LIV Golf fans soak up ‘buzzing’ atmosphere for tournament’s day one at Adelaide’s Grange Golf Club

Thousands of people have flocked to Grange Golf Club to soak up a “buzzing” atmosphere, as day one of the LIV tournament exceeded fan and organiser expectations.

Golf fans have descended on Grange Golf Club, travelling from far and wide for the much-anticipated LIV tournament, which has brought both controversy and a “buzz” to Adelaide.

Thousands started flowing through the gates early on day one on Friday, at least three hours before the first tee-off, with people flocking to all areas of the event from the driving range to the merchandise tent.

Andrew Jacobs, his wife Sally and their two sons, Charles, 9, and Isaac, 11, made the 1400km drive from Berry in New South Wales to explore the city and attend the LIV event.

Mr Jacobs said he wanted to make sure his sons got a chance to see top-level players in the flesh, and on Australian soil.

The Jacobs family – Andrew, Sally and sons Isaac and Charles – from NSW at the LIV Golf tournament at Grange Golf Course. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“These two (sons) have been looking forward to it immensely and they obviously see (the players) on TV and despite the controversy around LIV Golf, I think Greg Norman has done a really good job,” he said.

“To be honest, without LIV we’d have to travel internationally and we wouldn’t get a chance to see a lot of the players here.

“I’ve been to the British Open once so I got to see a lot of these players there, but it’s sort of a given that if you’re from Australia, that you’ve got to travel to see these guys. So I think this is great for golf in the country.”

His son Isaac, who’s been playing golf for just under two years, said his first professional tournament has only inspired him to take his game further when he gets back home.

“The event is fairly big and it’s fairly popular and it’s going to be a few big days here in Adelaide,” he said.

“I like golf because it is fun to play and it is a sport that is also very technical and I have to keep practising and keep getting better.”

Mother Sally said the event was good for young kids and added that her family was cheering on the Ripper GC team, which features Australian players including Cameron Smith, Matt Jones and Marc Leishman.

Jordan and Ken Speare from the Sunshine Coast enjoying the LIV Golf at Grange. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Ken Speare and his son Jordan travelled to SA from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland to watch Smith, a fellow Queenslander and LIV Golf Tour drawcard.

Mr Speare said he lived in a golfing community back home and many people he knew had also made the trip down to South Australia.

“The atmosphere here is fantastic. This is a weekend away here with me and me son and a couple of me mates from back home,” he said.

“Mate, heck, we’ll come here every year, the atmosphere is fantastic and this is what Australia has needed for so long … so long.

“A lot of guys from back home have made the trip here today, so this is bringing people in from all over the country.”

His son, Jordan, is an amateur golfer back in QLD and said he was using the opportunity to watch and learn from the best in the business.

“As my dad said, the atmosphere here is next-level and this is where I want to be in the next five years … I want to be playing on this tour, you know what I mean,” he said.

“Being able to be here and see how the pros act and how they go about their business is pretty cool to learn.”

Tickets have been sold out for the entire event, with crowds of about 25,000 people per day through the gates.

Cameron Smith of Australia plays a shot on the first day of the 2023 LIV Golf tournament in Adelaide on April 21, 2023. (Photo by Brenton Edwards/AFP)

Nick Haslam, Australia’s Managing Director of Performance 54 – the company that organises and promotes all aspects of the LIV Golf Tour worldwide – said there were some minor “learnings” from day one but that was due to the large influx of people early on.

“(When the gates opened) we had about 3500 people flowing through the gate in the first 15 minutes which is a brilliant result,” he said.

“The merchandise line was long early but I drove past the merchandise tent just now and it’s flowing smoothly which is great.

“So it’s just some teething things that you would expect on the first day but so far, so good.”

Grange Golf Club president Nicolle Reynolds said she and the club have been preparing since they got word that their course was chosen for the event late last year.

“We did a pitch to the LIV people in August last year, but we didn’t find out officially until the 14th of November, and since the 14th of November it’s been, go, go, go,” she said.

“We had no idea about the actual size and structure of a tournament of this nature but it is likely to be the biggest tournament Australia has ever seen, with about 25,000 (people) a day.”

The tournament will continue on Saturday and Sunday.

Originally published as LIV Golf fans soak up ‘buzzing’ atmosphere for tournament’s day one at Adelaide’s Grange Golf Club