said hosting the tournament was an unparalleled economic opportunity and that Australia was a long-time trading partner with Saudi Arabia.
“I think as a nation, and indeed South Australia, I think we have a really proud track record of advocating on behalf of the cause of humanity, generally when it comes to human rights considerations,” he said.
“But we choose as a country to actively trade with Saudi Arabia, the largest economy within the Middle East, and we do that knowingly, without at any step of the way compromising what we collectively believe in as a country.
“LIV is not a representative of Saudi Arabia, LIV is a golf tournament, a golf tour that is shaking things up, and I think that is a good thing,” he added.
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