2022 LIV Golf in London leaderboard, takeaways: Charl Schwartzel continues historic win in inaugural event
The first event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series ended Saturday at the Centurion Club outside London, England. The largest amount ever awarded to professional golf was awarded to 48 players as former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel claimed the $4 million top prize while leading his team, Stingers GC, win the team title. For their efforts, an additional $3 million will be shared among Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen and Hennie du Plessis, who finished second in the individual portion of the tournament.
Two-time major champion Dustin Johnson had his moments throughout the week but couldn’t muster the strength to do a summation. Under 1, Johnson finished the draw in 8th place and will now aim to attend next week’s US Open at The Country Club.
Also making the transatlantic flight to Boston will be Phil Mickelson, who lost pace with laps 75-76 after opening with a 1 under 69. In the 51-year-old’s first game out Since the Saudi Arabia international in February, rust has been evident and fatigue may have started after Thursday’s game.
Mickelson is certainly not alone, as it’s been a long week covering the LIV Golf Invitational Series with new information being released every day. Kevin Na’s resignation from the PGA Tour seems to have been a long time coming, even though it has only been seven days.
With so much development in such a short time, here are some takeaways from the end of the first LIV Golf Invitational Series for those of you who might have blink of an eye.
PGA Tour partners were by their side
With more and more players jumping off the PGA Tour, the Tour should at least be reassured by many of its business partners that remain the same. Rocket Mortgage, Royal Bank of Canada and Workday – who played a role in organizing the tournament – have all dropped sponsorship from players who have or will be participating in LIV Golf, and more will follow.
DraftKings was the PGA Tour’s first official betting operator and began sponsoring Bryson DeChambeau in the fall of 2020. A relatively new partnership has fissed and the DraftKings logo removed from DeChambeau’s hat in Welcome message from LIV Golf leads me to believe that DeChambeau is giving a discount to a sponsor other than Rocket Mortgage.
Others such as MGM and Farmers’ Insurance may face the same predicament as those mentioned above. Equipment and clothing companies seem to be on the other side of the aisle, as staff bags are already in London and Jordan Brands – according to Pat Perez’s wife – will stick with their athletes signing. contract with LIV Golf.
The fields will only become stronger
The goal columns keep moving when it comes to player descriptions LIV Golf has been able to entice. At first, the tournament was a diet version of the PGA Tour Champions and was reserved for the elderly who had washed their hands, who were most likely to play golf. Then with Johnson’s inclusion, it’s for players who lack the competitive drive. Now with DeChambeau and Reed will be playing at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, from June 30 to July 2, which has now become an island for matching toys.
Put your prejudices aside and realize that LIV Golf and their deep pockets have worked incredibly well in a short amount of time – not only on the professional level but also among the amateurs. amateurs like TK Chantananuwat, 15, and David Puig of Arizona State. both sit in the top 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and are London-based participants.
The element of speculation about fan favorites Matthew Wolff and Rickie Fowler will join the fields in the future, and excitement for LIV Golf – warranted or not – will only increase. The guaranteed money is tempting, a schedule that is less strenuous than appealing from a lifestyle standpoint, and for some players it currently outweighs the glitz of history-making on the PGA Tour. .
Products will only get better
Amidst the controversy, opinion, and contest reality, it can be easy to forget that this is LIV Golf’s first broadcast production. All in all, it was a success. The richly rendered golf shots, the changes made between rounds, and the short, 5-hour viewing time are comparable to most other major sports.
It’s clear that they’ve been monitoring social media channels and listening to viewer criticism, as the inclusion of a leaderboard and the removal of various warning sounds is proof enough. Additional modifications will inevitably open up, and the strength of future competition will help move the product forward.
With news emerging about Johnson’s 4-year commitment to LIV Golf, this is unlikely to happen any time soon. The PGA Tour has been two steps behind at every key moment, and for this reason the successful launch of the LIV means the hiatus of professional golf has officially arrived.
