Schwartzel's lively start to LIV series

LONDON • Charl Schwartzel's victory at the first event of the rebel LIV Golf series brought the curtain down on one of the most dramatic weeks in the history of a sport now in deep turmoil.

The breakaway circuit, fronted by former world No. 1 Greg Norman and bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, is now a real and present threat to golf's gold standard - the PGA Tour.

The stars at the opening tournament outside London, which finished on Saturday, included six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson and two-time Major champion Dustin Johnson.

But there were other big names in the 48-man field too, including former Major winners Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen.

During the event at the Centurion Club, the organisers also trumpeted the signings of 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and former Masters winner Patrick Reed.

The LIV series now heads to Portland, Oregon, later this month and it is in the United States where momentum will start to really pick up.

Rickie Fowler, Matt Wolff, Pat Perez, Bubba Watson and Jason Kokrak are set to make their circuit debuts, alongside fellow Americans DeChambeau and Reed.

Speaking on the YouTube live stream of the final round on Saturday, which had 100,000 viewers at its peak, Reed said: "I'm super excited. Being part of the evolution and change in golf is unbelievable. Portland can't get here soon enough. I can't wait, it is going to be a blast."

The PGA Tour last week suspended all 17 of its members that were in the London field, but 10 of them have already resigned their membership.

Commissioner Jay Monahan has said the "same fate holds true" for any player who competes in future LIV events, but the massive prize money involved is set to lure even more top players over.

Schwartzel pocketed US$4.75 million (S$6.6 million) - the biggest purse in golf history - after carding a final-round 72 for a seven-under 203 total, one stroke ahead of fellow South African Hennie du Plessis, for his first win on either the PGA or European Tour since 2016.

It was not lost on him or the rest of the participants that his earnings equalled what he had earned for the past four years on the PGA Tour and was roughly three times what he made for winning the 2011 Masters (US$1.44 million).

"This is an historic moment. First LIV league tournament, and man, it's awesome," Schwartzel said.

LIV organisers have vowed to "supercharge" golf, offering 54-hole tournaments with no cuts, simultaneous "shotgun starts" and a team element.

With chief executive Norman counting nine Major winners on his books, the Australian great has enough big names to make the sport's power brokers sit up and take notice.

The two-time Major champion, who tried to set up a new world tour in the 1990s, had a triumphant tone in his voice after seeing his long-held dream come to fruition, saying after the final round: "All I can say is that the evolution of golf has arrived.

"For 27 years, there have been a lot of obstacles put in our path, a lot of dreams have tried to be squashed but they couldn't squash us."

Still, those in the PGA Tour's Canadian Open field, which ended yesterday and took place concurrently to LIV's opener, are convinced they are on the right circuit and aim to stay put.

Pointing to Saturday's rollicking third round at St George's Golf and Country Club in Toronto, which ended with Rory McIlroy and Tony Finau tied atop the leaderboard at 11-under 199, four-time Major winner McIlroy said: "You look at it out there today, I mean it's certainly the best atmosphere of any golf tournament going on this week."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS