Kiwi golfers were not terribly visible over the past week. Ryan Fox didn’t qualify for the rich Genesis Invitational, the latest signature event on the US Tour. And both the US LPGA Tour and the DP World Tour had weeks off.
So, in a curious irony NZ’s two LIV Golf ‘defectors’, Danny Lee and Ben Campbell, held centre stage as they competed in the latest LIV event staged at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide. For what I’m sure was the first time on our television screens here, we had the sight of these two rivals Tours going head-to-head, competing for viewers. The LIV event went out live on TVNZ+ and the Genesis on Sky TV.
One thing was for sure - the presentation of the two events was profoundly different. You could be forgiven for thinking the LIV event was part of some nearby rock concert. It seemed every hole they cut to you could hear music coming at you, if not blaringly loud, at least prominently audible. I can’t say it especially disturbed or upset me. Clearly LIV wants spectators to enjoy themselves. Their motto seems to be, the more noise, the better, and interestingly the players seemed cool with it as well.
The crowds were large. Their front person kept reminding us, with almost nauseating frequency, that over 100,000 fans had showed up over the three days.
The players decked out in shorts only added to the ‘party’ atmosphere. In many ways it was LIV Golf’s answer to the recent Phoenix Open played in Arizona a couple of weeks back. Like the Phoenix Open, this event in Adelaide oozed with booze.
The huge turnout in Adelaide can, in part, be put down to the undeniable reality that Aussie golf fans have been starved of the presence of big names for their headline tournaments for years. The Australian Open, for decades going back to the ‘60s and ‘70s, was considered the unofficial 5 th Major, such was the calibre of the field this event attracted. Regular annual visitors included the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. Those days are now just a nostalgic memory. So it is not surprising to see Aussie golf fans in their droves from all round the country heading to Adelaide to catch the likes of John Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, plus a host of Australia’s best headed by Cam Smith and Mark Leishman.
But ah, what about the golf I hear you say. Well I’m afraid, here the USPGA Tour wins hands down. With all due respect to the hype and hoopla that came with the LIV coverage, the leaderboard on the final day was dominated by the likes of Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Calos Ortiz and David Puig who finished in that order from 1st to 5h . Fine golfers all of them, but household names, I don’t
think so. John Rahm and Brooks Koepka finished inside the top to give the final leaderboard a tinge of starpower. Mind you there wouldn’t be too many complaints from the two Kiwis in the field. Ben Campbell finished in a tie for 23 rd place and took home US$190,000 and Danny Lee US$135,000 for finishing 37 th in a field of 54.
Meanwhile over on Sky TV, the final two days of the Genesis produced plenty of superb golf as the
likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy tried to run down golf’s bright new star, Ludvig Aberg, the
25-year-old Swede who fired a brilliant 6 under par 66 on the last day to head off Scheffler (who also shot 66) by 3 shots. Rory’s putter unfortunately stayed cold all day and he finished just outside the top 10.
Yes, by comparison, the Genesis was free of hype and hoopla and at times their presenters are just a little too deferential towards sponsors and players. But in the end they didn’t need rock stars playing in the background. Instead, they allowed their own true rock stars of golf ie Scheffler, McIlroy and company to duel it out on the fairways and greens of Torrey Pines. PGA 1 LIV Golf 0.
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