If you follow the local press, there was a sense of genuine anticipation for the LIV Golf League’s debut in Australia this week at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide. Reports said 60,000 tickets were sold, while fans were allowed on the grounds during the Thursday pro-am (a LIV first). And the stadium style set-up on the par-3 12th, dubbed the “Watering Hole,” gave the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale a run for its money in terms of raucousness.
Indeed, LIV’s “Golf But Louder” slogan was rather fitting this week as the upstart circuit helds its fourth event in 2023.
Some of that anticipation cames from a lack of top-level golf events being played in the area in recent years—golf fans were starved for something to see in person. LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman’s following didn't hurt, nor did that of the four Aussies who play for Ripper GC—Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Jed Morgan. And trying to see how Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed followed up their impressive performances at the Masters two weeks ago was of genuine curiosity.
In the end, however, Talor Gooch ultimately stole the show, building a 10-stroke lead over the first two rounds with back-to-back 62s, then hanging on with a closing 73 to win by three strokes over hard-charging Anirban Lahiri and four over Patrick Reed, Smith, Cameron Tringale and Pat Perez.
As usual, LIV Golf Adelaide was a no-cut, 54-hole event with a $20 million individual prize money payout, $4 million going to Gooch for his win. There was also $5 million on the line in the team competition, which took a slight twist this week with team captains competed against each other while the other three players of each squad will comprise their own threesomes for the opening round. In the end, the 4 Aces (Dustin Johnson, Reed, Perez and Peter Uihlein) prevailed by one shots over the RangeGoats (Bubba Watson, Gooch, Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters).
Here’s the prize money payout for the field at Adalaide.
Win: Talor Gooch, 197/-19, $4,000,000
2: Anirban Lahiri, 200/-16, $2,250,000
T-3: Patrick Reed, 201/-15, $1,000,000
T-3: Cameron Smith, 201/-15, $1,000,000
T-3: Cameron Tringale, 201/-15, $1,000,000
T-3: Pat Perez, 201/-15, $1,000,000
T-7: Peter Uihlein, 202/-14, $533,333
T-7: Dean Burmester, 202/-14, $533,333
T-7: Charl Schwartzel, 202/-14, $533,333
10: Dustin Johnson, 203/-13, $415,000
T-11: Jason Kokrak, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Bubba Watson, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Kevin Na, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Sergio Garcia, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Henrik Stenson, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Phil Mickelson, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Harold Varner III, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Louis Oosthuizen, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Brooks Koepka, 204/-12, $310,000
T-11: Abraham Ancer, 204/-12, $310,000
MORE: Patrick Reed upset with U.K. arbitration ruling against LIV Golf, ponders further legal action
T-21: Marc Leishman, 205/-11, $230,000
T-21: Charles Howell III, 205/-11, $230,000
T-21: Sebastian Munoz, 205/-11, $230,000
T-24: Chase Koepka, 206/-10, $207,500
T-24: Danny Lee, 206/-10, $207,500
T-26: Ian Poulter, 207/-9, $192,500
T-26: Mito Pereira, 207/-9, $192,500
T-26: Bryson DeChambeau, 207/-9, $192,500
T-26: Brendan Steele, 207/-9, $192,500
T-30: Joaquin Niemann, 208/-8, $177,500
T-30: Bernd Wiesberger, 208/-8, $177,500
T-32: James Piot, 209/-7, $162,500
T-32: Thomas Pieters, 209/-7, $162,500
T-32: David Puig, 209/-7, $162,500
T-32: Richard Bland, 209/-7, $162,500
T-36: Lee Westwood, 210/-6, $147,500
T-36: Carlos Ortiz, 210/-6, $147,500
T-36: Graeme McDowell, 210/-6, $147,500
39: Paul Casey, 212/-4, $142,500
T-40: Scott Vincent, 213/-3, $138,750
T-40: Branden Grace, 213/-3, $138,750
42: Matt Jones, 214/-2, $135,000
43: Jediah Morgan, 215/-1, $132,500
T-44: Matthew Wolff, 216/E, $128,750
T-44: Eugenio Chacarra, 216/E, $128,750
46: Martin Kaymer, 223/+7, $125,000
47: Sihwan Kim, 230/+14, $122,500
WD: Sam Horsfield: $80,000
ALT: Laurie Canter: $40,000
Win: 4 Aces (Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Peter Uihlein). $3,000,000
2: RangeGoats (Bubba Watson, Harold Varner III, Talor Gooch, Thomas Pieters), $1,500,000
3: Stinger (Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Brendan Grace) $500,000
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