Matt Jones took a few moments to inspect Smith’s divot pattern (I learned he hits in a horizontal line as opposed to a vertical one). Smith jammed to the music playing over the speaker, and a few of the caddies lingered together. Cameron Smith went over to Lee Westwood and tried to pull down his socks.
Players were sorted by team on the range, and the mood felt relaxed. No one had to wait for a spot on the range or a hole on the green. I was curious how it’d be with every player needing to use the practice facilities at the same time, but with a 48-player field, it worked. The practice area started to fill up just before noon. It felt like a college football tailgate. It’s worth noting that big-time Tour events are electric on Sunday mornings, too, but this exceeded my expectations for LIV. It was a crisp morning, music was playing, fans were playing putting and chipping games and the mood was up.
Live golf full#
This was a full hour before any of the players even headed out. The media lot was full, as was the fan zone, and people were milling all around the range. Because the shotgun start wasn’t until after 1, I figured I’d be one of the first people on site. I had had a conflict on Friday and Saturday, so I didn’t go to the tournament. After all, those on the ground assume everyone else there is all in.ĭJ and Pat Perez at the pro-am. The whole us-vs.-them thing doesn’t exist at LIV events. They were mostly there to observe the scene, just like I was. One came from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the other from the finance world. They were LIV employees who looked to be in their early- to mid-twenties. I lost my bearings somewhere between the 3rd tee box and the 1st green (The International is quite a walk!), so I asked two guys for directions. It’s a point everyone in attendance delights in making. “Don’t the pros just seem so much happier here?” he asked. I continued my trek back to the media center. I wondered what it was like for him to go from playing all of his practice rounds and pro-ams in front of thousands of eager fans to no one at all. His energy was high and he was fully engaged. Phil got pulled aside to answer some questions for a video on the tee box of a par-3 and was definitely enjoying this particular hit. When a spot opened up, Kaymer invited him back to play this week.
They were ecstatic at the opportunity to play with Mickelson and said he was the “nicest guy ever.” Martin Kaymer had played in a previous pro-am with the other amateur in the group, who was rocking a J.P. They raved about the pairing party, and understandably so: They got the third pick of the night and discovered no one had chosen Phil yet. I walked two holes with him and his wife. I passed by Phil Mickelson’s group and learned that I share a mutual friend with one of the amateurs in his group. 1, catching a shot or two from each group along the way. I did what I usually do at events, walking most of the course forward and then turning around, walking it backward back toward No. He and his wife were volunteering for the week, and a few members had rented out their houses for players to stay in. I met a member of the club who was caddying in the pro-am who told me that the membership was psyched about the event. Based on festive social-media footage from the previous night’s LIV gala, I was hoping for a bit more action at the course. I returned to The International on Thursday. I scoffed at Talor Gooch comparing his team’s LIV victory at Pumpkin Ridge to a Ryder Cup win and chuckled when an announcer said “Joaquin Lahiri” instead of “Anirban Lahiri.” And then there’s the considerable human-rights issues that come with the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia funding the league, which has created a divide in men’s golf. I’ve had a tough time getting into the events’ YouTube broadcasts.
Live golf professional#
The press release read: “It’s believed to be the first time an elite professional golf league has allowed shorts to be worn during a round.” My immediate reaction was: What, so they don’t consider the LPGA to be an elite professional golf league? Take the recent announcement from LIV about its shorts policy. The league has, after all, been an easy target. I haven’t exactly been quiet about my general skepticism toward LIV Golf. Sunday: Oh wow, this feels like a golf tournament. (Friday and Saturday: I didn’t watch any golf.)
Thursday: This doesn’t feel like a golf tournament. Wednesday: This doesn’t feel like a golf tournament. Dustin Johnson and Greg Norman at LIV Boston.
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