Interest in South Africa’s LIV Golf tournament is “off the charts”, according to Stinger GC general manager Richard Glover.
Speaking to the Sunday Times from Chicago, where Louis Oosthuizen’s all-South African team was leading after the first round, Glover revealed that more than 35,000 tickets had been sold for LIV’s debut African event at Steyn City next March – with over 30,000 snapped up in the first week alone.
“The interest in this event has been off the charts, both from a public perspective and also from a corporate South Africa perspective,” said Glover, a former Tennis SA CEO.
He said LIV Golf aimed to “position itself as the Formula 1 of golf” by complementing traditional Tours, attracting new sponsors and growing the game.
Data shows 54% of LIV fans are aged 16-34, and 30% of attendees at its events are first-time golf fans.
MORE: Steyn City faces big build-up to LIV Golf debut
Kelvin Watt, chairman of Nielsen Sports Africa, told the Sunday Times the local market was “ripe” for LIV, predicting the event’s economic impact could be “in the hundreds of millions, if not in the billions of rands” through hospitality, tourism and related services.
He said LIV’s $25-million (R443-million) prize fund for the Steyn City event will exceed the entire Sunshine Tour purse for the 2024-25 season by almost R160-million.
“They really do know how to put on a show,” Watt added, comparing LIV’s potential impact to the Million Dollar Challenge in the 1980s – “the original LIV” in terms of small fields, guaranteed payouts and global appeal.
Photo: LIV Golf
Article Link: 35,000 LIV South Africa tickets already sold