Big crowds watch Talor Gooch win LIV Golf in Australia, Brooks Koepka’s brother Chase sinks hole-in-one

Adelaide – American Talor Gooch clung on to score a three-stroke victory on Sunday at LIV Golf’s maiden stop in Australia, as Chase Koepka sparked wild scenes with a hole-in-one to culminate in the rebel tour’s most successful event to date.

The 31-year-old, who has won once on the PGA Tour, at the RSM Classic last season, hit back-to-back 10-under 62s to open up a huge 10-stroke lead heading into the final round at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide.

But after a birdie on the fifth hole, Gooch nearly blew it with bogeys at Nos. 7 and 8 followed by a double bogey on the 10th, reducing his lead to just two over India’s Anirban Lahiri.

He held his nerve to birdie the 11th and 13th, claiming not only the title with a one-over 73 but also a whopping US$4 million (S$5.3 million) at the 54-hole, no-cut tournament, the third stop on the circuit’s 14-event schedule.

Lahiri (65) came second ahead of four players tied for third four shots adrift, including Patrick Reed (65) and British Open champion Cameron Smith (66).

Brooks Koepka (70) and Phil Mickelson (69), joint runners-up to Spain’s Jon Rahm at the US Masters earlier in April, ended seven shots off the pace.

“Winning on any tour is hard, winning on this type of golf course in front of this type of crowd is not easy,” said Gooch, who had huge crowds more reminiscent of a Major accompanying him on his walk to the 18th.

“There were a couple of moments when it got shaky, but you knew that was going to happen. You can’t go three days on this type of golf course and not make mistakes.”

Koepka’s younger brother Chase (66) wrote his name into the history books with an ace at the so-called “watering hole” – the rowdy par-three 12th – celebrating with animated chest bumps as the crowd erupted and rained beer down on him.

While the Saudi-backed tour has faced resistance from traditionalists and struggled to crack the United States market in particular, the fervour in Australia was undeniable.

In a country starved of top-quality golf, it was a sell-out, with some 75,000 people watching the action over three days.

Large crowds followed Australian Smith, in particular, while bars, pumping music and even a tattoo parlour kept the crowds amused.

Adelaide is locked in to host a LIV event for at least another four years, with players voicing support for another one in Australia in 2024.

“This is really an example of what is possible and a new opportunity to present golf in a different way and have a different energy and a different feel,” said Mickelson, who was reportedly paid among the biggest signing fees to jump ship from the PGA Tour.

The circuit was launched in 2022 offering record purses of US$25 million, enticing a slew of Major winners and other high-profile golfers.

But it has bitterly divided the golfing world with human rights groups saying the Greg Norman-fronted circuit was conceived as an exercise in “sports washing”, to deflect criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

Meanwhile, Smith is already thinking about his defence of the British Open in July, believing he just needs “a little flick of the switch” to get back to winning ways.

The Australian won at St Andrews after a sizzling final-round 64 saw him overtake favourite Rory McIlroy, before stunning the golf world weeks later by defecting to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.

While the PGA Tour banned LIV players and a legal fight is set for an early 2024 trial, Major tournaments have allowed those who qualify to compete.

“I’ve already thought about it, I promise you,” he said, of his Open defence at Royal Liverpool.

“We’re playing a lot of golf, which is nice. I guess that tournament readiness feels like it’s really there.

“It’s just a little flick of the switch and everything is back in line, and it was how it was last year.”

Smith has won just one LIV event, in Chicago last September, since jumping ship from the PGA Tour and finished a distant 34th at the Masters a fortnight ago. AFP