‘Different and unique’: Jon Rahm praises LIV Golf ahead of first floodlit men’s pro tournament

New season gets under way with night tournament at Riyadh Golf Club

LIV Golf under floodlights. Photo: LIV Golf

There might not be anything new under the sun. But under floodlights? LIV Golf will continue its mission of “doing things differently to grow the game” when it starts its 2025 season in Riyadh this week. For the first time, a men’s professional tournament will be played at night.

Thursday’s opening round at Riyadh Golf Club will begin at 6.15pm, which is around 30 minutes after sunset. The two following rounds will start 10 minutes earlier, so they can be finished in time for late night concerts.

That means on Friday, for instance, some of the world’s leading golfers are essentially the warm-up act for the Backstreet Boys, who will be playing the main stage on the 19th. This is the fourth season of the breakaway tour and it continues to be golf, but not as we used to know it.

“From the moment we found out we would be playing under the lights I have been really excited,” said Jon Rahm, who won last season’s individual competition in his maiden campaign on the series. “It is what LIV Golf is all about: it is innovative, and creating new products for the consumer. It reminds me, on a different scale, to the first time Formula One staged races at night. It is a different feel and on TV it looks very, very cool. I hope golf comes out that way as well.

“My personal experience is it is really fun to be a part of. It is so different and unique. I think we could be having a very special week. Obviously, we are going to have our shortcomings because we are not used to it.”

Floodlit pro golf is not unique. In fact, it is something of a Gulf speciality. The Ladies European Tour got there first when the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic was played under the lights of the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club.

Men’s pro golf under lights is unquestionably innovative, but it also plays to an existing audience. A third of the field in Riyadh are from America, including world stars like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

Ian Poulter of Majesticks GC hits his shot from the 14th tee during the practice round before the start of LIV Golf Riyadh. LIV Golf

Tournaments in the Middle East traditionally take place when golf’s vast TV audience in the United States are asleep. It is the reason the biggest stars at tournaments like the Dubai Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship are often drawn at anti-social tee times in their early rounds, to get at least a little airtime stateside.

The first round of LIV Golf Riyadh will start at 10.15am on the US east coast, and 7.15am on the other side of the country. Because of the shotgun start, all the players will be on course at the same time, so viewers won’t have to wait around to see the stars. For the players, it will require some adaptation.

“My biggest thing is the 6pm tee time,” Rahm said. “We are so used to being home and thinking about going to bed by that time.

“We have played every practice round at night because we are playing at night, so we might as well get used to it. It is a shift. When we finish the tournament rounds, it will be 10.30-11pm. By the time you get back, it’s late, and then there is physio.

“Usually, I am in bed asleep by 9.30pm when I am at home. I have been trying to stay up and go to bed closer to 1am, just so there is not so much day ahead of me, and to get used to trying to perform at that time.

“It has definitely been interesting, especially when you travel far away, to have to stay up that late. But it is part of the appeal to a special week like this one.”

Captain Bubba Watson of RangeGoats GC hits his shot from a bunker on the 18th hole during the practice round before the start of LIV Golf Riyadh. LIV Golf

It is the first time a LIV event has been played in Riyadh. Jeddah has been a regular feature of the schedule since it started in 2022, and the difference between the two cities is significant.

While conditions in Jeddah have always been hot, the weather in the capital is cool. Temperatures at night will likely hover around the mid-teens. Fans at the AFC Champions League matches on Monday and Tuesday night were wrapped up variously in gilets, puffa jackets, scarfs and hats.

“The golf course in Jeddah I really liked but I never really had a good finish there,” Cam Smith, the Australian former Open champion, said.

“It was a struggle for me, really windy, really hot, then you come here, and it is actually quite still and quite cold. They are two completely different scales.”

At least the players on show will not face the problems of many amateurs who have played night golf. They are unlikely to err so far beyond the beam of the lights that they struggle to find their ball.

“It is a challenge,” said Joaquin Neimann. "[If you miss the] fairway, there are not many lights. [But] it is going to be great. There is a whole challenge waking up and starting your day later, and go to sleep 2am or 3am. Then you play later, and it is cold. The depth perception is not the same as during the day, and you have to adjust to that.

“Everything about playing at night is different. It is not normal to look up and see the moon rather than the sun.”