I’ve had the privilege of attending both the Betfred British Masters and LIV Golf London in the space of 10 days.
Many other golf fans probably did the same. It isn’t often some of the sport’s biggest names are on UK shores, especially at two different tournaments in consecutive weeks.
These events were hosted by two very different organisations with very different ideas that, ironically, will be united under the same umbrella in the near future after a huge announcement rocked the golf world at the start of June.
The Belfry is a venue steeped in history and has rightfully cemented itself as the home of the British Masters.
From the moment you walk through the gate at the Midlands venue, you can smell the heritage.
Right outside the hotel is the putting green and below that are the famous 10th and 18th holes, made memorable by some of European golf’s biggest legends in Seve Ballesteros, Christy O’Connor Jnr and Sam Torrance.
When you hear The Belfry mentioned in conversation, you mentally jump to the Ryder Cups of 1985, 1989, 1993, and 2002.
This year, the event was graced by the participation of former US Open champion Justin Rose and newly appointed host Sir Nick Faldo.
Both were on good form throughout the week, participating in a number of promotional initiatives to engage the fans on-site and at home.
I’ve enjoyed both of my stints at The Belfry this year and last year, and the fans arrived in Sutton Coldfield in their thousands to watch a number of DP World Tour stars battle it out from home and abroad.
But you felt without the presence and profile of Faldo and Rose, the event would’ve lacked interest and excitement. And I don’t think the same could be said for LIV Golf London.
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When I arrived at Centurion just over 12 months ago to cover the breakaway league’s first-ever event, I was entering the unknown.
The organisation seemed off the cuff, and the field was relatively weak with many players I wasn’t familiar with, compared to fields on the PGA and DP World Tours.
But what a difference a year makes. The field was better, the set-up was better, and I believe the crowds were noticeably bigger than in June of 2022.
The fan village featured a number of activities for people both young and old, and while walking the course, the presence of more screens and towers on each hole showed these LIV events are now taking shape.
Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka joined the roster after LIV visited Hemel Hempstead last year, significantly beefing up the profile of the field that already contained, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen and Ian Poulter.
And the fans were keen to watch these stars compete on UK soil. If you were to compare this field, albeit just 48 players, to the field of the British Masters, it was night and day.
For most of the time on the range at Centurion, you were met with a host of major champions, Ryder Cup stars, and generally recognisable faces.
Whether you are a fan of 54-hole tournaments with shotgun starts or not, LIV Golf has used the financial power of the Public Investment Fund to build a list of players that golf fans want to watch live.
To me, this is crucial.
Ahead of the first tee shots on Friday, a flash mob of volunteers broke out in a dance on the first hole with loud music playing.
I chuckled, as I did when music continued to play over the players getting underway with their opening tee shots – particularly when Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice was on when Stenson teed off.
I must say – I was entertained. This tournament looked like what LIV Golf wants to be.
It wants to be louder, different and provide a brand-new atmosphere for players to compete and for fans to spectate.
It throws the tradition rule book out the window and into the trash. The British Masters and LIV Golf London may have hosted events of the same sport but couldn’t have been more different if they tried.
When I attend sports events, I sometimes judge their quality by considering one question: “Would a non-sports lover attend this event and enjoy it?”
I’ve been to watch test cricket, which is often a hard sell to people who don’t like sport. The slog of a full day at The Open might be unappealing, and for some people, football is a complete no-go.
But the festival-like atmosphere at Centurion, the overall improvement in big screens, the off-course activities and the fan experience, plus the sprinkling of star quality makes me think it would appeal to a lot of non-sports fans.
In my opinion, the same can’t be said for the British Masters. This event is great, but its appeal doesn’t branch out beyond golf lovers in the same way LIV Golf does.
NOW READ: The Slam Podcast: We went to LIV Golf London! But what changed since last year?
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