Beer rains on LIV Golf party hole as fans go wild for hole-in-one
By Matt Chivers
The 12th hole at the Grange Golf Club was named the Watering Hole this week and for good reason.
LIV Golf’s answer to the Stadium Hole at TPC Scottsdale provided a loud(er), proud, and alcohol-induced atmosphere in Adelaide.
Stands surrounded the tee box and the green and each player was able to choose walk-on music too.
And the feverish fans got what they wanted as Chase Koepka of Smash GC stepped up to the 165-yard hole in the final round.
His ball landed a matter of feet from the pin and dropped in the side. Cue flying beer cups, loud cheers, and a deluge of liquid on the tee box.
Koepka, on a team with his four-time major-winning brother Brooks, celebrated like never before – and why wouldn’t you?
“I hit it, and I knew it was good,” said Koepka. “I thought if anything it was going to be a little deep, and I saw it pitch in the upslope and take a soft bounce, and I was like, oh, it’ll be close.
“Then the roars just kept getting louder and louder and louder, and when it went in, I started just getting peppered with beer cans. I smelled like beer the entire rest of the day.
“It was wild – (A) crazy experience. Obviously to do it on a hole like that was super special. It definitely gave the fans something to remember.
“The next couple hours I was out there, I was just getting ovation after ovation every time I walked up to every shot, every tee box.
“It was pretty cool. That’s probably what Cam Smith felt like the entire week, but at least I got a glimpse of it.”
Australian crowds flocked to the Grange in their thousands to see Cameron Smith and Ripper GC – the nation’s LIV Golf core.
Smith only managed a finish for tied third, four shots behind Talor Gooch who sealed a three-shot win on the final green surrounded by spectators.
Gooch had opened up a 10-shot lead after two rounds with consecutive 62s. Impressive stuff indeed, but it was his former side 4 Aces who won the team event this time around.
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
