LIV Golf’s loud and novel concept captures hearts of Singapore fans

GOLF, but louder. A slogan that screamed out of numerous billboards and display screens placed around the pristine Serapong course at the Sentosa Golf Club over the weekend.

And one that befits LIV Golf, the new dynamic, powerful and captivating golf event that is revolutionising the men’s game.

Thousands of golf fans from Singapore and abroad turned up over the event’s three days from Friday (Apr 28) to Sunday to lap up the excitement and fascination of a novel idea that is choking the renowned US PGA Tour.

A crossover of many golfing megastars from the established American Tour has driven a wedge between LIV Golf and the “old faithful”.

Players such as six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson had no qualms about making the switch.

The lure of megabucks coupled with the allure for novelty in LIV Golf convinced them to disregard all talk of Saudi sportswashing and charges of human rights issues by the country.

The game itself superseded political indulgence, and over three days, it demonstrated to the Singapore fans the great appeal of LIV Golf as against the tedious, traditional four-day, 72-hole event with two sessions on the first two days.

The 54-hole, shot-gun start individual and team contests spiced with noisy fun and entertainment in the fringe activities won overwhelming approval from the thousands of local fans.

One of them, Eric Ng, echoed another of LIV Golf’s taglines. “Bigger, better, louder,” he said.

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While golfers engaged in serious rivalry on the challenging course, the spectators – which included seniors, youngsters and even toddlers – were also drawn into a variety of sideshows.

The Fan Village, a roped-in area skirting the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, was a hive of activity with games and entertainment that gave fans more than one reason to be present.

The occasional silence and usual sanctity of the six-century-old game was replaced with noise and thunder befitting the changing times.

The four-hour rounds greeted with blaring music were the order of the day. Regular renditions of Michael Jackson’s Beat It had the crowd on their feet. “Silence Please” signposts were replaced by “Ssssh” and “Zip It” poster boards, although to little effect because noise has turned out to be a key characteristic of LIV Golf.

Golfers teed off amid the din, players putted through deafening distractions and the “oohs” and “aahs” from sand shots were heard often.

The golfing megastars clearly enjoyed it. Swedish Major winner Henrik Stenson, my pro-am partner, was enjoying an Abba rendition when he practised putting on one hole.

The 2016 British Open winner said: “We get used to it. Our concentration levels are not affected. We can adjust to the new circumstances.”

That was what the 48 players did at Serapong over three days. In fact, they soaked in the atmosphere as they brought the Singapore event to a classic finish on Sunday.

American Talor Gooch and Spaniard Sergio Garcia fought tooth and nail to the finish, and only a play-off on the par-five 18th hole separated the two after the duo were locked at 17 under.

Gooch made it back-to-back victories for the first time in LIV Golf’s short history after last week’s Adelaide triumph, but only because Garcia, a Singapore Open winner at Serapong in 2018, found his three-wood second shot from 263 yards in the greenside bunker.

Gooch, as in normal play moments earlier, found the green in two and two-putted for birdie to claim US$4 million while Garcia played par and earned US$2.25 million.

American Brooks Koepka, a two-time Major winner who came close to winning the recent US Masters at Augusta until Jon Rahm snatched it from his clutches, finished third on 16 under.

Englishman Laurie Canter aced the 185-yard par-three 17th, Dean Burmester whacked to 335 yards on the 18th for the longest drive, and birdies and eagles were par for the course with Paul Casey bagging nine birdies.

In fact, every golfer went home a winner, with even last-placed James Piot on eight-over taking home US$120,000.

The 2020 SMBC Singapore Open winner Matt Kuchar won US$180,000.

And, for once at a major event, there was no talk of appearance fees. I cringed when a debate ensued when Mickelson first played in the 2007 Barclays Singapore Open at Serapong.

The topic of discussion: Was he paid an appearance fee for an event staged by his then-sponsor Barclays?

After Tiger Woods won the 2008 US Open, the same people reasoned why he should be paid at least US$300,000 for a Singapore appearance. It did not materialise.

Appearance fees will be taboo for the next five years, now that LIV Golf has signed a six-year contract with Sentosa Golf Club to bring this event to the Lion City.

And it’s all thanks to LIV Golf’s wealthy backers – Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. And their message is loud and clear, that they are here to enhance the global golf ecosystem for the long haul.