By Shawne McKenna
THE Chalong Chai Drummers of Thailand stood stone-like at their drums, nervously waiting for the signal from the tee box starter to begin.
Gazing on from the tee surrounded by the usual corporate canvas, Cam Smith, Phil Mickelson and local hero “KK” Sadom Kaewkanjana, playing together from the first tee, stood silently along with Greg Norman and other LIV Golf royalty gathered for the shotgun start to kick off the first LIV Invitational in Asia.
Interminably, the clock wound down to 10.15am and a small nod from the starter broke the eerie silence and the drummers began their ancient ritual, banging in perfect synchronicity a traditional Thai welcome, with all in attendance fixated on the spectacle.
I had amazing access and was probably standing closest to the drummers as anyone on the first tee block and my eardrums were delightfully shattered by the tom-tom sounds.
Abruptly they halted, statuesque in their finish and a moment later the crowd erupted with great applause and the music began, a hip-hop modern beat unknown to me and 98 per cent of the other fans, perhaps with the exception of Smith, who loves to practice to music.
Without any fanfare or introduction of the players, no Ivor Robson (British Open announcer) here, Smith dutifully approached the tee markers, driver in hand, music pumping.
As he teed up his ball I expected the music to respectfully stop, but no – it played on. Surely, Smith and cohorts would feel the distractions as I would on the tee at my local club ready to play while fellow players chatter about a holed putt four holes away.
Smith calmly addressed the ball, then swung to the sounds of a yammering yaw of modern dance music blaring from the nearby speakers and calmly, with precision, timing and speed, knocked it a lazy 310m, slightly to the right of the first fairway.
Then Mickelson, more my age than Smith’s, resplendent in shorts, a mighty welcome relief in these climes> He teed off followed by KK – and the music never missed a beat.
LIV was LIVE in Bangkok and the key word was ‘entertainment’.
After spending six days in Bangkok, and a further two days following the LIV caravan to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, one gets the feeling the carnival is coming to town. And it is – Adelaide!
As a child we couldn’t sleep for days prior to the Easter Show starting or waiting for cracker night as we anticipated being entertained in that once-a-year spectacle.
That’s what LIV does for golfing tragics like me … and for many thousands of interested onlookers searching for a new golfing experience.
For the three days of LIV tournament play, the on-course music never stops, the drummers welcome players every morning as they alight from the tuk-tuks being shuttled to each tee for a shotgun start. It’s another nod to local custom which is part of the LIV Golf curriculum.
Players on the driving and putting practice areas are always obliging signing autographs and stopping for a quick chat.
For me, the debate around money is irrelevant. The players are entertainers plying their trade on a commercial basis, as would Elton John on a world tour.
They have made their choice to tee it up in a different way, to present golf on the world stage – not just a largely insulated demographic bounded by outdated ideas and fashion.
The LIV Golf players and their caddies look so much happier than they did playing elsewhere.
On the final day at Stonehill, a magnificent piece of real estate north of Bangkok, young Spanish gun Eugenio Chacarra was strolling down the sloping final fairway, tournament already in the bag, when Sergio Garcia joined Chacarra inside the ropes to urge him on as their team, the Fireballs, was also on the cusp of victory … and they won!
Champagne sprays, no shoeys, a joyous occasion for the thousands of fans that surround the final green.
The podium, the trophies, more champagne sprays – one could easily have substituted those on the podium for Schumacher, Alonso and Hamilton in another sport at another time.
LIV is here to stay – it’s loud, it’s fun, it’s vibrant, fresh and Formula 1 on the grass.
Start your engines Australia, LIV 2023 is coming … and I can’t wait!
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