BOLTON, Massachusetts — Two different tournaments. Two different vibes.
This year, the Greater Boston area hosted a pair of golf events that featured the top professional male players from around the world: The 122nd U.S. Open and the fourth-ever LIV Golf Invitational.
The former took place from June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline while the latter wrapped up last week at The International in Bolton. Although golfers like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson played in both tournaments – the only other real similarity between the two events was that they both were played in the commonwealth.
“They’re just two different animals,” said Mark Barber, a former member at The International who lives in Millis.
“It’s night and day,” said Mike Proulx, a current member at The International who attended both the U.S. Open and LIV Golf Invitational.
What is LIV Golf?
LIV Golf is a new series that aims to “reinvigorate golf through a structure that adds value to the entire sport while helping to bring new audiences to the game” according to its website.
LIV Golf’s slogan is “golf, but louder” as it features music, players wearing shorts and a fan village with games, food trucks and entertainment for kids.“It was cool how they were playing music and stuff,” said Jack Fruh, a freshman golfer at Newburyport High. “(LIV is) more chill. I like to see the players be more comfortable.”
“The fan zone is a great experience,” Proulx said. “I love the music and it’s a really great atmosphere.”
More: USGA announces Brae Burn Country Club as host for two US Women’s Amateur Championships
A few wrinkles to the LIV Golf format – as opposed to the U.S. Open – is it’s a 54-hole tournament that features a shotgun start (when all players tee off at the same time each day on different holes). The three-day tourney also boasts just 48 players (whereas the Open and PGA Tour hosts four-day events with usually 132 players or more) who are drafted into 12 different teams. The eight-event series includes $255 million for prize money for individual and team winners.
“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been to,” said Logan Barber, a senior golfer at Millis High who attended the LIV Golf Invitational on Friday. “You can get a lot closer to the players, there was music playing, there was a band after and it’s much more interesting because it’s a team thing and you have to watch…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golfweek…