LAS VEGAS — The scene Wednesday at the Las Vegas Country Club, perched at the end of the Las Vegas Strip and in the shadow of where the actual matches are played, represented the perfect metaphor for LIV golf.
The controversial Saudi-backed upstart golf tour has spent much of its more than two-year existence in the spotlight — signing one big-name player after another, leaving the PGA Tour, and opening the tour. This is despite having been forced to do so. A major change will occur in that foundation.
But the reality is that, at this point, the PGA Tour remains the king of the sport, despite all the flaws that have been exposed over the past few years.
That’s what makes this LIV golf tournament, held in Las Vegas during Super Bowl week, so appealing.
The attention of the sports world will be on Sin City. And the city’s Super Bowl crowd represents the very demographic LIV is trying to attract with its bold approach that bucks the traditions of professional tournament golf, with music on every hole and players wearing shorts. There is.
“It’s the perfect atmosphere for LIV Golf,” Phil Mickelson said Wednesday while playing in a pro-am with North Carolina State quarterback and first-round draft pick Drake Maye and Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Reavis. told the paper.
No one wants to marry golf and football like sports junkie Mickelson.
“There are a lot of cool people here in town who are exposed to LIV Golf and love the atmosphere and the hipness of it,” he said. “We want to take golf to the younger generation and make it cooler and more fashionable. We’re not saying it has to be like this every week. We always want the great tradition that the game has to offer. But if we want the game to continue to be interesting and grow, we also need to adapt to today’s environment.”
With the Super Bowl just four days away, it’s a perfect situation for Liv Golf. NFL fans who are also golfers have to assume they’ll be watching Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith, Mickelson and others who are in town for Super Bowl week. .
Golfers are excited about the Super Bowl and have their own opinions on who to root for and who they believe will win.
“I think the Niners will win, and I think Brock Purdy will be one of the greatest stories in the NFL, just like Tom Brady,” Mickelson said. “clearly, [Chiefs quarterback Patrick] Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever seen and is a lot of fun to watch play, but Brock Purdy has one of the best storylines we’ve ever seen. , I think he’s one of the most underrated talents.
“Brock Purdy saved the San Francisco 49ers. He came in, played for less than $1 million, and is playing at the level of a $50 million quarterback. It’s unbelievable.”
May, who is expected to be one of the top two or three picks in April’s NFL Draft, said of his experience, “Playing with Phil was amazing, a dream come true.”
Maye is spending this week learning as much as he can about the NFL. Golf was a bonus. After Wednesday’s pro-am, he headed to an event to meet with Eli Manning, who he said has been coaching him through the pre-draft process.
“I have worked with Eli throughout the entire process and have been on Zoom with him to talk football,” May said. “I’m training in Mobile, Alabama. His backup quarterback in college was Dave Morris, and he’s been training me for the draft. It’s a pretty small world. And this summer, I was at Manning Camp so I got to meet Eli and Peyton.”
Like May, Levi was in awe of Mickelson’s play, saying: “At least I got some tips from one of the greatest golfers of all time. Even if I didn’t hit as well as I wanted, it made me a better golfer.”
Caleb Surratt, a 19-year-old who left the University of Tennessee early to sign with LIV, played in his first tournament as a pro last week and finished tied for 13th, equating to a check of $330,000. He is on a team (Legion XIII) with Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
He hasn’t forgotten about hosting the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
“It’s great just knowing there’s going to be a lot of people here,” Surratt said.
“I’m rooting for Brock Purdy,” Surratt said Sunday.
“I’m a big Brock Purdy fan,” he said. “He’s just a role model for me. We share similar beliefs. I love the way he conducts himself. I like that because it’s never about him. Especially him It’s good for me to see that from a player who has had such great success.”
Success is what everyone here wants this week, from the 49ers and Chiefs to LIV Golf to the dreamers and one-armed robbers working the gaming tables at the casino.
