LIV Golf announce new flight deck innovation for Adelaide event
LIV Golf is introducing another wrinkle to their tournaments, with this one coming for the upcoming return to Adelaide. The tour is bringing in their very own flight deck, which is to be an elevated driving range on top of another where players will take some swings. What sets this apart is that it will also be an opportunity for some fans to meet and talk with their favorite golfers while they warm up.
It will also be a chance for them to get exclusive VIP experiences and special merchandise. It will be a relatively premium experience, and it likely won't come cheap. The opportunity to meet a golfer and to get cool souvenirs and other things is certainly exciting from a fan perspective.
Nick Haslam, LIV tournament director, cited F1 pit lane experience as the inspiration via Glam Adelaide:
“It’s all about more access for more people. You can see how close these stands are to the fairway. All over the course there will be an opportunity for fans to get super close to the action.”
Last year, Pat Perez thoroughly praised the tour and the experience he had in Adelaide, which was the inaugural event. From a player's perspective, the tournament was a major success. The tour seems intent on making it even more so for fans in 2024.
Golf author and podcaster Ellidy Pullin said via Grange Golf:
“The atmosphere and vibe leading up to this event is just so fun, I can’t wait. I’m so excited…It’s a family friendly affair, the perfect opportunity for anyone interstate to travel down to Adelaide and get amongst the live music and golf spectacle. It’s so affordable, you get to see amazing artists like FISHER, Tones and I, Flight Facilities. I think it’s just so great that it’s open for all.”
Another Adelaide ambassador, former AFL player Dylan Buckley, believes the entertainment will be "unbelievable." He claims that Australians are the best at jumping on a bandwagon, so the crowd may be filled with Ripper GC hats. Rippers is of course led by Australian golfer Cameron Smith.
Smith cited the option to play in his home country as a reason for why he defected from the PGA Tour in the first place, so this will be his second event in Australia. Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV, is also Australian.
What's the LIV Golf Adelaide prize purse?
LIV Golf usually has pretty substantial prize purses for their events. With no cuts, every player is playing for some of it, but the purse is usually so large that it can handle that. This event carries a $25 million prize purse, with $20 million going to the 54 players and $5 million being saved for the team standings.
As with most LIV Golf events, the winner can take home a whopping $4 million. For comparison, that's more than Scottie Scheffler made for winning the Masters, as his paycheck was $3.6 million. The top four placements will bring home $1 million or more.