People came in the thousands at the Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia to catch the second event of the 2025 LIV Golf season. The number released by LIV Golf officials was 102,483. Huge! To put things into perspective, the Masters Tournament at Augusta National only sees around 40,000 fans on average. So, to say LIV Golf Adelaide was a huge deal is an understatement.

The event was also thrilling, as Joaquin Niemann came in clutch to beat Abraham Ancer despite trailing by a stroke with 4 holes remaining. Ancer had a consolation prize as his team, the Fireballs GC led by Sergio Garcia claimed the title with a margin of 6 strokes. The audience had it for worth their punny with such a nail-biting competition.

One particular person was very ecstatic about the crowd in Adelaide. It was Kenny Harms, who was Kevin Na’s caddie till August 2024. He was waxing lyrical about the Australian leg of the LIV tour to Golf Monthly reporter Garrett Johnston.

Kevin Na’s former caddie Blasts PGA Tour

In Harms’s eyes, there are no competitors to LIV Golf Adelaide be it on the PGA Tour or any other such event. This is huge, coming from Harms, who has caddied for Kevin Na during his time at the PGA Tour as well. Harms was by Na’s side when he won his five PGA Tour titles. “It’s hands down the best tournament in the world,” said the former caddie.

The PGA Tour also drew in large numbers a week before at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The Arizona event is known for attracting a big crowd. While the official numbers have not been announced since 2018, it is safe to assume that the numbers hit the high hundreds of thousands. The 2018 event saw nearly 577,000 people take in the action, significantly more than the numbers at Adelaide.

In LIV Golf’s defense, Harms said that the crowd at the TPC Scottsdale Course is not there because they love the game. The people are usually at the course to get drunk and enjoy some time under the sun. And sometimes nasty fights break out. At the 2024 Phoenix Open, safety became a major issue, as a woman fell from the grandstand on hole 16, injuring herself. “Crowds are there to watch golf unlike the Waste Management [Phoenix Open – PGA Tour event].”

Harms, went so far as to compare the LIV Golf event to the timeless Ryder Cup, stating that the Adelaide event is easily as exciting and thrilling for the golfing fans. “It has the same crowds as the majors and the Ryder Cup, yet it’s not a major or the Ryder Cup. Yes, it has a party hole, but the crowds are lined up on every hole.”

It is not just Kenny Harms who received high praise for the Australian event. New LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil also felt that the event outperformed expectations.

New LIV Golf CEO praises Adelaide event

Scott O’Neil, who was appointed as CEO replacing Greg Norman, had a lot of good things to say about the Adelaide leg.“This event is the embodiment of what LIV Golf represents: the biggest stars, the best courses, unmatched experiences, and of course, the best fans in the world,”

The first event at Riyadh was highly disappointing, with nearly no atmosphere present at all. The event was eerily reminiscent of the pandemic times when games happened behind closed doors. But Adelaide has changed that around. The Grange Country Club had a constant stream of active fans who were celebrating every stroke. Who could forget the celebrations after Patrick Reed hit the hole-in-one at the 12th hole also known as the party hole?“LIV Golf Adelaide is our showcase and brings the vision for all our events across the globe to life.

The contract of LIV Golf has been extended to 2028 with the option of further extending it through 2031. The extension only comes into place if the North Adelaide Golf Course is redeveloped successfully with a new design created by former CEO Greg Norman. This is a huge deal for the nation of Australia, as the country’s economy generated $136 million during the 2023 and 2024 events. Local tourism also experienced a significant boost due to LIV Golf Adelaide. O’Neil expressed gratitude for the support. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to honour what this community has helped us build over the last three years through a partnership that will take it to even greater heights for years to come.”

O’Neil and LIV Golf are headed to Hong Kong next. Will we see more of the same in Hong Kong or is it going to be similar to Riyadh? What do you think?