NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — First impressions go a long way. After spending three days at the LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, one thing is clear: there’s a market for this upstart circuit.
It just depends what you want to get out of a golf tournament.
If you’re a golf fan who loves the game for the history and competition, these events won’t be for you. But if you’re a general sports fan who loves festivals and fanfare, you may be interested.
When you walk through the front gates you’re immediately met with the selling points of the series on signs lining the walking path: 48 players, 12 teams, 54 holes, no cuts, shotgun starts. Night and day from a normal pro golf tournament, and that’s exactly what LIV and its players want.
Workers scrambled to build structures in the two days leading up to the start of play, with parts of the fan village still to be built less than 24 hours before Thursday’s 1:15 p.m. local time shotgun start. By the time gates opened at 10 a.m. for fans, they were able to see just what the Public Investment Fund – the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia that backs LIV Golf – is capable of.
Just a few steps further to the left and you see the fan village, filled with food and drink options ($5 for beer, $10 for wine and cocktails and $15 meals, so if you just want a small snack, good luck), a kids zone and golf activities ranging from putting and chipping challenges to mini golf and even a performance center loaded with multiple digital hitting bays and, for some reason, racing video games.
Performers riding unicycles and bicycles with juggling equipment rode around the course during play. “Alcohol monitors” are on patrol in bright yellow shirts in order to make sure no fans get overserved.
You almost forget you’re at a golf tournament.
Despite the controversy surrounding LIV Golf due to the source of its funding coming from an oppressive regime with ties to terrorism and human rights abuses, the fans don’t seem to care. They enjoy the activities outside of golf, but more than that, they just want to see the pros. LIV might not have it all figured out, but coming to a region that loves golf and is starved for tournaments was smart.
Same with their ticket discounts. Active-duty military and veterans get in for free at LIV events, same with kids 15 and younger with a ticketed adult. The series also offers 25 percent discounts for college students, teachers, medical professionals and first responders. Those who oppose the event say it pays to not have to worry about turning a profit and they’re pandering, whereas optimists argue this should be happening at other events. Both may be true.
And as for the players, they seem legitimately happy to be here this week – a booming bank account and at the very least $120,000 for finishing in last place for three days of work can do that. LIV also not only pays the way for the players, but their caddies, too. Whoever said money can’t buy happiness hasn’t seen a LIV event. It’s as if you’re in this bubble where everything seems too good to be true.
The fewer fans and fewer players makes for an interesting vibe around the grounds, and the players are eating it up. On the range after Wednesday’s pro-am, Phil Mickelson quipped to Matthew Wolff about how nice it is to not have to act like a bobblehead every hole. Instead of four amateurs per group and one player, the LIV format is two players and two amateurs and closed to fans. Another subtle change to the normal tour life that players enjoy.
With the rosters and actual names of the teams changing between events, it’s impossible to buy in on that aspect just yet (just don’t tell that to the dozens of fans rocking Mickelson’s Hy Flyers hats). Most fans on Thursday couldn’t name more than four of the 12 teams, let alone a full roster. That said, the series will expand to 14 events and re-brand as the LIV Golf League in 2023, and is expected to announce another player as soon as this weekend.
Whether you love it or hate it, LIV Golf appears to be here for the long haul.
[vertical-gallery id=778280658]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]