Seth Wenig / AP, file
Signage for LIV Golf is displayed during the pro-am round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, NJ., Thursday, July 28, 2022.
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 | 2 a.m.
LIV Golf League is making its debut in Las Vegas this week by design.
“This will be a test case for a golf tournament around the Super Bowl,” said Bryson DeChambeau, one of the league’s notable performers.
The 54-hole event begins today and runs through Saturday at Las Vegas Country Club, the historic central valley course established in 1967 and about five miles away from Allegiant Stadium. The Chiefs and 49ers play there Sunday in Super Bowl 58.
“Vegas is an exciting city,” said DeChambeau, who in 2018 won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, a PGA Tour event in Summerlin.
“I certainly enjoyed playing there. I can tell you the buzz in that environment will be quite fun. ...I hope that we can continue to highlight what LIV Golf is about. It is always golf but louder. I can’t wait to see the passion of the fans, not only for individuals but the team aspect and getting behind a team.”
LIV Golf has 13 teams of four players competing in a 14-tournament schedule. Las Vegas is the 11th different U.S. city to host a league event since its inception in 2022.
Another two golfers are playing in Las Vegas as wild card entries to create a 54-player field. The league plays 54 holes with 54 players because a round of golf with 18 birdies produces a score of 54.
“We haven’t been highlighted enough in the United States,” DeChambeau said. “I can’t wait for the response from football fans and Vegas alike.”
Financed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, the league has attracted some of the world’s top players away from the PGA with bigger purses and smaller playing fields. The payout in Las Vegas is $25 million — $20 million for individuals (including $4 million for the winner) and $5 million for teams.
Critics say the league is an attempt by the Saudis to enhance their public image through sports.
LIV players aren’t eligible to participate in PGA Tour events, but DeChambeau and other top LIV golfers — such as Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka — are hopeful the governing bodies will soon come to a resolution. Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm left the PGA Tour in December for the league, reportedly receiving $300 million to be part of LIV Golf.
“I try not to be a materialistic person, but I do owe it to my family as well to set them up for success the best I can, and having kids I think changed that quite a bit. So the money is a part of it, I’m not going to lie,” Rahm told golf.com.
DeChambeau says a deal between the leagues will eventually happen, because “there’s no way around it. This is about the good of the game for the fans and the health of the game for the fans. As time goes on, they are hungry for us to come back together.”
Until then, he’s ready to put on a show in Las Vegas — and then get out of the way for the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey to take the spotlight. DeChambeau plans to attend the Super Bowl.
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