LIV Golf opened its season in Saudi Arabia this week after a busy season full of changes. Gone is the 54-hole format; now they play 72 holes. Gone are stars Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed. Phil Mickelson is still playing in the league, but will miss the first two events. Another one: LIV is now essentially playing for world rankings points, although some are still not thrilled.
The season opener also has an interesting nod, as this week’s tournament at Riyadh Golf Club will be played under the lights. That’s right – night wave.
A cool feature? Certainly! But that doesn’t make it any easier.
“It’s tough under the lights,” said Peter Uihlein on Thursday after his second round. “If you hit it in certain spots and the light is right on top of you, the ball is basically pitch black. You really can’t even see it. That’s happened to me twice from the bunker, and I chopped it up both times. It’s very difficult.”
“But for the most part, the reality is that everyone has to do it. You just have to embrace it a little bit. I feel like I’ve embraced it well. I’m enjoying this. I think it’s fun and entertaining and unique.”
You also need to be prepared for night golf. Forget the typical golf necessities like extra socks and band-aids; you need a flashlight.
Uihlein had to use one on the par-4 9th hole during the second round. His ride went into the brush and he carefully walked into the trouble – carrying a flashlight – to assess the damage. But despite trying to stay away from the ball, his movements were deemed to have set the ball in motion. Punishment.
“So what you’re saying is that if I move from this spot and the ball moves, I’ve made it move?” he asks a rules official in an Instagram video.
The official nodded.
A frustrated Uihlein, careful not to move his feet or disrupt the ball, grabbed a club from his caddy, skipped a practice swing and shot onto the green. He two-putted for bogey and shot 69 to take the 36-hole co-lead.
“My ball moved, I think, on 9,” he said afterwards. “That’s never happened before. So that was a penalty, so that was sweet.”
The good news? The third round is coming to an end and Uihlein is still at the top of the rankings. You can view the current scores here.
“>
#LIV #Golf #statement #needed #unique #instrument