Tag: 2023 LIV Golf Adelaide

Photos: Talor Gooch through the years

View photos of Talor Gooch throughout his career.

Talor Gooch has gone from being a promising player on the PGA Tour to an under-the-radar face of LIV Golf in a blink of an eye.

Born and raised just outside of Oklahoma City, Gooch played collegiately at Oklahoma State. Turning professional in 2014, Gooch earned his way to the big time by playing on PGA Tour Canada in 2015 and ’16 before making it onto the now-Korn Ferry Tour in 2017.

Earning his PGA Tour card via the money list, Gooch made 12 of 27 cuts during his 2017-18 rookie season. Slowly gaining momentum and coming into form, Gooch finally broke through at the 2021 RSM Classic for his first PGA Tour win.

Soon after, Gooch joined LIV Golf in early 2022 becoming one of the first PGA Tour players to defect to the Saudi-backed golf league.

Originally a part of the 4 Aces alongside Dustin Johnson, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed, Gooch was signed to the Range Goats for the 2023 season. In April of ’23, Gooch picked up his first LIV win in Adelaide, Australia.

With the win and a long track record of game improvement over the years, don’t be surprised if you see his name among the top of leaderboards at majors this season.

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LIV Golf member Richard Bland admits he was ‘under the influence’ when he started Twitter spat, and now his account is off

Bland admitted he was drinking when he sent the tweet, and Pepperell had already noted he hadn’t taken the comment personally.

After a weekend in which a pair of English golfers snapped at each other on Twitter, one admitted he was under the influence and “should have known better.” He then turned his account off.

It all started on Sunday after LIV Golf Adelaide in Australia as fans showered Chase Koepka with beer when he aced the par-3 12th for just the second hole-in-one in LIV’s short history.

DP World Tour player Eddie Pepperell responded to a comment on Twitter by saying the raucous scene was akin to similar experiences on the 16th hole at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale.

“This has been happening at Scottsdale for years now, so not sure how much LIV is really changing things here,” wrote Pepperell, who has been known as an active member of Twitter.

Richard Bland, a LIV Golf member, responded with a shot at Pepperell’s tenure on the European tour.

“Ed.. tell me where on DP World there’s been a hole like this? Because in 22yrs of playing the tour I can’t think of any. But maybe your 15 minutes on tour you know different,” his tweet read.

That led Pepperell to this response:

On Monday, the two made up as Bland admitted he was drinking when he sent the tweet, and Pepperell had already noted he hadn’t taken the comment personally.

“Unfortunately I did have too many last Ed. I apologize for what I said. I should know better not to tweet under the influence,” Bland wrote.

As of Tuesday morning, Bland’s account was deactivated.

Bland finished 32nd at the LIV event in Australia and had just one top-10 finish during the circuit’s initial campaign, finishing fourth in Bangkok. His claim to fame is he won the 2021 British Masters at the age of 48 in his 478th start on the tour.

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Dustin Johnson claims he didn’t say quote attributed to him bashing PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan

“Dustin remains grateful for his time on the PGA Tour and has the utmost respect for Commissioner Monahan.”

After his 4 Aces won the team portion of LIV Golf Adelaide on Sunday, Dustin Johnson reportedly took some shots at the PGA Tour and specifically Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

“We don’t give a damn how he feels. We know how he feels about us, so it’s mutual,” Johnson told the Australian Associated Press.

On Monday, David Winkle, the CEO and President of Hambric Sports, which represents Johnson along with other golfers such as Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler, sent an email to more than 20 journalists and voices that cover the game and claimed it was an “erroneous quote.”

“I spoke with Dustin from Singapore this morning at which time he emphatically denied making any such statement. He elaborated by saying his actual response to the question was “no comment,” but mentioned that others interviewed may have answered differently,” Winkle wrote. “Dustin remains grateful for his time on the PGA Tour and has the utmost respect for Commissioner Monahan.”

Johnson resigned his PGA Tour membership in June after reportedly signing a deal that exceeded $100 million to join LIV Golf. Of the former Tour stars who have left for the breakaway tour, Johnson has been careful not to bash the circuit that helped make him a star in the game. He went 5-0 at the last Ryder Cup for Team USA and is considered the most likely LIV golfer to be considered for the U.S. team that will attempt to retain the Cup on foreign soil later this year if LIV players are selected for the team.

There was no mention in the email of walking back comments Johnson made about Talor Gooch, his former 4 Aces teammate who jumped to the RangeGoats and claimed the individual title.

“Well, yeah, I didn’t want him to win. I never want any other team to win than mine,” Johnson told media. “Yeah, obviously I like Talor, and he did really well for us last year, and obviously he played great this week. But yeah, I’m glad we snipped him, for sure, just to give it to him a little bit more.”

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Watch: Aussie fans go wild as Chase Koepka makes ace at LIV Golf Adelaide’s ‘Watering Hole’

“A once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Koepka. “It’s something to always remember.”

LIV Golf unveiled its party hole – named the Watering Hole – at the Grange Golf Club over the weekend at LIV Golf Adelaide in Australia.

Similar to the WM Phoenix Open’s “The Coliseum” par-3 16th, there was plenty of fun to be had at the Watering Hole thanks to numerous bars, and of course, a DJ (it is “Golf, But Louder” after all). And just like the PGA Tour stop in Phoenix, the Aussie fans absolutely erupted when an ace was made.

On Sunday, fans showered Smash GC’s Chase Koepka with beer when he aced the par-3 12th for just the second hole-in-one in LIV’s short history.

“A once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Koepka. “It’s something to always remember.”

Matthew Wolff recorded LIV’s first ace last year at its event near Boston.

LIV Golf Adelaide: Talor Gooch, 4 Aces win Down Under

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Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces win LIV Golf Adelaide, Talor Gooch claims first individual title

Gooch nearly blew a 10-shot lead but hung on for the wire-to-wire win in Australia.

Talor Gooch helped Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces GC win the team title in LIV Golf’s first year last October in Miami.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Gooch told Johnson that he wanted to change teams and took his talents to Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC. Johnson didn’t want someone on his team who didn’t want to be there, so he let him go.

“Me and Talor, we’re fine and we’re friends,” said Johnson back in February ahead of LIV’s first event of the season in Mexico, “but I did tell him, though, he should enjoy being on stage in Miami because that was the last time he’s going to do that.

On Sunday, four events later, both shared the stage at LIV Golf Adelaide.

After consecutive rounds of 10-under 62, Gooch entered the final round at the Grange Golf Club in Australia with a whopping 10 shot lead. The 31-year-old struggled on Sunday with a 1-over 74 but held on for a three-shot win for his first individual title.

On the flip side, Johnson’s 4 Aces stormed back in the final round to swipe the team win from the RangeGoats with an 18-under effort in the final round to win by one. The 4 Aces earned their first victory of the season after winning five times last season.

The upstart circuit led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund now heads to Sentosa Golf Club for LIV Golf Singapore, April 28–30, before it returns to the U.S. for both LIV Golf Tulsa, May 12–14 at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Oklahoma, and LIV Golf D.C., May 26–28 at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

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Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau chug a beer out of a shoe at LIV Golf Adelaide

When in Australia …

When in Australia. That’s how the saying goes, right?

This week, the LIV Golf League is Down Under for its event at Grange Golf Club in Adelaide. Through 36 holes, Talor Gooch owns a 10 (!!) shot lead after posting consecutive 10-under 62s.

However, the most note-worthy trend happening at the tournament might be the “shoeys.” Don’t know what those are?

Well, it’s when you pour a beer into a shoe and chug it.

Wouldn’t say it sounds very tasty, but it is very funny to watch someone else do it.

A few players have taken part in the tradition so far this week, local Aussie Cam Smith and Bryson DeChambeau.

Smith did one while attending a DJ set put on for the fans attending the tournament, while DeChambeau polished one off at the range.

Would you do one of these?

Cam Smith

Bryson DeChambeau

@countryclubadjacent

Australian golf hits different @brysondechambeau golf australia fypシ countryclubchronicles

♬ original sound – Country Club Adjacent

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Talor Gooch fires another 10-under 62 to lead LIV Golf Adelaide by 10 shots with one round to go

Gooch has yet to win on the LIV Golf League.

On Friday, Talor Gooch shot the lowest round of his professional career during the first round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club in Australia.

On Saturday, he did it again.

Thanks to eight birdies and an eagle, Gooch sits 20 under after two rounds, is bogey-free through 36 holes and leads the tournament by 10 shots. It would take a meltdown of epic proportions for Gooch not to be the man holding the trophy Sunday afternoon Down Under.

Six players — including Brooks Koepka and Abraham Ancer — are tied for second at 10 under.

As for some of the other big names, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson are 9 under through two rounds and are tied for eighth. Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed are 8 under, T-13, while Bryson DeChambeau is 6 under, 14 back and tied for 24th.

On the team side, the RangeGoats, who are captained by Bubba Watson and benefiting from Gooch’s stellar play, are 36 under and lead Stinger GC by three. The 4Aces GC is in solo third at 29 under.

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Talor Gooch shoots lowest round of professional career, a 10-under 62, and leads LIV Golf Adelaide by four

Here’s how it stands after day one from Australia.

Talor Gooch went deep during the opening round of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club to lead by four after the event’s first 18 holes.

He played his opening 10 holes 4 under after starting his round on the par-3 12th, and then got hot. Gooch made birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 coming home and signed for a first-round bogey-free 10-under 62. The 31-year-old doesn’t have a top-10 finish in three LIV starts so far this season but is in prime position to make a run at his first title on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.

Four shots behind Gooch are Richard Bland and Dean Burmester at 6 under. Burmester’s highlight of the day came at the par-4 eighth where he made eagle, while Bland, like Gooch, kept blemishes off his card and signed for a bogey-free day.

Five players are tied for fourth at 5 under and eight are tied for ninth at 4 under.

As for big names, Cam Smith and Brooks Koepka both sit at 3 under, T-17. Phil Mickelson is tied for 24th at 2 under while Dustin Johnson sits T-29, 1 under.

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LIV Golf’s Greg Norman talks about his ‘legacy,’ sidesteps sportswashing, calls for resolution with PGA Tour and DP World Tour

“My legacy of what I’m doing with LIV will be my legacy because it’s the right thing to do,” said Norman.

LIV Golf officials like to refer to 2022 as its beta season and 2023 as its true first season.

However you want to differentiate between the two years so far, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman hasn’t been nearly as vocal this year compared to last. That changed on Thursday when the two-time major champion was joined by Cam Smith and South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas for a press conference ahead of LIV Golf Adelaide, the upstart circuit’s first event in Australia.

Norman doubled down on previous comments and claims that the rebranded LIV Golf League will be around for the long haul and that, despite ongoing legal struggles with both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, that the entity financially backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund wants to “coexist within the golf ecosystem.”

“I do hope there gets to a position where there is resolution to this, because the game of golf doesn’t need to suffer,” said Norman on Thursday at the Grange Golf Club, the site of his first professional win. “These guys don’t need to suffer.”

“PGA Tour has got a great tour. We’re happy for them. I’m happy for them. I grew up on the PGA Tour. So did Cam. We grew up playing on the European Tour,” said Norman. “I hope they exist and keep existing, but it’s their choice of what they want to do, and if they want to keep putting up road blocks, we’re not going to go anywhere. We’ve got a great product. We’ve got investment dollars there today, investment dollars into the future that will continue to be there because of guys like this.”

To the point of those investment dollars, LIV Golf is financially backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and has long been criticized as a way for the Kingdom to sportswash its controversial human rights record. Saudi Arabia has been accused of politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. Members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.

Asked about sportswashing on Wednesday, Bryson DeChambeau said he thought that topic was “kicked that to the curb” after answering questions on the subject last year. When asked why he’s never had a conversation with anyone from the PIF about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, Norman rolled out the company line: Golf is a force for good.

“Because I’m the chairman and CEO of LIV Golf Investments, and that’s where I focus. I focus on golf. I stay focused on golf. My job is to build out LIV and the product we have on a global front,” said a perturbed Norman. “I’ve been involved with golf, like I said, as a player, as well as golf course design.

“I’ve built some golf courses in third-world countries. I’ve built golf courses in Communist countries. Golf is a force for good,” he continued. “It goes everywhere with the right platform because it delivers the right message, from education to hospitality to employment to tourism. Everywhere you go, golf is a force for good.”

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Malinauskas defended Australia’s decision to host LIV based on the potential economic impact the event may have on the region and touted how Australia and Saudi Arabia share a $3 billion trading partnership.

“But LIV is not a representative of Saudi Arabia. LIV is a golf tournament. LIV is a golf tour, and it’s shaking things up, and I think that’s a good thing,” said Malinauskas, who insinuated sportswashing is only mentioned as a last line of defense to LIV’s market disruption.

“LIV Golf is here exclusively in its capacity putting on a high-quality and elite golf tournament.”

The phrase “elite golf tournament” could be challenged, especially after Smith, who was seated next to Malinauskas, said at the Masters that LIV’s fields “aren’t as strong” as those on the PGA Tour. After acquiring some of professional golf’s biggest, boldest characters, the offseason additions for this season left something to be desired as just two top-50 players (at the time) made the move in Thomas Pieters (No. 35) and Mito Pereira (No. 50).

Norman boasted that a number of players are still waiting to join LIV, but as for those who didn’t make the 2023 cut over the likes of Pieters, Pereira, Sebastian Munoz and Brendan Steele, those players may add depth to LIV’s 48-player fields, but wouldn’t move the needle.

“There is an incredible amount of interest. We’re full,” said Norman. “Our goal is to build those franchise values out.”

Norman and those at LIV truly believe in its franchise model and that its 12 teams can be profitable, so long as the league is given time to grow and establish its place in golf.

“My legacy of what I’m doing with LIV will be my legacy,” added Norman, “because it’s the right thing to do.”

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Photos: 2023 LIV Golf Adelaide at Grange Golf Club

Check out some of the best photos from LIV Golf Adelaide.

LIV Golf is in the land Down Under.

For its fourth event of the season, the LIV Golf League is at Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, South Australia, for LIV Golf Adelaide. It’s a home game for the Australian team, which 2022 Open Championship winner Cameron Smith captains, but it’s also the first event since the Masters, where Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson tied for second.

Grange Golf Club is a par-72 layout measuring 6,946 yards. Charles Howell III, Danny Lee and Koepka won the first three LIV events of the season. Play gets underway Friday.

Adelaide is 13 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone in the United States.

This is the first of two straight weeks LIV will play in the Southern Hemisphere, with competition moving to Singapore next week.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from LIV Golf Adelaide.

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