the Rubicon” river to reach the battlefields, which echoed Julius Caesar’s loyal legion during Rome’s civil war, and in turn, Rahm saw his difficult deci- sion to defect from the PGA Tour. “I want our team to be the one that stands its ground against all odds.” CAMERON SMITH BELIEVES THERE ARE TWO types of golfers: those that play better for a team and those that play better on their own. “You can kind of tell when someone is out here just for himself,” he says. Though trying hard is no guarantee for suc- cess, either. “The stress of being on a team breaks some people down a bit. That vulnerability towards the close of a tournament, when the team leader- board is having wild changes, is the coolest thing.” While the bottom third of golfers on LIV Golf like- ly wouldn’t earn Korn Ferry Tour cards if they tried, they are nevertheless accomplished players with egos. When or how does a captain intervene if his player is struggling? “I would first have other con- versations to confirm what I see and then approach the player’s caddie,” Rahm says. “Then maybe the player chooses to come to me. It could be he’s work- ing on something I don’t fully understand, and so just barging in straight away and telling someone what they need to do is not usually a good method.” Brooks Koepka is the captain of Smash GC (Graeme McDowell, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak) which is the only team without a general man- ager. That means Koepka exercises control over details great and small. “I like having my hand in everything. It’s fun learning about other people’s businesses when you play golf with them, and dis- cussing how you might connect.” Koepka thinks TGL did a good job with its logos and the technol- ogy, but is dismissive of any meaningful differences ushered in by teams in the modern pro world. “It’s still a job. If you don’t have enough self-motivation, you won’t be out here long.” Does the fact of every Smash GC golfer using the same physical trainer, Mark Wall, provide some unity to a seemingly disparate collection of person- alities at different stages of their career? “Not really. We all come from the same world, we all played the tour, a lot of paths have crossed.” How might your team describe you as a leader? “Quiet, hardworking. I lean on Graeme to be our communicator. At a tournament, I’m solely focused on what I got to do …. If everyone on our team kills their category, including those with non-playing roles, we’re going to do fine.” Is there a vision of what Smash GC is, or aspires to be? “There’s definitely a vision, but I’m not going to say it. Each fan needs to identify with what they like on their own. Come find out for yourself what we are.” Five-time major champion Koepka famously took a path less travelled as a young American, going first to the European Challenge Tour and learning to travel and fend for himself, and win. Might going straight from a college team to a pro team prevent a golfer from getting road-hardened? “It’s all up to
them. Everybody grows differently. People used to believe the prime age for a golfer was 35 to 40. It’s a generational thing. More and more guys are ready sooner and younger now.” Eugenio Chacarra went straight from Oklahoma State to LIV Golf and won in his fifth start, but after a sophomore slump was removed from Fireballs GC. In another high-profile dismissal, Koepka traded Matthew Wolff after pub- licly questioning his work ethic. When everyone gets along, the bosom of the team model is increasingly preferred. NIL deals that let amateurs accept endorsement deals, as well as the PGA Tour U Ranking that awards status to bypass minitours, are both new incentives for college golf- ers to incubate longer in amply funded D-1 pro- grammes. Following the lead of most other top golf countries, the USGA established in 2023 a national development programme that’s funding the train- ing of the most talented kids under the watch of group coaches. A lot of these golfers might be first recognised in PGA Jr. League, the successful grow- the-game initiative whose team- scramble format and vibe resembles Little League baseball. There are a thousand more girls high school golf teams in the United States than 10 years ago. HENRIK STENSON, CO-CAPTAIN OF MAJESTICKS GC (Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield) sees pro teams as a progression of the team envi- ronments he thinks most golfers enjoy more. For total personnel, the Majesticks are the largest LIV Golf team, its front office having already produced a docuseries and started a charitable community pro- gramme, Little Sticks, that supports golf’s inclusion in school PE programmes. At 49, Stenson is quick to talk beyond his career and a future where golf events more resemble ice hockey games – with T-shirt can- nons, mascots, music and a variety of diversions to entice people of all ages and backgrounds. “I’ve been playing golf for 35 years and am very much a traditional golfer in many ways, but how are the younger generations looking at the game and what’s going to be their way in?” As a rule, Stenson thinks people more easily connect with teams. “If LIV Golf had launched in a different way, with all of the golf world behind it, I think every golf fan in the world would’ve had a cap for one of these 13 teams.” But it didn’t. To describe the current golf world in as few words as possible, hard to do better than “no- body’s happy.” The fans feel cheated getting to see the best compete against the best only four times a year at the majors. The companies that sponsor tournaments are being asked to foot more prize
DOWN FOR DISRUPTION Henrik Stenson thinks a wider pool of potential fans can connect with teams.
“HOW ARE THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS LOOKING AT THE GAME AND WHAT’S GOING TO BE THEIR WAY IN?”
HENRIK STENSON
112 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JULY/AUGUST 2025
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