Phil Mickelson Hails Organizers’ 90-Hour Effort That Overcame Storms at LIV Golf Event

Chatham Hills saw an incredible turn of events as the 5-time champion in 2025, Joaquin Niemann, lost the Individual Championship to Jon Rahm. The outstanding consistency the Spaniard maintained throughout the year, despite not winning a single event, helped him grab the title for the second year in a row. Rahm’s win took over the internet like a storm as LIV Golf’s flawed points system was exposed for the fans to criticize. But that was not the only storm LIV Golf experienced in Indianapolis a few days ago.

The 54-hole event was plagued with thunderstorms and rain as bad weather caused havoc at The Club at Chatham Hills. As the Superintendent confessed, “Our team worked 90+ hours a week leading up to the event.” And their efforts paid off as LIV Golf Indianapolis, despite all the controversy, was an absolute blast for the fans and players alike. One of them even commended the ground’s employee for his team’s effort with a tweet. Phil Mickelson replied to the Superintendent with “Chatham Hilks was a great host and we all loved being there. Thank you for all the hard work from so many to make it possible 👏👏.” 

He may not have delivered his best performance in the event, finishing at T40, 16 strokes from the top. But Mickelson was still appreciative of the quality of the course he got to play on, and he couldn’t help but appreciate the efforts of the grounds staff. The six-time major winner finished last in the Lock Zone in the individual standings in 2025. While he couldn’t add any points in Indianapolis to improve his position, Chatham Hills also ensured that he didn’t jump into the Open Zone and risk his position in LIV Golf in 2026.

There is certainly a stark contrast between how the LIV Golf course was managed as compared to how much heat the TOUR Championship course faced for the mismanagement. East Lake was also troubled with thunderstorms and rain. Instead of anticipating the weather and preparing for its adverse effects, the PGA Tour decided to permit the use of the preferred lies rule for the first round.

Fans were quite critical of Jay Monahan & Co. for allowing players to pick the ball on the fairway. However, instead of hearing their concerns, the PGA Tour leaders continued to enforce the rule for the remaining days. That only infuriated the fans further. Perhaps Brian Rolapp could learn a thing or two from his friend from Harvard Business School, Scott O’Neil, on how to prepare for bad weather.

The excellent management of the course also ensured that the fans had a seamless experience. And that reflected in the response LIV Golf Indianapolis received.

Phil Mickelson & Co. entertain the fans in Indianapolis

In his tweet, the Superintendent also discussed the fact that the storm caused a lot of chaos on the course. He specifically mentioned a huge tree that had been uprooted after facing the wraith of Thor. The overworked staff ensured that the tree and all its broken bits were removed from the course before the action began. At any point, the fans in attendance or watching on television didn’t notice or complain about any such issues at The Club at Chatham Hills. That reflected well on the flawless work the Superintendent and his team put in to maintain the course.

LIV Golf Indianapolis hugely benefited from it, as they recorded outstanding TV ratings for the event. As LIV Golf’s official Facebook page posted, “LIV Golf’s 2025 Indianapolis Sunday final round had a 158% cable TV viewership increase from the 2024 Greenbrier Sunday round held around the same time. LIV Indianapolis set a new US attendance record with 60k fans. I’m hearing Michigan will have a great crowd too.” The event was clearly a huge hit, and the drama in the end between Rahm and Niemann was well worth the wait.

As the Chatham Hills Superintendent tweeted, “It was so much fun, let’s do it again next year😉 The countdown to @livgolf_league Indy 26’ starts now, and we will have some new tees and challenges awaiting their arrival ⛳️ #CantWait.” LIV Golf will be at The Club at Chatham Hills from August 21-23, 2026.