SYDNEY (Reuters) – With sell-out crowds, beer-drenched celebrations and even a few “shoeys”, the LIV Golf rebel tour delivered on its promise to change the face of the game at its 12th event in the Australian city of Adelaide at the weekend.
A field studded with 13 major winners was enthusiastically cheered on by packed galleries and even the lack of local success did nothing to dull a festival atmosphere at The Grange Golf Club.
“Everybody here in Adelaide has had just the best time,” said English former world number three Paul Casey.
“They’re so starved of world-class golf. I think this is the best field they’ve ever had assembled in Australia outside of maybe a Presidents Cup or something like that. They’ve embraced it.”
American Talor Gooch came out on top at the 54-hole, no cut tournament with a wire-to-wire victory by three strokes to claim the $4 million first prize.
The highlight of the weekend, however, was undoubtedly the hole-in-one produced by Chase Koepka at the par-three 12th hole in Sunday’s final round.
After the ball pitched a few of feet from the flag and trickled into the hole, the American slammed his nine iron to the ground and was showered with dozens of plastic cups of beer thrown by ecstatic fans.
“I smelled like beer the whole entire rest of the day,” said Koepka, brother of four-times major champion Brooks.
“Yeah, it was wild. Crazy experience. I mean, obviously to do it on a hole like that was super-special. It definitely gave the fans something to remember.”
The enthusiasm of the fans was infectious with Bryson DeChambeau embracing the local tradition of the “shoey” – drinking beer out of a sneaker – during a post-round session on the driving range.
“I can’t say enough good things about Australia,” the 2020 U.S. Open champion posted on Twitter on Monday.
“The fans showed up and the energy was electric this week! Can’t wait for next year.”
Cameron Smith, Australia’s most recent major champion, finished fourth after a final-round six-under-par 66 and said the tournament had set the standard for the Saudi-backed circuit.
“For Aussies, I think this is the benchmark for not only, I guess, Australian LIV Golf, but kind of world LIV Golf,” said last year’s British Open champion.
“This is probably the best atmosphere, infrastructure, crowds that we’ve had. It’s pretty cool to call that our own basically.”
($1 = 1.4966 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Editing by Peter Rutherford)
