Day two of the Gulf Revolution and the headlines stopped coming. The sport’s biggest hitter, Bryson DeChambeau, has been confirmed as the newest star for LIV Golf.
That wasn’t a shock. DeChambeau was due to take part in the Saudi Arabia-sponsored competition since earlier in the week, but it was still confirmed with the now-customary fanfare. LIV figurehead Greg Norman hailed DeChambeau as an athlete who “pushes the boundaries of his sport.”
“Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to LIV Golf’s supercharged playstyle,” said Norman. “He is passionate about the sport, innovative in his approach and committed to pushing the boundaries in the pursuit of excellence. He’s not afraid to think outside the box and supports our mission to do things differently to grow our game.”
DeChambeau is expected to compete in leg two of the eight-event tour, the Portland Invitational at Pumpkin Ridge, later this month. Internal commentator Jerry Foltz was suitably excited, and posed the question he hoped everyone would ask: “If he’s not the captain of Smash, what are we even doing?”
Smash is the name of one of 12 teams competing for a collective prize of $3 million, in addition to individual prize pools of at least $125,000 in addition to multimillion-dollar entry fees. The innovation of playing in both teams and individually is a clear way LIV is trying to improve the sport, according to Norman. But on a beautiful summer’s afternoon at the Centurion Club outside of Hemel Hempstead, it wasn’t always so easy to spot how else things have changed.
“It’s still just golf, isn’t it,” said Connor McGuigan, one of the younger fans in attendance on Friday. He’d gotten a free ticket through a podcast promotion code and was enjoying himself. But it was more the experience than the sport that struck him as new. “Teams don’t matter,” he said, “and golf feels like a kick-around. A lot of people are here for fun and not really watching the golf. It feels a bit like the hundred if I’m being honest and there’s no way I would have paid for a ticket.”
Round two pacesetter Charl Schwarzel plays in front of a small gallery at the Centurion Club. Photo: Steven Paston/PA
Other people on the track were less acrid but the issues regarding the quality of the competition were the same. The leaderboard on day two of the three-day event was topped by the likes of world No. 133 Hennie du Plessis and Charl Schwartzel, 126. Home stars Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were far back in the field, ditto Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell. The battle at the top might not have been entirely convincing, but the battle between Team Smash and its rivals was just bewildering.
Putting the golf aside, there was nothing but praise for the fans on the course. The big fan zone with a big screen, bigger bar, and jam-packed fries (£11 each) was a big hit, as was the putting contest, which offered an all-expenses trip to Miami for two as the prize (small catch , the specific target is the Trump National Doral Miami’s “iconic blue monster”). Successful putters were regularly greeted with the biggest cheers on the course.
LIV wouldn’t release numbers on the number of ticket holders at the course, but there was no doubt the crowd was significantly fewer than at a major. This certainly had its advantages: more space for the fans, easier access to the facilities, a general feeling of being in good hands. On the other hand, only one of the people the Guardian spoke to had actually paid for a ticket, and she only did so because the event was close enough to her home to save money on the trip.
GOLF BUT LOUD, WELCOME TO THE FUTURE, DON’T BLINK, the big brand messages can be found everywhere in the Centurion. How much beyond the language will really be charged remains to be seen, but either way the message isn’t really for those enjoying the Hertfordshire sun. At the time of writing, 69,000 people were watching the London Invitational from their homes on YouTube. They are the audience this tournament is trying to attract. The revolution may not be televised yet, but it will certainly be streamed.
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