LIV Golf recently had a successful tournament in Adelaide, prompting many to wonder how to replicate that success. At a press conference at Sentosa Golf Club, Hy Flyers GC team members Phil Mickelson, Brendan Steele, Cameron Tringale, and James Piot discussed how they could continue the momentum and make LIV Golf more popular in other countries.
Sentosa Golf Club will host the LIV Golf League for the first time in Singapore. The Serapong course will witness three days of intense competition from April 28-30 as some of the biggest names in the sport vie for individual and team glory.
Captain Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/LIV Golf)
According to the six-time major winner and captain of Hy Flyers Mickelson, one of LIV Golf’s significant assets is that it can show and guarantee who will be there. In each of the LIV Golf events, some of the top golf talents are competing in team and individual events over 54-hole, creating a kind of excitement not seen before in golf tournaments except perhaps in the Ryder and Presidents Cups.
Mickelson credited the Premier of Adelaide, Peter Malinauskas, for taking a risk and bringing the best players in the world to Adelaide. The success in Adelaide has sparked interest in other cities and countries wanting to bring LIV Golf there.
Mickelson said, “Let’s face it, LIV has some of the most characters, some of the best players as well as some of the best characters in the game; whether you love them or hate them, they’re interesting, and people want to watch, and he took a risk and said we want them to come here to Adelaide and be a part of it and you saw what happened, and then the cities in Australia that initially kind of weren’t interested, now they are interested.”
The atmosphere at LIV Golf tournaments is different and appeals to a younger generation that wants to be entertained. Steele believes that LIV Golf should create franchises so fans can become fanatical about their teams.
“If you look at sports across the world today, it can be player-driven, but fans are fanatical about their teams, and that’s what we want to create here, and that’s where I see it going regardless of who’s playing where, like you become a Hy Flyers fan, whether all four of us are playing in 10 years or not, and that’s your team, and that’s who you pull for, and that’s where I see it going, and that’s what I think we’re trying to achieve here, said Steel.
Tringale thinks that the legacy of LIV Golf is innovation, while Piot believes that LIV Golf is changing the perception of golf and making it more fun and youthful.
The legacy of LIV is innovation in a game that’s been around for so long. It’s created something much different than most people are used to seeing in professional golf.
“I think it’s going to continue to grow and grow exponentially, just the attractiveness of what the product is, creating that festival-type atmosphere. That’s what people want. I think the next generation is looking more for a good time, and to be entertained, just as much as they are for quality golf, and you get both of them with LIV,” said Tringale, who is considered a whiz with his putter.
“I’m with Steeley on this one. People pull for their teams, and just being a Hy Flyer itself, I have a lot of pride in that and for me, I think the goal is to be a Hy Flyer as long as possible. It would be cool to say, hey, I was a 20-year veteran at LIV one day.
“But no, it’s been awesome, an innovation, as Cam said, changing the perception of golf and making it more of a — I wouldn’t call it a party, but at the same time, fun and youthful. That’s been the biggest thing I’ve noticed being out here,” said Poit.
In response to criticism faced by LIV Golf, Tringale said that the fan support last week was distinctive and remarkable, and he affirmed that people were enjoying what they were doing. The mood towards LIV Golf is shifting, and the success in Adelaide has shown that it can be replicated in other cities and countries.
“The fan support as a player, I think, is really distinctive and great. I would say just seeing so many people in support of what we’re doing is affirming, and it feels good to see people enjoying what we’re out there to do, which is show them a good time and put on a performance,” Tringale said.
LIV Golf Singapore will see a world-class field of 48 players battling it out on the Serapong, a course Mickelson seemed to have some idea how to tackle.
Mickelson has a significant history with the layout, having played four or five years in the Barclays Singapore Open. However, he has yet to win at Sentosa despite consistent good play. Mickelson believes that to play well at Sentosa, he needs to focus on hitting 6-, 7-, and 8-iron shots effectively, as well as driving the ball well. He has been working on these areas to prepare for the tournament and hopes to finally solve the mystery of winning at Sentosa.
LIV Golf Singapore presented by Resorts World Sentosa is the fifth event of the LIV Golf League season, giving legions of golf fans in Asia the chance to experience LIV Golf’s innovative format and action-packed style over three days at Sentosa.
The world-class field of 48 players, including major winners Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, and Charl Schwartzel, will battle it out in simultaneous team and individual play as they pursue the LIV Golf League Individual Championship and Team Championship, the culmination of a global 14-event season taking place across seven different countries.
