Liv Golf – Growing in Popularity, especially in Asia

11 March 2025

Liv Golf is heading to Singapore, where This Sporting Planet host Ed Russell is based. And it’s quite the spectacle—fans can enjoy concerts, music, an exciting atmosphere, and great golf: 13 teams, 54 players, 54 holes, no cut, and a shot-gun start! Ed caught up with former pro and now On Course Analyst Su-Ann Heng and asked how the league continues to draw attention in its fourth season.

One big factor is the entertainment on offer, as Su-Ann explained:

“For this week here in Hong Kong, Peggy Gou is playing, who's a great Korean DJ. She's going to be performing and doing it on site. So people that buy tickets to the event get to go to the concert as well. And then let's talk about Fan Village. I mean, that's a whole different experience in terms of what you can look forward to. There's really something for everyone, not just every age, but every skill set. And it's a great way to introduce people to the game of golf. And it's just a fun atmosphere. And I think something that we do different out here is we do play music on the golf course. Obviously, you know, golf is a very hush hush game traditionally.”

Very different indeed from the atmosphere at the Open or during the Solheim Cup. Live golf offers a route into the game for a new generation and style of fans. The format is still new and still developing. From a broadcast perspective, it’s innovative, with more live shots shown than in other golf competitions, and creative use of graphics to tell the story and explain what the players are going through. It began as a short run of eight events, but has grown to fourteen: evidence that they are doing something right.

Liv Golf is also attracting the kind of players who always draw the crowds.

“You’re talking about names like Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Cam Smith and the list goes on. Bubba. I mean, we've got a stacked field.”

Su-Ann said that choosing amongst these guys is harder than picking your favourite child, but even so, some other names do stand out.

“There are some players that are playing really well right now, Joaquin Niemann being probably one of the hottest, not just in our league, but I think worldwide, I think he's proven himself, having won multiple times in the off season last year. He's really fun to watch too, because of how creative he is to run a golf course. John Rahm, who's never, ever finished outside the top ten since he joined us.”

The calibre of the players is high, but Liv also gives fans the added interest of picking a team, rather than just following their favourite player. In addition, the league takes the sport to new and exciting courses: this season, in Riyadh (in February), Mexico City, Korea, Washington DC, Dallas, and Indianapolis.

There have been criticisms of Liv Golf, but Su-Ann believes that it strengthens the sport.

“Something that I've noticed probably the most in the last three seasons with the league. How many young, young kids come out to the event and you can just see it in their eyes how inspired they are. To play the game. And I think that's really, really cool. And that is really the long term goal, isn't it? It’s just to grow the game.”