‘Circuses for Drunks’: Fans Blame LIV Golf After Caddie Faces Brutal Attack on the Course

LIV Golf is trying to ensure an enriching experience for fans. The recent addition of “Flight Deck” at LIV Golf Adelaide, combined with the intense music and party vibe at the Watering Hole, shows just how committed Greg Norman is to giving the audience the best experience. However, in doing so, it seems the Saudi side is digging its own grave. At least that’s what the incident with Lucas Herbert and his caddie points to!

During the second round of the Australia event, Herbert sank a remarkable 6-foot putt, finishing with a birdie at the 12th hole! With just one bogey (at the 18th hole) for the day, the golfer ended his round with an impressive 7-under-par. His stellar skills got the Aussie crowd riled up, and as he celebrated with his arms stretched wide, the crowd too joined in. Their celebrations, however, involved a lot more than cheers. The fans began hurling water, beer, and whatever else they could find on the green, literally trying to shower him!

Unfortunately, one fan threw “a full water bottle” too, and that caught Herbert’s caddie, Nick Pugh, on the head. And as he sank to the floor with the impact, remorse hit many. “Not cool,” wrote ‘Flushing It’, posting about the incident later, and the fans couldn’t agree more.

The crowd this year at Adelaide was almost double as compared to 2023. As per reports, over 70,000 tickets were sold for the event. While that was good for exposure, it also meant that the damage was more too, especially considering how last year when Chase Koepka hit an ace on Watering Hole, the crowd went wild and celebrated by again throwing beer on the greens. This led to quite a bit of damage to the course. That had agitated the club members, and this recent incident undoubtedly could have had the same result.

The video of the incident alone had fans from all around the world on edge. Posts on X were overwhelmingly negative towards the Australian crowd, with many responses dripping in sarcasm, criticizing and ridiculing their behavior.

Fans dub LIV Golf a villain after the Adelaide mishap

One fan took a jab at LIV. Posing a question, they asked, “Is this what they do at @livgolf_league events?” Throw water bottles at people after they make six-foot putts? strange game.” While, of course, the Saudi league’s ‘golf but louder’ does not stand for this at all, it seems like the new motto comes at a price!

Another fan bluntly claimed that golf was above this. They argued that golf was primarily about tradition. “This isn’t golf, Not sure what it is. Same with the Waste Management Open.” The fan clearly did not appreciate the party vibe at both the Watering Hole and WM Phoenix’s Party Hole. Fans at the Phoenix Open too often got heavily drunk and created mayhem on the greens during events. The most recent edition of the event went so far that Tour officials had to ban the sale of alcohol on the course.

Yet another shared a similar opinion. They took to X to suggest that “the issue stands at the base.” As per them, events like the Phoenix Open and LIV Golf Adelaide transformed courses into “circuses for drunks.” The unfortunate incidents like Nick getting hit with the bottle and cases of heavy alcohol poisoning at such events may be the cause of these fans’ strong opinions.

Rather than resorting to sarcasm, one fan attempted to draw a comparison between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. “That would never happen on the PGAT.” Some fans alone would argue that, seeing as to how the Watering Hole is the equivalent of the Party Hole at the Phoenix Open, where things often go wild as well. Regardless, they were of the opinion that LIV Golf strayed from tradition.

Another fan expressed their clear disappointment. “You expected less from this crowd?” they wrote, hinting at how they believed the crowd in Adelaide consistently resorted to such extremes during the event. And the Aussies, known for their passion and devotion to whatever they do, perhaps wouldn’t argue against it.

LIV Golf prioritizes providing fans with the ultimate experience. Now, whether that’s a good or bad thing after Saturday’s incident, only time will tell!