America’s Brooks Koepka said it “kind of sucks” after he hit his best form in years on Friday just as the breakaway LIV Golf tour’s first season is about to wind down.
In hot and windy conditions at Saudi Arabia’s Royal Greens course, the four-time major-winner shot eight-under-par 62 to lead South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel by two after the first round.
The Saudi-funded, 54-hole, no-cut invitational tour is making its debut on Saudi soil this week, ahead of the eighth and final event in Miami at the end of the month.
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“Best I’ve felt in three years. And the golf swing is starting to come around. I’m excited. Kind of sucks we only have this event and Miami left, and a bunch of time off,” said Koepka.
Saudi-funded LIV has prompted a deep split in golf by luring top players with enormous signing fees and $25 million purses, threatening the established tours.
The US PGA Tour has banned the LIV rebels, who include Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson among a clutch of major-winners, from its events, and a suspension from Europe’s DP World Tour is on hold pending a court challenge.
Koepka, who pointed to his stomach as he turned down a chocolate ice cream after his round, said he was finally back to his best after flirting with hip surgery.
“Just trying to be healthy, man. I’ve had quite a few nagging stuff over the year where we weren’t sure if we were going to go under the knife or not, and backing off in the gym has helped,” he said.
“Probably shouldn’t be eating ice cream. I mean, it looked good, though, I ain’t going to lie.” India’s Anirban Lahiri carded 67 for a share of ninth despite suffering a flu-like illness since arriving from last week’s tournament in Bangkok.
“I made it through, so I’m very happy that I didn’t collapse,” he said.
“I’ve got no energy. Probably slept 20 hours leading into today. That’s what helped me get through today.”
Players were startled by loud explosions to herald the shotgun start, where all 48 players are on course at once, and a female violinist on stilts entertained the galleries at the course north of Jeddah.
LIV, which bills itself as “golf, but louder” has positioned itself as a disrupter in an industry dominated by the US PGA Tour and its ally, Europe’s DP World Tour.
Critics have branded LIV, along with other Saudi sports ventures, as an act “sportswashing” — using high-profile events as a distraction from the conservative kingdom’s human rights record.
The LIV Golf tour faces a fight to win world rankings points, the Asian Tour’s Cho Minh Thant said, after players voiced growing frustration with the impasse.
Players are earning huge sums in LIV’s inaugural season but without points they are plunging down the rankings, jeopardising their chances of qualifying for the major championships. At this week’s LIV invitational in Saudi Arabia, Patrick Reed, now 56th, complained he was getting “hammered” in the rankings. Former world number one Dustin Johnson is down to 24th.
Even if points are introduced next year, players could be so far down the rankings that they cannot catch up.
LIV closing in on World Ranking Points | 00:44
The official rankings body, whose board is stacked with senior figures from US and European golf, is currently reviewing LIV’s case — a process that is expected to take more than a year.
“It’s an uphill battle, that’s for sure,” Cho told AFP, when reminded that the OWGR board consists of establishment figures including the heads of the US and European tours.
The Asian Tour, which formally proposed LIV for rankings points, is closely aligned with the new circuit after they struck a $200 million deal to host 10 “international” events, separate to the LIV tour, each year for up to a decade.
Cho said the deal was a “lifeline” for the Asian Tour after a nearly two-year Covid shutdown brought it close to collapse. Next season will be the most lucrative yet with up to 26 tournaments, he said.
However, the advent of LIV, which has eight tournaments in its inaugural season, has split golf with the US and European tours lined up against the Saudi-funded venture and the Asian circuit.
Cho said it was “frustrating” that Asian Tour players were now being asked to pick sides in the dispute after the tours lived “very harmoniously for decades”.
— AFP
