‘LIV effect’ stirs fans
Scott says new series has rowdy influence on crowds
Adam Scott conceded he could have been drawing a “long bow”, but suggested the LIV effect may have contributed to wild scenes at last week’s Phoenix Open with crowd behaviour at golf tournaments taking a turn towards more regular rowdiness.
Gates were shut after more than 200,000 people attended Saturday’s play at the Waste Management Open, and beer sales stopped, with players including Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson clashing with crowd members who refused to be silent.
The interactions have not been limited to the PGA Tour either, with monster-LIV signing Jon Rahm taking some time to adapt to the Saudibacked tour’s “golf but louder” motto, having also had to repeatedly ask for quiet at their last event in Las Vegas.
As he prepares to tee it up at a more subdued Riviera Country Club for the $30m Genesis Invitational, which also marks Tiger Woods’ return to play, Scott even suggested last year’s crowds at the Australian Open and PGA could have been influenced by the rowdy nature
Australia’s generation-next has given the strongest indication yet that the future remains bright in the pool after teenager Iona Anderson claimed a shock silver medal at the world swimming titles in Doha on Wednesday.
Anderson, 18, had already stamped herself as a star on the rise when she won a world junior of the LIV event in Adelaide last April.
“I think the Phoenix Open is sitting on its own as something like no other,” he said.
“I have only played it twice two years ago and last week, and there are so many people it’s just noisy, and there are distractions and everyone has got to deal with it.
“I haven’t really seen different behaviour elsewhere on the PGA Tour, although I would say the fans in Australia at the back end of last year were enthusiastic and maybe you could attribute that to the event in backstroke title last year. She has now made the most of the opportunity in her open debut on the world stage with a second in the 100m backstroke in a personal best time of 59.12 seconds.
With Olympic champion and world record-holder Kaylee McKeown home in Australia training for the Paris Olympics, Anderson
Adelaide and LIV. But that might be drawing a long bow.”
Scott also confirmed he had no Olympic ambition and would pass on a spot in Paris should he qualify.
While the spotlight is sure to be on 48-year-old Woods this week fellow veteran Scott, who is 43 and had to write a letter to tournament organisers to get an invitation in California, is adamant all the numbers around his game confirm he’s still “relevant”, especially at a course he last tasted victory in 2020.
A top-10 finish in Phoenix capitalised on the weaker international field to grab silver behind the US’s Claire Curzan (58.29sec). Canada’s Ingrid Wilm (59.18sec) took the bronze medal.
Anderson’s fellow Dolphin Jaclyn Barclay, 17, finished fourth in 59.28sec.
“I am just grateful to be here on this team and to have the chance to confirmed he could still compete, but Scott concedes he has to “adapt” to keep track with the raft of powerful young players on tour.
“Just comparing myself to some of the guys who are playing at the top of the game, if you’re looking at numbers and things like this, which we do a lot now, I think I’m relevant,” he said
“At the end of the day, it’s about executing it and I obviously have to do a little better job to think I’m one of the best players in the world at the moment.” race,” Anderson said after her epic swim.
“It’s given me a little boost before the Olympic trials and to just be on the world stage is incredible.”