LIV Golf 1.0: One Fan’s Emotional Look Back at Five Years That Changed Professional Golf

As questions continue to surround what the next chapter of LIV Golf could look like, one passionate follower of the league has published a remarkable retrospective on X covering the players, tournaments, controversies and moments that defined what he calls “LIV Golf 1.0.”

Ernie, who writes on X under @BroncosOutside, followed the league from its first tournament and describes how he became deeply invested in the players, teams, events and community around LIV Golf. His perspective is personal rather than a conventional results report, which makes the retrospective a useful record of how the league has been experienced by one committed fan.

Bryson DeChambeau’s transformation stands above almost everything

One of the biggest themes is Bryson DeChambeau. Ernie argues that the LIV environment helped a different side of DeChambeau emerge, pointing to his growth on YouTube, his relationship with fans and his resurgence on the course. DeChambeau’s 58 at Greenbrier in 2023 is among the fan’s favourite LIV moments, alongside his later major performances and the team environment provided by Crushers GC.

Adelaide and South Africa showed what LIV could become

LIV Golf Adelaide and LIV Golf South Africa receive particularly strong praise. Ernie highlights Adelaide’s combination of team golf, large crowds, music and the famous party hole, while South Africa is remembered for the support surrounding the all-South African team. For him, these events show how LIV brought elite professional golf to markets outside the traditional American calendar.

Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and Anthony Kim

Ernie describes Jon Rahm’s arrival as an “electric shock” for LIV and praises Joaquin Niemann as one of the league’s defining competitors. But the most emotional part of the retrospective concerns Anthony Kim. Watching Kim return to competitive golf, rebuild his career and win in Adelaide became Ernie’s personal number-one LIV moment, especially because of the celebration with Kim’s wife and daughter.

The moments and the frustrations

His personal top ten also includes the Ripper GC versus Stinger GC playoff in Adelaide, Niemann defeating Sergio Garcia at Mayakoba, Chase Koepka’s hole-in-one at the party hole, the Legion XIII Team Championship comeback and Michael La Sasso’s first professional victory. The list is less about conventional 72-hole results than about atmosphere, personalities, teams, crowds and moments.

The post is not an unconditional defence. Ernie criticises LIV’s communication, earlier broadcast features, the loss of the “Any Shot, Anytime” app experience, uncertainty around the league and the reduced public presence of figures such as Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson.

A fan saying goodbye to “LIV Golf 1.0”

Ernie’s conclusion reads like the closing chapter of a five-year diary. He thanks the players, broadcast team, independent reporters and online community while acknowledging that he does not know exactly what “LIV Golf 2.0” will become. Whatever readers think of LIV, the retrospective captures why the league has created such a committed following: global events, teams, personalities, access and a different atmosphere around professional golf.

This article summarises selected reflections from the original post. Read the complete retrospective by @BroncosOutside on X:

Read Ernie’s full LIV Golf 1.0 post on X