LIV Golf has gripped Adelaide once again in scenes that are an “indictment” on other major golf tours to have snubbed Australia.
When LIV Golf came to The Grange last year, Australians voted with their feet to sell over 77,000 tickets and see LIV Golf Adelaide named the best golf tournament in 2023, as well as the most attended LIV event.
On Friday’s evidence, the sequel will be even better than the original. Over 20,000 fans are thought to have lined the fairways, with over 60,000 to come across the weekend.
Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma leads the tournament at nine-under through the opening 18 holes after shooting 63, with Carloz Ortiz and Danny Lee just one shot back.
Matt Jones is the pick of the Australias at six under defending champion Taylor Gooch shot a 68 to be in the mix.
On Friday, the multi-national crowd was treated to some of golf’s best names, with Spain’s Jon Rahm making his first professional venture down under, big name Americans Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, and all-time great Phil Mickelson among those striding The Grange course this weekend.
For @1629senSA audiences - a big day. Broadcast @livgolf_league and @PowerNationSEN @AFLNation - all available on SEN Stadium, real time in venues, on the SEN app. No delay.
— Craig Hutchison (@craighutchy) April 25, 2024
A $39 million purse is on the line in 2024.
The success of LIV Golf Adelaide has seen SEN’s Andy Maher lash out at the major tours that have snubbed Australia in recent years.
“The grandstands are full, it’s 10-15 deep where people are standing and people are standing 150 metres away from the green just to get a vantage point,” Maher exclaimed on SEN’s The Run Home.
“It underlines how popular the game is in this great country, how much we love golf, and if there is a reason why LIV is as successful as it is, it’s because of the way the major tours, particularly the PGA tour, has completely cannibalised Australian golf.
“Just said, ‘you are so irrelevant, we are going to give you now chance to breathe, suffocate you and steal you of your best players and make you cease to exist’.
“It's an indictment.”
LIV Golf Preview, playing groups have been announced and all the latest with @PfitznerMiles from Grange.
— SEN SA 1629 (@1629senSA) April 25, 2024
Presented by Medallion Homes.
Join our coverage live from 11am on 1629am or the SEN app. pic.twitter.com/QEfxMNNJyG
The Australian Open and Australian PGA are played in successive weeks late in the calendar year and are the only Australian tournaments – outside of LIV – that attracts some of the world’s best.
SEN is the exclusive radio broadcaster for the highly anticipated LIV Golf Adelaide tournament on SEN Fanatic, the SEN App and SEN SA 1629am (Friday and Sunday).
