Ben Campbell walks off the 18th hole at Riyadh Golf Club. Photo / Getty Images
Ben Campbell walks off the 18th hole at Riyadh Golf Club. Photo / Getty Images
Ben Campbell proved in Saudi Arabia he isn’t on LIV Golf to just make up the numbers.
Making his first start as a member of Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats, the Queenstown local took to Riyadh Golf Club with aplomb, shooting 10-under for the tournament to finish in a tie for 15th and take home $518,107 in prizemoney.
As pleasing as the individual performance will be for the tour rookie, it was his contribution on his final hole of the tournament that Campbell tells the Herald was the high point in his debut.
LIV Golf has two leaderboards, individual and team, with the team score a combined total for the four members. Campbell’s RangeGoats were one shot behind 2022 Open Championship winner Cam Smith’s Ripper GC team and the Kiwi had a birdie putt to tie the two teams in second place.
Campbell drained the putt to send the RangeGoats to -39 for the tournament and secure a $1,771,640 bonus for his team.
“On the last, the leaderboard’s all there and I saw we were one shot away from the Rippers,” Campbell said. ”I knew if I holed it we’d move into tied second, so yeah, I knew the putt was a good result for the team too.”
The unique teams element pushes players to continue trying to score regardless of their individual place on the leaderboard, as one putt can be the difference between earning that bonus or not.
“All four scores count, so even if you’re having a bad day you’ve got to grind and do it for the team a bit as well,” Campbell said.
Having not played since early December, tying for low-newcomer with 22-year-old Tom McKibbin was of personal satisfaction for Campbell, and with LIV’s next event being in Adelaide there’s a chance to get his coach and physio over to iron out the kinks ahead of the season’s second event at The Grange.
“I felt a bit rusty, there were a few things I feel like I could have done better. I’ve got the coach over and physio here this week. It’s just having the team together, we’ve got a few things tidied up yesterday and today, then we’ve got the pro-am tomorrow and will get a bit more practice under the belt,” he said.
Ben Campbell impressed on his full LIV Golf debut. Photo / Getty Images
LIV Golf Adelaide is one of the best-attended events on tour, with more than 35,000 fans each day across the three rounds known for getting behind their favourites like Smith and his Ripper GC team.
Having been a part of last year’s event as a reserve, Campbell said he’s well placed to handle the crowds, heat and course as a full-time tour member.
“I was here last year as a reserve, which I think is really important. You know, the massive crowds, I think they’re getting another 5000 more a day here which after last year is pretty wild.
“It’s nice having been here last year and knowing what I’m in for.”
Adelaide is the closest to home Campbell will get at a LIV event and it poses an opportunity for him to get a few friends and family over to watch him tee it up with some of the best golfers on the planet.
“When I got signed, all the tickets had pretty much sold out. It’s been great as part of the team I’ve managed to get everyone tickets. It’s going to be awesome to have a big following over here with family and friends and that coming over.
“Between this week and in a couple of weeks at the New Zealand Open, it’s always nice when you can play in front of family and friends and the people that helped me out along the way.”
He says he hopes to hear a few more Kiwi voices in the crowd among the Aussie support and is sure there’ll be some in RangeGoats pink cheering him on.
The rumours of a potential LIV Golf New Zealand event sent the Kiwi golfing community into a stir when the Herald revealed the tour had been looking to bring a high-profile tournament to Christchurch Golf Club – New Zealand’s second oldest club – where golfing legend Sir Bob Charles is patron.
Campbell said if it were to ever materialise, a LIV Golf event in New Zealand would be of huge benefit to the game in this country.
“I think it’d be amazing for golf in New Zealand. The New Zealand Open’s been amazing and keeps going from strength to strength and if we could get a LIV event on top of it, it’d be awesome.
“Look at what it does here in Adelaide, the whole city’s so behind it here which is amazing and they’ve turned it into this world-class event. It drags people from all around the world, especially Australia and New Zealand, so yeah it’d be amazing if we could get one in New Zealand and I think a lot of people would get behind it.”
LIV Golf Adelaide tees off on February 14 at the Grange Golf Club.
Will Toogood is an online sports editor and golf reporter for the NZ Herald. He enjoys watching people chase a ball around on a grass surface so much he decided to make a living out of it.
