LIV Golf came to South Africa. Then South Africa appeared

JOHANNESBURG – It’s not that much Bryson DeChambeau signed autographs until his neck hurt Thursday night. It’s that he kind of promised he would.

After participating in the first round at LIV South Africa, DeChambeau entered the media center for a press conference and declared that he would sign for every last fan. By the time he emerged from the press center, more than 30 minutes later, the crowd was still waiting. Children stick their heads through gaps in the fence. Men climbing the platform to get closer to her.

DeChambeau enjoys signing — it “re-energizes” him, he says — but this session was notable for what he was signing. Gloves, hats, flags – of course. But the umbrellas also got in the way. An umbrella box. Backpack. Even shoes from fans dancing on one foot, and shirts from sweaty bras squeezed in between the fully clothed.

DeChambeau knows all too well how promoting pro-golf events works. Every tournament the promises to be great. Some offer a titular course; others gather a busy field. Some sell a large amount of tickets; others are endless thieves. . . and yet it still falls.

LIV events have worked in some places, and not so well in others. LIV promoters have learned this in the last four years. For months they have been selling their first African event as something special, something different, but you never know. This is LIV’s third tournament in three weeks. Most of the players flew west in Hong Kongthen further west in Singaporethen far west in Africa. When the week ends, the westward migration will continue, to the Americas. Master it’s 13 days away.

But LIV has always run this week based on ticket demand. Since the event was announced in July, ticket sales have rivaled only LIV’s most popular event in Australia. The league then added a surprise 18-hole bonus to its tournaments, which meant it could sell another full day of tickets. And they sell it. This week alone, LIV released more tickets for the South African stop and the league says it has moved 90,000 of them.

Official attendance figures won’t be released until later in the week, but there was no shortage of activity on the ground here at the Steyn City Club on Thursday. After DeChambeau’s round there were fans jostling for a closer look at LIV’s biggest star. And the fans long DeChambeau’s round rushes him after a heated drive, thrusting a phone into his hands and begging him to take a selfie. Thousands of other spectators apparently took in the 18 holes of this hilly course with DeChambeau and another big draw this week: Louis Oosthuizen, who is the captain of South Africa’s South Guard team.

“Me and Charl (Schwartzel) just stood there talking a little bit and I was there watching his shot,” Oosthuizen said after the round. “I was tearing up a bit. I put the glasses on because I felt so proud and then Charl said he felt the same way.”

Added Schwartzel, who played in the lineup before Oosthuizen: “Very few times in your career you get to experience where your hair stands up and these needles go through your body. I was walking up there (on the first pitch) and it was so loud, and I started crying. Wow, I should take a shot, but I’m busy crying.”

Their teammate, Dean Burmester, said much the same during an interview on the course. Meanwhile, their fourth teammate, Branden Grace, is one shot away from the lead. As a quartet, the South Africans lead with a team competition. Their general manager, Richard Glover, has worked in sports in this great country for over 15 years. He has promised the people only one thing if the South Guard wins the team event.

The biggest party they’ve ever seen.