PREVIEW: LIV Golf Adelaide 2023

2023 LIV Golf Series
LIV Golf Adelaide
Grange Golf Club, Grange, South Australia
21st-23rd April

This could be a defining week in the history of this controversial breakaway league. LIV Golf’s notable Augusta outing seems to have given the entire venture some impetus.

I initially had my doubts. I failed to see how Koepka’s title challenge and Mickelson’s magic really translated to more interest in this ham-fisted team venture. But early suggestions seem to be that the LIV Golf Adelaide event may turn out to be the most successful LIV event thus far.

Local hero Greg Norman has fate on his side this week (this is the week of the far more chilled Zurich Classic of New Orleans). Also, the Aussie public seems to be far less invested in the broader PGA Tour-LIV Golf feud.

In fact, the ground tickets are said to be sold out. The PGA Tour of Australasia probably identifies with LIV’s struggles to break through into the mainstream. It also doesn’t hurt that Greg Norman and Cameron Smith can pique the national interest.

Grange Golf Club

Grange Golf Course is intimately connected to the journey of renegade Greg Norman. He won his first professional title here and was later responsible for an update of the layout.

This layout is actually a composite of the East and West Courses. It is located in the Adelaide sandbelt (which is often shunned in favour of its iconic Melbourne counterpart). But this layout looks like a fascinating test for the links golfers.

Measuring at a smidge under 7,000 yards, this sneaky little layout allows wiggle room for the less boisterous drivers. I think finding fairways will be at a premium this week.

There are plenty of devilish red sand traps that are ready to swallow your ball if you can’t find the right contours of the fairways. Also look for players who are able to negotiate the blustery conditions that will appear at some point his week.

The Contenders

Brooks Koepka will be glad for one thing this week: there will be no Patrick Cantlay in action. Not that that’s a real issue considering the shotgun starts. But I jest.

It will be interesting to see how the US Major behemoth bounces back from that dismal Sunday showing at Augusta. He won his last LIV start in Orlando and will be an obvious contender this week.

This course should suit Cameron Smith like a glove. But the reigning Open champion just hasn’t been the same player this season. Could home comforts give him the edge this week?

DJ will be keen to put a disappointing Masters behind him. His LIV performances have been rather low-key and far removed from the brilliance that saw him dominate last year’s tour.

Mickelson will be oozing with confidence after that sensational Sunday blitz at Augusta. This may be the first time where I’m vaguely interested in the outcome of this event. And that’s saying something.

To Win Outright:

Cam Smith 10/1 | Brooks Koepka 11/1| Joaquin Niemann 12/1  | Dustin Johnson 13/1 | Patrick Reed 16/1

Value bets

Abraham Ancer- To Win 22/1

I think it’s fair to say that Mexican Abraham Ancer has been slightly underwhelming since joining LIV (his best result was an 8th-place finish In Boston last year). And he has actually got progressively worse in all three events this season. But the deadly accurate Mexican is something of an Aussie specialist. He won the 2018 Aussie Open by five shots and starred for the Internationals at the 2019 President’s Cup (held at Royal Melbourne). He just looks the ideal candidate to plot his way around this golf course.

Mark Leishman- To Win 28/1

I’m opting to swerve Cam Smith this week. Fellow Aussie Mark Leishman has actually enjoyed a better year without really connecting the dots for all four days of an event. He was 6th at the Saudi International, T15 at Mayakoba and T13 at Tucson. He was actually the 36-hole leader at Tucson before it all came apart. He has finished 3rd in Adelaide at Kooyonga and has three top 10’s on the Aussie sandbelt. He is an exceptional bunker player with the tee-to-green game to challenge this week.

The Man to Beat- Patrick Reed- To Win 16/1

Everything just seems to be trending in Reed’s direction. The fiery American has really been in solid form for the entire year. He had a 2nd place finish at the Dubai Desert Classic before he even started his LIV Golf campaign. But he followed his recent 4th at Orlando with a showy T4 finish at Augusta. He’s really the LIV Golf practitioner who nobody is talking about in the aftermath of Augusta. He had three top five finishes on LIV last year and that elusive victory is surely just around the corner. He is usually accurate off the tee and also plays brilliantly from bunkers. He could be a handful this week.