Exclusive: LIV Golf Brings the Party to South Africa as Stingers Back a New Way to Play

For all their careers, professional golfers are used to arriving in their long pants at their various tee-off times and playing 18 holes of often slow, mundane golf. But LIV has changed all that and the four South African members of the innovative league love the way it has reinvigorated the sport.

LIV Golf has a strong team component to its competition, the South Africans all playing together under the Stinger mantle, which brings a touch of Ryder or Presidents Cup vibe to proceedings. Many will tell you that the Ryder Cup is the greatest golfing experience.

Fields are kept to just 54 players, the dreaded cut has been done away with and there are shotgun starts, meaning everyone tees off at the same time, spread out around the 18 different holes of the course. The tournaments have a festival feel with the off-course entertainment in the Fan Village as important as the action on the fairways and greens. LIV Golf say every event is a "cocktail of sport, music and culture".

And with South Africa set to host their first LIV event from March 19 to 22 at Steyn City in Johannesburg, the Stingers team of Dean Burmester, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel and captain Louis Oosthuizen are all confident that it will be a special event enthusiastically supported by fans. 

Especially since it will give them a rare look, in the flesh, at golfing superstars such as Jon Rahm, Bryson de Chambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

Dean Burmester: ‘It’s the biggest event to hit these shores’

"You can certainly feel there is more vibe in LIV Golf. The shotgun start means everyone is on the course at the same time and after experiencing it now for a couple of years, I'm sure it's going to be the biggest event to hit these shores," Burmester told SportsBoom.co.za. 

"Playing on kikuyu grass is going to play a big role for us [Stinger] because a lot of the other golfers have never played on it before. Louis and Branden are planning the course at Steyn City and I think we'll have narrow fairways and 10cm of rough, plus playing at altitude. We're used to those conditions, but it could pose real difficulties for the overseas guys," the former PGA Tour member and 2023 South African Open champion added.

Branden Grace: ‘Everyone plays in the same conditions’

Grace also speaks about LIV being totally different to the norm when it comes to golf.

"Obviously it was something I had to get used to. We were wearing shorts but now we're going back to longs and the tournaments will be four rounds from this year. But I love the shotguns starts, it means everyone is playing in the same conditions and even if you have to start on one of the tough holes, it evens itself out," Grace said. 

"We're also playing some of the fastest golf I've experienced, we're averaging four to four-and-a-half hours for a round. Let's be honest, playing a round of six hours is not fun for anybody. Bringing this LIV field to South Africa is going to be amazing, it's what we at Stinger have been dreaming of."

Charl Schwartzel: ‘It’s more fun for the spectators’

As a father of two young children, Schwartzel says LIV Golf is ideal for introducing a more youthful fanbase to the sport.

"LIV definitely provides more entertainment, it's more fun for the spectators. It's about more than just golf, although obviously we're all playing our hardest out there. When you look around the course, with the shotgun start and smaller fields, you see lots of small kids," Scwartzel added. 

"Their attention spans are not very long and they can't walk around a golf course for nine hours. So they watch golf for three hours and then have two hours of entertainment. As a dad, that's great because you can do a lot more than just golf at these events. It always feels lively, there's a good vibe."

Louis Oosthuizen: ‘It’s more than just a golf tournament’

Oosthuizen said LIV reminds him of the halcyon days of the Nedbank Golf Challenge (formerly the Million Dollar) at Sun City, which at one stage offered the largest winner's cheque in golf.

"I played in my first Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2010 when it was still just a 12-man field. So I've seen the set-up at Sun City and LIV is especially for the younger crowd. It's more than just a golf tournament, it's a sports event. It's fun for everyone, even if you don't understand golf," Oosthuizen said.

"There's live music every night. The great thing for us is that we had not even announced yet who would be performing and we had sold more than 100 000 tickets already. That shows there is a huge hunger in South Africa to see a top field in action."

Richard Glover: ‘The public have voted with their money’

Stinger general manager Richard Glover confirmed more than 100,000 tickets have already been sold for LIV Golf's African debut.

"The public have voted with their money and to sell more than 100,000 tickets already is an astounding number. It shows South Africans are desperate to see a quality field. We believe LIV have a great fit for Johannesburg crowds."

"We are also able to show the economic impact it will have. On average, LIV Golf brings in R650-700 million to their host cities. It will also create jobs. The off-course experience is as important for us, there's a real focus on making it a family experience, with a big village to bring your family to," Glover concluded.