It’s the breakaway league that has made headlines around the world since its inception and now LIV Golf has landed in South Australia to make history.
Adelaide’s Grange Golf Club will kick off its three day tournament this Friday as a first for the league in Australia with an exciting new format of shotgun starting and 54 holes.
The league takes a different approach to golf with its slogan “Golf But Louder,” with golfers including British Open Champion Cameron Smith and his all-Australian Ripper GC team Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Jediah Morgan taking the green. They will be met by a pool of international greats that include Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and LIV Golf’s first two time winner, Brooks Koepka.
The financials
LIV has paid not only hefty signing bonuses to all players, but also baseline US$25 million at each of its tournaments, with US$4 million going to individual winners, and a US$5 million payout for the winning team to split.
Even the last placed player will earn a guaranteed US$120,000. The league will also be paying performance bonuses throughout the season. As a comparison, the PGA offers US$54 million in total spread across its 8 tournaments, with not all competitors receiving payment.
The rankings
While global recognition and support have been making movement, the league is still waiting to see how official rankings will operate, and if or when LIV Golf tournaments can count towards players qualifying for other large tournaments.
In the meantime, Sports Illustrated have released their own ranking system to include LIV Golf tournaments, and reflect performance of only the past year as opposed to the past two years per the current system.
Broadcast partners
There’s no denying that golf diehards are wanting easy access to watch the LIV Golf tournaments live.
Following the deal between LIV and American broadcaster CW for the rights to air the tournaments, the Seven Network announced their own deal as the first Australian broadcast partner, to obtain rights for the 2023 LIV Golf season – a momentous move considering the tournament was previously only available on Youtube and the LIV website in 2022 in Australia.
Corporate partners
The league has also finally secured its first corporate sponsor, Easy Post, as announced in February 2023.
This opens the doors and lights the idea for other corporate sponsors to take a look at how the partnership prospers. A prominent turn for the league. It also encourages interest in team sponsorships, where operating costs are currently covered by each of the twelve teams themselves, with team captains currently having as much as 25 per cent equity stakes in their respective teams.
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LIV Golf in Adelaide
Being the fourth event of the season and hosted at the course where Norman won his first professional title in the 70’s, the tournament is expected to bring in around 20,000 spectators each day.
It will also debut a ‘Party Hole’ at the par three 12th hole as inspired by the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open. Known as ‘The Watering Hole,’ it will also have live music and entertainment, with a number of premium priced hospitality packages and suites on offer.
“I think what LIV Golf brings is a good time for fans, which means a good time for us. Especially in Adelaide, so it’ll be good fun,” Cameron Smith added.
