This was not a shock. DeChambeau was expected to take part in the Saudi-sponsored contest earlier in the week, but was confirmed with the usual hoopla. Greg Norman, the protagonist of LIV, welcomed DeChambeau as an athlete who “pushes the boundaries” of his sport. “Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to the LIV Golf supercharged style of play,” Norman said. “He is passionate about the sport, innovative in his approach and dedicated to going beyond the pursuit of excellence. He is not afraid to think outside the box and supports our mission to do things differently to grow our game. ” DeChambeau is expected to take part in the eight-event tour of the second stage, the Portland Invitational in Pumpkin Ridge later this month. Home commentator Jerry Foltz was excited enough to ask the question he hoped everyone would ask: “If he’s not Smash’s leader, then what do we do?” Smash is the name of one of 12 teams vying for a $ 3 million collective prize above the $ 125,000 minimum individual cash prize in addition to the multi-million dollar sign-up fees. The innovation of the game in both teams and individually is a clear way in which LIV tries, in the words of Norman, to overfeed the sport. But a wonderful summer afternoon at the Centurion Club outside Hemel Hempstead has not always been so easy to recognize how it has transformed. “It’s still just golf, it’s not,” said Connor McGuigan, one of the youngest fans on Friday. He got a free ticket from a promo code on a podcast and had fun. But it was the experience more than the sport that made him young. “Teams do not matter,” he said, “and golf has the feeling of being kicked. Many people are here to have fun and do not really watch golf. “It’s a bit like Hundred if I’m honest and there is no way I would have paid for a ticket.” Second-round pacemaker Charl Schwartzel plays in front of a small gallery at the Centurion Club. Photo: Steven Paston / PA Other people around the class were less irritating, but the quality of the competition was the same. The leaderboard early on the second day of this three-day event was climbed by players such as world number 133, Hennie du Plessis and Charl Schwartzel, 126. Home stars Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were far behind the team, as were Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell. The match at the top may not have been entirely exciting, but the match between Smash and their opponents just messed things up. If you put golf to one side, the fans on the court had nothing but praise. The large fan screen with the big screen, the biggest bar and the full potatoes (11 £ pop) was a huge success, as was the placement contest, which offered a one-way trip with all the expenses for two in Miami (light catch , this destination is the “emblematic blue monster” of Trump National Doral Miami). The successful players were regularly greeted with the greatest applause in the class. The LIV did not publish figures on the number of ticket holders along the way, but there was no doubt that the crowds were significantly smaller than in a large one. This definitely had its advantages: more space for the fans, easier access to the facilities, a general feeling that you are being taken care of. On the other hand, only one of the people the Guardian spoke to had actually paid for a ticket and did so only because the event was close enough to her home to save money on travel. GOLF BUT POSSIBLE, WELCOME TO THE FUTURE, DO NOT WANDER, the big brand messages are everywhere in Centurion. How much it really overloads beyond language remains to be seen, but in any case the message is not really for those who enjoy the sun in Hertfordshire. At the time of writing, 69,000 people were watching London Invitational from their homes on YouTube. It is the audience that is flirting with this tournament. The revolution may not have been televised yet, but it certainly is.
