As $1,700,000 Tournament’s LIV Golf Connection Becomes Clearer, Fans Tear Apart Organizers for Ignoring Rival League Stars

With only three weeks left for the ISPS Handa Australian Open, fans noticed two surprise additions to the star-studded field. Besides Robert MacIntyre, Adam Scott, Cameron Smith, and defending champion Adrian Meronk, two Chilean LIV Golf pros also joined the $1,700,000 title race.

However, the news didn’t come from any official announcement. Clearly, that has not sat well with most Australian golf fans. They were riled that Golf Australia, despite promoting every other player, chose to play down the news of the LIV golfers’ involvement. But who are the two golfers at the center of the firestorm? And what made the fans lash out at the organizers?

Two more LIV Golf Pros are set to tee off at the Australian Open

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Chilean superstars Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira are in the lineup of the ISPS Handa Australian Open. Australia’s LIV Golf star, Cameron Smith, was already slated to join the league. However, other names have surprised many, as there were no official announcements yet from the organizer. 

Chilean star Mito Pereira was the top-performing LIV Golfer at the 2022 PGA Championship, finishing in the third position. This year, the Torque GC golfer sealed the eighth position on the LIV’s season-long leaderboard with a runner-up finish at the Greenbrier event. Niemann, the captain of Torque GC, has led his team to four victories this year, clinching the third spot at the 2023 leaderboard.

Undoubtedly, the two Chilean stars’ addition to the tournament has caught the attention of fans. However, they also questioned why Golf Australia was reluctant to promote the LIV stars. Fans have speculated it’s because of Golf Australia’s association with the PGA Tour.

Fans did not take it too kindly that despite being within OWGR’s 100 rankings, the organizers chose to suppress the LIV golfers’ involvement in the league. Many questioned the rationale behind the decision on X (formerly Twitter).

Fans question Golf Australia over choices

Michael Block, the golf cult hero’s addition to the ISPS Handa Australian Open, is in the spotlight. Some Australian golf fans feel the organizers should put more money and attention into getting more LIV golfers instead. 

Turns out, despite not getting enough attention, the LIV golfers enjoy a huge fan following in the Southern Hemisphere. Some fans are rooting for them to win.

Fans are pretty excited to watch the Chilean duo tee it up at The Lakes Golf Club. Presumably, this is an impact of the LIV Adelaide event. 

The impact only three LIV golfers have made is astonishing. One can only imagine what would have happened if more players joined the league.

Read More: Amid Increasing Rumors, Are PGA Tour Pros Allowed to Play in LIV Golf’s Qualifying Event?

Some fans feel the Australian Golf’s decision to cold-shoulder to LIV golfers is lamentable. They want more updates from the organizers.

Surprisingly, only a handful of players from the OWGR top 100 ranking have joined the lineup. One reason could be that the dates clash with the Hero World Challenge, which is also set to tee off on November 30 and run through December 3.

It remains to be seen if the online backlash prompts the organizers to change their decision or not. Nonetheless, expect some boos on the course reserved for Golf Australia.

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