Young golfers seeking breakthroughs in LIV Golf
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Australian Elvis Smylie (left) is among several golfers aged 25 and below who are hoping to make their mark on LIV Golf.
PHOTO: LIV GOLF
- Elvis Smylie, son of tennis pros, chose golf, inspired by Adam Scott. He values the individual ownership and responsibility the sport provides.
- Smylie joined LIV Golf in early 2025 after considering the pros and cons, especially the lack of world ranking points.
- Young golfers like Caleb Surratt and Michael La Sasso are joining LIV, attracted by global competition and learning from top players.
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SINGAPORE – Coming from a family of professional athletes, sport has always been an integral part of Elvis Smylie’s life.
His parents Elizabeth and Peter both played professional tennis. His mother was far from an ordinary player, claiming four Grand Slam titles – one in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles – in the 1980s and 1990s.
Although Smylie played tennis growing up on the Gold Coast, golf ultimately captured his passion.
Introduced to the sport by his father, Smylie made it a daily pre-school routine to go to the practice range at the golf resort where he lived.
On what he preferred about golf, the 23-year-old said: “I really enjoyed the individual side of things and getting out of it what you put into it.
“I really enjoyed the ownership and the responsibility of not relying on anyone else, and I enjoyed that work ethic.”
He was speaking on the sidelines of LIV Singapore, which takes place from March 12 to 15 at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course.
His early interest in golf turned more serious when he watched former world No. 1 Adam Scott become the first Australian golfer to win the Masters in 2013.
Smylie, who was 11 at the time, was inspired by his compatriot’s accomplishment, which sparked his own dream of becoming a professional golfer and winning Majors.
He steadily rose through the ranks, before turning professional in 2021. He played on the PGA Tour of Australasia, winning twice on the circuit, before earning his DP World Tour card.
Then, discussions to join LIV Golf came in early 2025. While contemplating his future, he listed out the pros and cons of joining the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit.
The positives outweighed the negatives. However, one concern stood out – the lack of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points for LIV events at the time, which provide a pathway into golf’s Majors.
There have been developments since, with top 10 finishers in LIV events during the 2026 season earning OWGR points.
“As soon as the league finalised the world ranking points, that was like one of the only things on the cons list that alerted me. But besides that, everything else was all really positive,” said Smylie, who won on his LIV debut in Riyadh.
He is part of a group of young golfers below the age of 25 who have joined the LIV tour since its inception in 2022.
Others include DP World Tour winner Tom McKibbin, 23, 2024 US Amateur champion Josele Ballester, 22, and 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion Michael La Sasso, 21.
Caleb Surratt joined LIV Golf in 2024, during his sophomore year at the University of Tennessee.
PHOTO: LIV GOLF
Another youngster, American Caleb Surratt, took a slightly different path from Smylie.
The 21-year-old was one of the highly ranked amateurs to join the paid ranks and LIV Golf, turning professional in 2024 during his sophomore year at the University of Tennessee.
As a junior golfer, Surratt, whose father Brent was a professional long drive player, aspired to play on the PGA Tour before LIV was formed.
When the league began in 2022, he was intrigued by the new competition featuring top players like Major winners Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, who moved over from the PGA Tour.
He started watching more events and was drawn to the idea of travelling the world to compete.
LIV’s calendar in 2026 comprises 14 events across 10 countries and five continents with the league also holding its first event in Africa.
So when two-time Major winner Jon Rahm, captain of LIV team Legion XIII, extended an offer to join his team, Surratt could not refuse.
When he joined LIV two years ago, he was ranked 10th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Reflecting on his time in LIV, Surratt said: “What I really love the most is that we’re always competing in different countries, different climates and get different conditions.
“We’re travelling so much and something that I really enjoy is being able to add tools to your toolbox when you go to all these different countries, because it’s not like you’re just in the one spot, getting used to the same type of grass and same conditions, you’re always having to adjust.”
Michael La Sasso joined LIV Golf less than a year after winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship.
PHOTO: LIV GOLF
Similarly, La Sasso also ended his collegiate career prematurely to join LIV for the 2026 season.
After winning the NCAA title in 2025, the University of Mississippi undergraduate earned himself tickets to the US Open that same year and 2026 Masters.
But he gave up the opportunity to play in the latter, after choosing to join LIV and play for six-time Major champion Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC.
For these youngsters, there is also the appeal of learning from players who have established themselves among the best.
La Sasso said: “Having the ability to have people around you that have kind of been in your same position and are giving you help and information, it just kind of allows you to become more of a complete player quicker.
“That’s appealing to a lot of young players, because hopefully, we play this game for a very long time and that’s the goal.”
