LIV Golf enjoy record-breaking week in Adelaide as breakaway league send message to PGA Tour

LIV Golf’s trip to Australia once again proved a huge success, with the home crowd treated to a dramatic final round culminating in victory for the All-Aussie Ripper GC

LIV Golf recorded their highest ever attendance at LIV Adelaide last week, as over 94,000 fans flocked through the gates at The Grange across the three days.

LIV’s return to Australian soil proved to be an emphatic one, as they enjoyed arguably their most successful week since launching back in June 2022. Following the popularly in 2023, the breakaway league went one step further this time around in Australia, and were rewarded with record-breaking ticket sales.

Almost 100,000 attended the 54-hole tournament, with Sunday’s final round providing a LIV Golf first, after The Grange hosted the Saudi-backed series’ maiden team playoff.

And the home crowd were treated to a grandstand finish, as the all-Australian Ripper GC led by former world No. 2 Cam Smith saw off their Stinger rivals over two additional holes to win the team title, whilst HyFlyers star Brendan Steele recorded his first LIV title after triumphing in the individual event.

Australia has been somewhat of a gap in the market in recent years, with the PGA Tour accused of starving the nation of top-level golf, something LIV have been quick to capitalise on. Among all those on the breakaway circuit, nobody was more pleased than LIV’s Aussie native CEO Greg Norman.

“I am extremely proud. In our league’s short history, LIV Golf Adelaide has become a can’t-miss event on Australia’s calendar of major international sporting events and this week, we raised the bar once again,” Norman said on Sunday. “I want to thank the Australian fans and those who travelled afar to be in Adelaide.

“For decades, I was blessed to play in front of so many who supported Australian golf and now, by bringing LIV Golf to Australia, the country has clearly embraced our league and what it represents: team golf – a new and needed product that is delivering for the sport’s future.

“Thank you, Adelaide, Australia, and all those who played a part in this tremendous week. See you all next year.” On the back of a successful week, Norman also had a message for the league’s doubters, who believes have been proven wrong following the rise of the circuit in his home country.

“Vindication is not the right word,” he commented. “It’s the ignorance of others who simply didn’t understand what we were trying to do,” he said. “I actually feel sorry for them because they now see the true value of LIVGolfand want to be a part of it. The support Australia gave me during my own playing career for decades was something I have never I have never forgotten.

“It’s why I brought LIV Golf back home… I did it for them. The people have well and truly spoken. Both individual and team golf is alive and well in Australia and they deserve it. I knew they would support this event… “I’m feeling extremely proud right now,” he added. “With what we’ve (LIV Golf) gone through over the past 16 months, both as a league and what I’ve copped personally… the hatred… this makes it all worthwhile.”