Brendan Steele clinched victory at the Grange Golf Club tournament by finishing 18 strokes under par, posting a remarkable 4-under 68 in his final round. After the Adelaide tournament wrapped up, the Saudi-backed league achieved a new attendance record compared to the previous year.

This year’s attendance in Adelaide nearly doubled compared to 2023, with reports indicating that over 70,000 tickets were sold. Despite marking a significant milestone for the league, it still fell short of reaching the desired numbers compared to the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Open.

Comparing the crowd sizes between the WM Open and LIV Golf Adelaide

Although it might seem unusual to draw parallels between the crowds at the Waste Management Open and LIV Golf Adelaide, both tournaments have witnessed similar instances of unruly fan behavior. However, it appears that this is the only similarity the Saudi-backed league has managed to achieve, as there is a significant difference in fan attendance between the two tournaments.

A recent post from @NUCLRGOLF on X, previously Twitter, gained significant attention, drawing comparisons between the two events. The post’s caption read, “LIV GOLF announces record-setting attendance for their Adelaide event with 94,000 fans on-site over the 3 days of competition.” The same post disclosed that the Waste Management Open “has pulled between 500 and 800,000 fans over the 4-day tournament during the past 5 years.”

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Amidst the ongoing rivalry between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, this revelation gave PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan a final laugh. Greg Norman had invested heavily in enhancing fan experiences, introducing innovations like the Flight Deck. However, LIV Golf in Australia fell significantly short in terms of attendance, which may have disappointed Norman, who likely anticipated greater turnout following efforts to elevate the fan experience.

Despite the significant gap in crowd sizes between both tournaments, there’s a common factor in both events! No, it is not the bizarre fan behavior, but the exquisite experience that these events try to provide to the spectators.

What do LIV Golf Adelaide and the WM Phoenix Open have in common?

While other tournaments within the PGA Tour and LIV Golf focus on delivering the thrill of serious competition, these particular events prioritize the fan experience. The events aim to enrich the fans’ enjoyment of the game by offering a party-like atmosphere throughout the tournament days. LIV Golf features Watering Hole 12, while the PGA Tour has Party Hole 16, allowing fans to immerse themselves fully in the festivities.

The fans on the greens enjoy themselves to the fullest, often with drinks in hand, a tradition deeply embedded in the People’s Open and now in Adelaide-based events too. The instances wherein fans have behaved unexpectedly have surely come to light, but this has not stopped the authorities from taking away the thrill of their game.

Sure, the alcohol sale got banned at the recent edition of the Phoenix Open, but it sure had its charm. This year, in Adelaide too, certain incidents, such as fans throwing water bottles at a caddie, came to light, but no major harm was done! As the tournament primarily prioritizes fans’ enjoyment of the game, this motivated Norman to take action and introduce features aimed at enhancing enthusiasts’ overall experiences, and hence the number of fans that came to witness the game was significantly higher than last year.

However, the disparity between crowd sizes and fan experiences at the PGA Tour versus LIV Golf appears to favor the PGA Tour. What are your thoughts on the matter? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!