Latest news with #LIVGolfAdelaide


Fox News
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
What's next for LIV Golf? CEO Scott O'Neil says future ‘looks like Formula One of golf'
MIAMI — Not long after Abraham Ancer finished on the 18th green at LIV Golf Adelaide, his captain Sergio Garcia was there for a huge hug. The Fireballs GC won the team event but Ancer's finish — a sequence of bogeys to close the weekend — dropped him to second behind Joaquin Niemann, who took the individual win. It was a welcome-to-team-golf moment for new LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil, who joined the league in January. O'Neil said he got the chills. "I was like, what did I walk into? This is a gift," O'Neil told FOX Sports Wednesday ahead of LIV Golf Miami. "You have the greats of the game passing down their love and knowledge — and rooting for these young guys. I was like, 'Okay, team golf. I get it.'" O'Neil took over for former CEO Greg Norman, who remains on LIV Golf's board of directors. O'Neil previously served as CEO and President of Madison Square Garden Sports, overseeing operations for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, and then later took over as CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, where he oversaw the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. For this weekend, the focus is on Trump National Doral, the host course for LIV Golf Miami. O'Neil will oversee the event, which tees off on Friday and concludes Sunday — airing on FOX Sports. But it will also feature a Sublime concert, a Jacob Fellander art exhibit and "The Duels," a showdown match pairing the league's stars with golf influencers. When it comes to the future of LIV Golf, O'Neil is intent on creating a product that looks like what he saw in Adelaide — not just in terms of the special moment between a superstar and a budding youngster, but also in recreating the energy and electricity that the Australian event brought. "I know what the future looks like [for LIV]," he said. "It looks like Adelaide in 14 markets. And, to me, it looks like our players are welcome, and there's more outlets for them in the majors. I feel like it looks like Formula One of golf, and I feel the team concept will get traction. … We're three years old. Think about that. Having worked at the NBA and NFL and NHL, what do you think the NBA looked like at Year 3? And then you look at us, you're like, 'What we've done is impossible.'" What is LIV Adelaide like? It's an electric and raucous party atmosphere where the focus is on the golf — but the league also offers a festival-type experience with music and events. The athletes love it. Jon Rahm has referenced it as the most fun event on the LIV calendar. Will LIV expand to new courses? Will they bring in new stars? Will they add new teams? "Yes, to any and all of those, so long as they're good for growing the game of golf," O'Neil said. "So if more teams do that, or some new players do that, yeah, we'll look at all of those things going forward." O'Neil said that LIV has already reached 800 million homes this year — up 300 million over a year — thanks in part to broadcast relationships with FOX Sports, ITV and DAZN. O'Neil also said 30 percent of LIV event attendees are attending their first golf event. And 40 percent of the league's event attendees are women. The average age of attendees is 15 years younger than an average golf event. In short, their demographic is different than the average golf fan. "I want to be ambitious, and I want big eyes, and I want a big vision," O'Neil said. "And all that we have here. I walked into it. I inherited. It is amazing. But I also want to be patient and I want to be grounded in realism, and I want to enjoy this in the moment — like actually enjoy where we are with these stars and these young talent and these incredible courses and traveling around the world. … [The golfers] are wonderful ambassadors of the game and I think that really bodes well for where we're heading." O'Neil didn't lose sight of the golfers he has in the current stable. And he wants to make sure the world gets to know his players better. The league will always be about the major winners and big stars. O'Neil appreciated the way that Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson. But it's about building up the up-and-coming youngsters or out-of-nowhere veterans: Sam Munoz, Dean Burmester, David Puig and Tom McKibbin. "There's some amazing stories and, quite frankly, I want some of them told," O'Neil said. "Ratings will be driven by stars, and sponsorship dollars will be driven by the stars. And, and these teams will be driven by the stars. I know that. But, man, the depth of this field is real." O'Neil himself isn't a lifer when it comes to golf. He has only just come to play the game and he's working hard at it — hitting the range on Wednesday after his meetings. And he kept saying that it has been "humbling" to pick up a club, particularly as he gets out more with some of the stars on the tour. Both Garcia and Mickelson have coached — or at least given tips — to O'Neil during their rounds together. Garcia? He's the best coach of the group. But… "Not very nice," O'Neil said with a laugh. And Mickelson — well, he's not always a sweetie either. "My favorite moment was with Phil and I hit a good shot. And he looked at me and said, 'Hmm, I didn't see that one coming.' I have laughed more than I've cried out there," O'Neil said. "[The swing] — it takes time." When it comes to building the LIV brand, O'Neil seems to be building with that same balance of patience and determination that he has with his swing. Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL and LIV Golf reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!


Fox Sports
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
What's next for LIV Golf? CEO Scott O'Neil says future ‘looks like Formula One of golf'
MIAMI — Not long after Abraham Ancer finished on the 18th green at LIV Golf Adelaide, his captain Sergio Garcia was there for a huge hug. The Fireballs GC won the team event but Ancer's finish — a sequence of bogeys to close the weekend — dropped him to second behind Joaquin Niemann, who took the individual win. It was a welcome-to-team-golf moment for new LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil, who joined the league in January. O'Neil said he got the chills. "I was like, what did I walk into? This is a gift," O'Neil told FOX Sports Wednesday ahead of LIV Golf Miami. "You have the greats of the game passing down their love and knowledge — and rooting for these young guys. I was like, 'Okay, team golf. I get it.'" O'Neil took over for former CEO Greg Norman, who remains on LIV Golf's board of directors. O'Neil previously served as CEO and President of Madison Square Garden Sports, overseeing operations for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, and then later took over as CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, where he oversaw the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. For this weekend, the focus is on Trump National Doral, the host course for LIV Golf Miami. O'Neil will oversee the event, which tees off on Friday and concludes Sunday — airing on FOX Sports. But it will also feature a Sublime concert, a Jacob Fellander art exhibit and "The Duels," a showdown match pairing the league's stars with golf influencers. When it comes to the future of LIV Golf, O'Neil is intent on creating a product that looks like what he saw in Adelaide — not just in terms of the special moment between a superstar and a budding youngster, but also in recreating the energy and electricity that the Australian event brought. "I know what the future looks like [for LIV]," he said. "It looks like Adelaide in 14 markets. And, to me, it looks like our players are welcome, and there's more outlets for them in the majors. I feel like it looks like Formula One of golf, and I feel the team concept will get traction. … We're three years old. Think about that. Having worked at the NBA and NFL and NHL, what do you think the NBA looked like at Year 3? And then you look at us, you're like, 'What we've done is impossible.'" What is LIV Adelaide like? It's an electric and raucous party atmosphere where the focus is on the golf — but the league also offers a festival-type experience with music and events. The athletes love it. Jon Rahm has referenced it as the most fun event on the LIV calendar. Will LIV expand to new courses? Will they bring in new stars? Will they add new teams? "Yes, to any and all of those, so long as they're good for growing the game of golf," O'Neil said. "So if more teams do that, or some new players do that, yeah, we'll look at all of those things going forward." O'Neil said that LIV has already reached 800 million homes this year — up 300 million over a year — thanks in part to broadcast relationships with FOX Sports, ITV and DAZN. O'Neil also said 30 percent of LIV event attendees are attending their first golf event. And 40 percent of the league's event attendees are women. The average age of attendees is 15 years younger than an average golf event. In short, their demographic is different than the average golf fan. "I want to be ambitious, and I want big eyes, and I want a big vision," O'Neil said. "And all that we have here. I walked into it. I inherited. It is amazing. But I also want to be patient and I want to be grounded in realism, and I want to enjoy this in the moment — like actually enjoy where we are with these stars and these young talent and these incredible courses and traveling around the world. … [The golfers] are wonderful ambassadors of the game and I think that really bodes well for where we're heading." O'Neil didn't lose sight of the golfers he has in the current stable. And he wants to make sure the world gets to know his players better. The league will always be about the major winners and big stars. O'Neil appreciated the way that Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson. But it's about building up the up-and-coming youngsters or out-of-nowhere veterans: Sam Munoz, Dean Burmester, David Puig and Tom McKibbin. "There's some amazing stories and, quite frankly, I want some of them told," O'Neil said. "Ratings will be driven by stars, and sponsorship dollars will be driven by the stars. And, and these teams will be driven by the stars. I know that. But, man, the depth of this field is real." O'Neil himself isn't a lifer when it comes to golf. He has only just come to play the game and he's working hard at it — hitting the range on Wednesday after his meetings. And he kept saying that it has been "humbling" to pick up a club, particularly as he gets out more with some of the stars on the tour. Both Garcia and Mickelson have coached — or at least given tips — to O'Neil during their rounds together. Garcia? He's the best coach of the group. But… "Not very nice," O'Neil said with a laugh. And Mickelson — well, he's not always a sweetie either. "My favorite moment was with Phil and I hit a good shot. And he looked at me and said, 'Hmm, I didn't see that one coming.' I have laughed more than I've cried out there," O'Neil said. "[The swing] — it takes time." When it comes to building the LIV brand, O'Neil seems to be building with that same balance of patience and determination that he has with his swing. Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL and LIV Golf reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more


Fox Sports
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC wins second straight at LIV Golf Hong Kong
HONG KONG – Sergio Garcia and his red-hot Fireballs GC team captured both trophies Sunday at LIV Golf Hong Kong, while HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson appears to have recaptured his Hall of Fame form. [Related: What is LIV Golf? Format, everything to know about the 2025 season ] Led by their captain, Garcia, the Fireballs have now won back-to-back tournaments, having claimed LIV Golf Adelaide last month. They will head to next week's LIV Golf Singapore seeking to become the first LIV Golf team to win three consecutive tournaments since the league expanded to a full 14-tournament schedule in 2023. Garcia shot a bogey-free 7-under 63 to finish at 18 under and claim the individual title by three shots over hard-charging Dean Burmester, whose 62 was the low round of the day. Garcia, who finished third in the season-long Individual Championship race last season, moved atop the points standings after the first three events in 2025. The 45-year-old Garcia played the final hole Sunday with a comfortable individual lead but needed to make par to avoid dropping into a team playoff with Burmester's Stinger GC. Facing a lengthy birdie putt, he rolled it to within tap-in range to seal the Fireballs' sixth LIV Golf team title in club history. They climbed atop the season-long team standings by 10 points over Legion XIII. "It was nice to see not only that I was doing well and leading the tournament, but my teammates were playing great," said Garcia, who follows teammate Abraham Ancer as individual champions in Hong Kong. "They were keeping us there with a chance to win. Obviously, when you can pull the double, it's a lot sweeter than if it's just one of them. Very proud of them." The Fireballs and Stingers appeared headed for a playoff until Luis Masaveu, the 22-year-old Spaniard signed by Garcia in the offseason, birdied his final hole, the short par-4 10th. "It feels incredible," said Masaveu. "Very happy for the team to be able to hole that putt and help them." Masaveu shot an even-par 70, with Ancer shooting 65 and David Puig a bogey-free 67 for a three-day team total of 37 under. The South African Stingers shot 17 under as a team on Sunday to finish one shot back. Mickelson's HyFlyers GC tied for third at 34 under with Cameron Smith's Ripper GC, the reigning Team Champions. It was the HyFlyers' third podium result in team history. Individually, Mickelson finished solo third after his 64 left him at 14 under. It's the first podium finish for the 54-year-old Mickelson since joining LIV Golf as an original member in 2022, and it couldn't have come at a better time with golf's first major just a month away at the Masters. "The fact is, I'm hitting a lot of good shots," said Mickelson, who has won three of his six majors at Augusta National. "I'm playing some good golf. This is a building week as I continue to build into LIV and my goal of accomplishing a win in LIV as well as winning another major or getting ready for Augusta." [Read more: Mito Pereira's hole in one at LIV Golf Hong Kong puts Torque GC in solo lead] Garcia is also a past Masters champion, and his form has been superb for more than a year. Since the start of the 2024 LIV Golf season, he has two wins, three other runner-up finishes, and 13 top 20s in the last 16 LIV Golf regular season events, including 10 straight after Hong Kong. He entered Sunday's final round with a share of the lead but made an early statement by holing a lengthy eagle putt at the par-5 third after finding the green in two with a 6-iron. That gave him a two-shot lead, which he never relinquished. "It really got me in a good mood," Garcia said of the eagle. "I was very focused on what I wanted to do. But obviously, when that happens, it gets you going even more." Always one of golf's best ball-strikers, Garcia's putting was dialed in at Hong Kong Golf Club, as he ranked third in the field in the fewest putts during the week after switching to one of his old putters. "I played with him yesterday," Masaveu said. "He's a machine." Asked if Garcia with a hot putter is as good as it gets in professional golf, Ancer offered a one-word response. "Yes." TEAM SCORES LIV Golf's new scoring format this season now involves all four scores now counting in every round in the team competition. Here are the results and scores for each team after Sunday's Round 3 of LIV Golf Hong Kong. 1. FIREBALLS GC -37 (Garcia 63, Ancer 65, Puig 67, Masaveu 70; Rd. 3 score: -15) 2. STINGER GC -36 (Burmester 62, Grace 67, Oosthuizen 67, Schwartzel 67; Rd. 3 score: -17) T3. RIPPER GC -34 (Herbert 64, Leishman 65, Smith 66, Jones 67; Rd. 3 score: -18) T3. HYFLYERS GC -34 (Mickelson 64, Steele 66, Ogletree 69, Tringale 70; Rd. 3 score: -11) T5. LEGION XIII -33 (McKibbin 66, Rahm 66, Hatton 69, Surratt 69; Rd. 3 score: -10) T5. TORQUE GC -33 (Niemann 66, Muñoz 67, Ortiz 68, Pereira 71; Rd. 3 score: -8) 7. RANGEGOATS GC -24 (Wolff 66, Campbell 68, Watson 69, Uihlein 70; Rd. 3 score: -6) 8. 4ACES GC -23 (Johnson 64, Reed 66, Varner III 66, Pieters 68; Rd. 3 score: -16) 9. CRUSHERS GC -22 (Casey 69, Lahiri 69, DeChambeau 70, Howell III 70; Rd. 3 score: -2) 10. IRON HEADS GC -21 (Na 65, Jang 66, Lee 66, Schniederjans 68; Rd. 3 score: -15) 11. CLEEKS GC -20 (Bland 65, Kaymer 67, Kjettrup 69, Meronk 69; Rd. 3 score: -10) 12. SMASH GC -17 (Koepka 68, McDowell 68, Gooch 69, Kokrak 70; Rd. 3 score: -5) 13. MAJESTICKS GC -6 (Westwood 68, Poulter 69, Horsfield 73, Stenson 74; Rd. 3 score: +4) Wild Cards: C. Lee 67 (T12), Kim 67 (T50) This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience LIV Golf recommended Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more


Arab News
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Fireballs, Garcia claim wins at LIV Golf Hong Kong
HONG KONG: Sergio Garcia and his red-hot Fireballs GC team captured both trophies on Sunday at LIV Golf Hong Kong, while HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson appears to have recaptured his Hall of Fame form. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Led by their captain Garcia, the Fireballs have now won back-to-back tournaments, having claimed LIV Golf Adelaide last month. They will head to next week's LIV Golf Singapore presented by Aramco seeking to become the first LIV Golf team to win three consecutive tournaments since the league expanded to a full 14-tournament schedule in 2023. Garcia shot a bogey-free 7-under 63 to finish at 18 under and claim the individual title by three shots over hard-charging Dean Burmester, whose 62 was the low round of the day. Garcia, who finished third in the season-long Individual Championship race last season, moved atop the points standings after the first three events in 2025. The 45-year-old Garcia played the final hole on Sunday with a comfortable individual lead but needed to make par to avoid dropping into a team playoff with Burmester's Stinger GC. Facing a lengthy birdie putt, he rolled it to within tap-in range to seal the Fireballs' sixth LIV Golf team title in club history. They climbed atop the season-long team standings by 10 points over Legion XIII. 'It was nice to see not only that I was doing well and leading the tournament, but my teammates were playing great,' said Garcia, who follows teammate Abraham Ancer as individual champions in Hong Kong. 'They were keeping us there with a chance to win. Obviously when you can pull the double, it's a lot sweeter than if it's just one of them. Very proud of them.' The Fireballs and Stingers appeared headed for a playoff until Luis Masaveu, the 22-year-old Spaniard signed by Garcia in the offseason, birdied his final hole, the short par-4 10th. 'It feels incredible,' said Masaveu. '… Very happy for the team to be able to hole that putt and help them.' Masaveu shot an even-par 70, with Ancer shooting 65 and David Puig a bogey-free 67 for a three-day team total of 37 under. The South African Stingers shot 17 under as a team Sunday to finish one shot back. Mickelson's HyFlyers GC tied for third at 34 under with Cameron Smith's Ripper GC, the reigning Team Champions. It was the HyFlyers' third podium result in team history. Individually, Mickelson finished solo third after his 64 left him at 14 under. It is the first podium finish for the 54-year-old Mickelson since joining LIV Golf as an original member in 2022, and it could not have come at a better time with golf's first major just a month away at the Masters. 'The fact is, I'm hitting a lot of good shots. I'm playing some good golf,' said Mickelson, who has won three of his six majors at Augusta National. 'This is a building week as I continue to build into LIV and my goal of accomplishing a win in LIV as well as winning another major or getting ready for Augusta.' Garcia is also a past Masters champion, and his form has been superb for more than a year. Since the start of the 2024 LIV Golf season, he has two wins, three other runner-up finishes, and 13 top 20s in the last 16 LIV Golf regular season events, including 10 straight after Hong Kong. He entered Sunday's final round with a share of the lead but made an early statement by holing a lengthy eagle putt at the par-5 third after finding the green in two with a 6-iron. That gave him a two-shot lead, which he never relinquished. 'It really got me in a good mood,' Garcia said of the eagle. 'I was very focused on what I wanted to do. But obviously when that happens, it gets you going even more.' Always one of golf's best ball-strikers, Garcia's putting was dialed in at Hong Kong Golf Club, as he ranked third in the field in fewest putts during the week after switching to one of his old putters. 'I played with him yesterday,' Masaveu said. 'He's a machine.' Asked if Garcia with a hot putter is as good as it gets in professional golf, Ancer offered a one-word response: 'Yes.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Behind magic mullet, Joaquin Niemann wins LIV Golf Adelaide, strengthens U.S. Open case
Joaquin Niemann and his Torque GC LIV Golf team wanted to do something for the Australian crowd in Adelaide. So they all grew out mullets. That's why Niemann looked like a local when he downed a shoey while receiving his trophy for winning LIV Golf Adelaide on Sunday, his third LIV Golf victory and an important one for future context. Niemann shot 7-under 65 on Sunday, coming from behind to beat Abraham Ancer and Torque GC teammate Carlos Ortiz by three shots to win at The Grange Golf Club. "Australia, they all wear their mullet, so yeah, it was something for the people here and the crowd," Niemann said after his victory. "Man, it feels awesome." The only major championship Niemann doesn't have a spot in for 2025 is the U.S. Open, but the win positions him third in the LIV Golf standings after two events. If he can remain in the top 3 after May 19, he could earn an exemption into the field at Oakmont, which will be awarded to the top player (in the top three of the standings) not otherwise exempt. With the win, Niemann took home $4 million. In the team competition, Torque GC finished third. Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC took home the team title, finishing at 21 under for the week. Jon Rahm's Legion XIII was second, six strokes behind, on the heels of its victory in Riyadh last week. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Joaquin Niemann wins LIV Golf Adelaide 2025, strengthens US Open case