After the relatively sedate start to the 2025 LIV season last week in Saudi Arabia, the volume is set to turn up a notch with the second LIV tournament of the season that is due to be played in Adelaide this week.
Whilst there have been some valid criticisms of a lack of atmosphere at certain LIV events, that criticism can’t be labelled at the Adelaide event which has consistently shown what LIV at its best can look like.
Last week Adrian Meronk shocked the LIV fraternity by landing his first ever LIV title. This week some of LIV’s big guns will be looking to launch their season and claim arguably one of the best titles of the year.
With plenty of noise guaranteed, the last two Adelaide events have featured plenty of high drama and you can be assured that this week’s event will have plenty of twists and turns. Ahead of the action starting, here is everything you need to know.
The Course
The action this week is set to take place at the Grange Golf Club. The home of the LIV Adelaide event since its inception three years ago, the course isn’t the longest by any means measuring at just over 7,000 yards. Playing as a par 72, there should be plenty of birdie opportunities for the majority of the field.
As is often the way when professional golf comes to Australia, driving accuracy is set to be key as there are a whole host of bunkers and thick juicy rough that are waiting to snap up any errant balls at just a second’s notice.
As well as the bunkers, water plays a part throughout the course and a player will need to ensure that they are dialled in on both the fairways and off the tee this week. Making the most of decent approach play won’t be the easiest. With the greens playing fast and firm, putting is set to be extra challenging this week.
Players to Watch
As is often the case, the one player who will start the week as the bookmakers favourite is Jon Rahm.
Since joining the LIV ranks the two time major champion has consistently shown that he is a class apart and despite the attentions of both Joaquin Niemann and Tyrell Hatton, he showed that he was a class apart as he eventually cruised to the LIV individual championship.
Remarkably since joining LIV, Rahm is yet to finish outside of the top ten in any event that he has finished and he continued that streak at last week’s season opener in Riyadh with yet another top three finish.
Everything this week looks perfectly set up for the Spainiard to have yet another positive week and few would be surprised if Rahm was to scoop up his third LIV crown this week.
With close to 100,000 spectators set to be in attendance this week, you can be assured that the bulk of the crowd will be cheering for their man Cam Smith.
Smith is now a veteran of the LIV circuit and is one of the tour’s most successful players with three LIV titles. However he would be the first to admit that 2024 could have gone better.
Despite some solid results, Smith went without a title in 2024 and will hope to quickly regain the winning trail in 2025. Smith has always been proud to promote his Australian roots and because of that has become one of Australia’s most cherished sportsmen.
Smith has enjoyed success in his home country before and few would rule out it happening once again this week.
With golf offering plenty of value one man who fits the value mould is Tyrell Hatton. With Hatton not assured of his place in all four majors in 2025, the Englishman returned back to the DP World Tour once his LIV commitments for 2024 had come to an end and it's fair to say that his decision to keep playing through the winter and early part of 2025 has paid clear dividends.
The winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for a record breaking third time, Hatton also started off this year with a bang when winning the Dubai Desert Classic. Playing the best golf of his career, Hatton will be hoping to bring that form into this week and he looks like he will be a major threat to the rest of the field.
Whereas others have struggled to settle into life on the LIV Tour, Hatton has shown that he has had no such issues and enjoyed a superb debut season which saw him win the 2024 Nashville LIV event. Although teammates with Rahm, Hatton has been billed as Rahm’s nearest challenger for individual glory and he will hope to lay down a significant challenge to his teammate this week.
The final man who will be seeking out a victory is 2024 U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau has arguably become the face of LIV thanks to his brilliant work across YouTube. His unique insights, personality and teachings has led him to become one of the most popular players in all of golf but his success on the course hasn’t quite been at the same level.
Although he captured a second major title, he went winless on the LIV circuit and finished well down the rankings when it came down to the individual standings. He will certainly want more this year.
Outside of the strong Australian contingent that will be teeing it up this week, the Adelaide crowd will be watching and cheering on DeChambeau with a passion. Despite all of his brilliant off course work, DeChambeau is a winner and he will be desperate to prove that once again with a strong showing this week.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
