6 JULY, 2023 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER: JUST MORE THAN 12 MONTHS AGO LIV GOLF WAS INTRODUCED TO THE WORLD AT CENTURION GOLF CLUB, AND YOU REALLY WOULDN'T BELIEVE QUITE HOW DIFFERENT IT IS AS WE COME TO THE SECOND EDITION OF LIV GOLF LONDON. JUST 23 OF THE FIELD WHICH TEED IT UP NEAR ST ALBANS LAST JUNE ARE THERE THIS WEEK, WITH MOST OF THE TEAMS HAVING VASTLY DIFFERENT MAKEUPS TO WHAT THEY HAD IN 2022. TWO OF THE TEAMS HAVE EVEN CHANGED NAMES, FROM THE NIBLICKS AND PUNCH TO RANGEGOATS AND RIPPER, AND THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THE LAUNCH EVENT OF LIV'S 'BETA' SEASON FEATURED A FAR INFERIOR FIELD TO THE ONE ASSEMBLED THIS WEEK. BROOKS KOEPKA, PATRICK REED, CAMERON SMITH AND BRYSON DECHAMBEAU ARE JUST FOUR OF THE BIG NAMES WHO JOINED LIV IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST VISIT TO CENTURION LAST SUMMER.
RUMOURS OF LIV GOLF'S DEMISE WERE CLEARLY OVERBLOWN, JUST AS THEY ARE NOW FOLLOWING THE MERGER. FAR FROM BEING 'DEAD IN THE WATER' LIV GOLF HAS THRIVED AND EXPANDED, AND NOW WITH THE FIRST VENUE TO BE VISITED TWICE, THE LEAGUE STARTS TO BUILD ITS HISTORY. IN 2022 CHARL SCHWARTZEL CLAIMED THE INDIVIDUAL TITLE, WITH HIS STINGER GC TEAMMATES HENNIE DU PLESSIS AND BRANDEN GRACE JOINING HIM ON THE PODIUM, MAKING IT THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME THE PODIUM HAS BEEN SWEPT BY A SINGLE TEAM. THE STINGERS ALSO CLAIMED THE TEAM TITLE, AND WILL SURELY HAVE GREAT MEMORIES COMING INTO THIS WEEK'S EVENT. THE STINGERS GOT OFF TO THE BEST POSSIBLE START AS A TEAM IN 2022, BUT THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT WHICH TEAM HAS GRASPED THE CONCEPT AND VISION THE BEST, LED BY TWO TEAM LEGENDS AND A FORMER OPEN CHAMPION.
THE MAJESTICKS ARE CAPTAINED BY IAN POULTER, LEE WESTWOOD AND HENRIK STENSON, AND DESPITE MANY PGA TOUR SYMPATHISERS DECLARING THE IMPENDING DEATH OF LIV GOLF FOLLOWING THE MERGER, THIS EUROPEAN-CENTRIC TEAM HAVE FORGED AHEAD WITH PLANS TO FULFIL THE POTENTIAL OF THE FRANCHISE. THEY RECENTLY UNVEILED TWO SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS WITH OKX, REDVANLY AND SEAMLESS DIGITAL, DEMONSTRATING THAT MAJOR COMPANIES SEE THE POTENTIAL AND WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH LIV GOLF. OKX Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique said: “Golf captivates people around the world, however, its reach can be magnified if we dare to think big about fan engagement, inclusivity and truly unique partnership activations that use Web3 to amaze and inspire. This is what we're shooting for with Majesticks GC, a top-tier team in the LIV Golf League that exemplifies our values and ambitions. We look forward to working with Majesticks on some very exciting things in the near future which will showcase our strengths.”
OKX is a trusted name in worldwide sports, demonstrated by its long-term partnerships with McLaren F1 Team and Premier League champions Manchester City Football Club.
REDVANLY, A FAMILY-OWNED US-BASED APPAREL COMPANY, WAS THEN UNVEILED AS THE ON-COURSE APPAREL PARTNER OF THE MAJESTICKS, AND AT THE START OF THIS WEEK THE FRANCHISE ANNOUNCED AN EXCITING PARTNERSHIP WITH SEAMLESS DIGITAL, that will see Seamless Digital’s cutting-edge technology integrated into the golf bags of the team.
"We are thrilled to have partnered with Seamless Digital to break new ground in dynamic advertising technology within golf. This partnership is a perfect example of our team's mantra of being 'excited by opportunity,’ said James Dunkley, Majesticks GC Team Principal. “Our game is changing and for us to be able to utilize the latest technologies is a great example of Majesticks GC embracing the future in sports marketing."
"This has been a true passion project for our players, who have enjoyed sharing their ideas and feedback to make this digital-first in golf come to fruition. We welcome Seamless Digital as an Official Partner of Majesticks GC and look forward to continuing to work on innovation together in golf."
“I have enjoyed inputting into the research and development with Seamless Digital to bring dynamic branding technology to golf. Everyone knows my love for F1 and at every opportunity I have looked to see what learnings we can take from the pinnacle of motorsport and apply to our team and sport,” said Ian Poulter, Co-Captain Majesticks GC. “I can’t wait to use the first digital golf bag this weekend alongside my teammates and to see the reaction of fans, fellow players and our commercial partners.”
“We are delighted to become an Official Partner with Majesticks GC and launch the first integration of our dynamic branding technology outside of our work with multiple F1 teams and motorsport rights holders,” said Mark Turner, Founder and CEO, Seamless Digital. “Having world-class golfers such as Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Sam Horsfield get excited by our technology and have a real input into its integration has been great for everyone involved."
"This feels like a seminal moment for our sports marketing division within Seamless Digital. Being able to change branding in real-time on a golf bag gives greater flexibility and value to teams and partners. Our technology enables more creative options for brands to communicate situationally relevant messages, and we are proving that our dynamic branding technology can be applied ‘in the action’ across many more professional sports."
"This has been a true passion project for our players, who have enjoyed sharing their ideas and feedback to make this digital-first in golf come to fruition. We welcome Seamless Digital as an Official Partner of Majesticks GC and look forward to continuing to work on innovation together in golf."
“I have enjoyed inputting into the research and development with Seamless Digital to bring dynamic branding technology to golf. Everyone knows my love for F1 and at every opportunity I have looked to see what learnings we can take from the pinnacle of motorsport and apply to our team and sport,” said Ian Poulter, Co-Captain Majesticks GC. “I can’t wait to use the first digital golf bag this weekend alongside my teammates and to see the reaction of fans, fellow players and our commercial partners.”
“We are delighted to become an Official Partner with Majesticks GC and launch the first integration of our dynamic branding technology outside of our work with multiple F1 teams and motorsport rights holders,” said Mark Turner, Founder and CEO, Seamless Digital. “Having world-class golfers such as Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Sam Horsfield get excited by our technology and have a real input into its integration has been great for everyone involved."
"This feels like a seminal moment for our sports marketing division within Seamless Digital. Being able to change branding in real-time on a golf bag gives greater flexibility and value to teams and partners. Our technology enables more creative options for brands to communicate situationally relevant messages, and we are proving that our dynamic branding technology can be applied ‘in the action’ across many more professional sports."
THOSE WHO ARE QUICK TO DISMISS THE FUTURE OF LIV GOLF SHOULD BE ASKING THEMSELVES SERIOUS QUESTIONS, BECAUSE WHY WOULD THE LIKES OF OKX, REDVANLY AND SEAMLESS DIGITAL GET INVOLVED WITH A TEAM IF THE LEAGUE WAS JUST GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN BY JAY MONAHAN? THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS THEY WOULDN'T. DESPITE THEIR CLEAR OFF COURSE SUCCESS THE MAJESTICKS HAVE STRUGGLED FOR FORM AND FITNESS AND ARE AT THE WRONG END OF THE TABLE AFTER 8 EVENTS OF THE 2023 SEASON. THIS WEEK REPRESENTS THEIR HOME EVENT, AND THE PRESSURE WILL BE ON WESTWOOD, POULTER, STENSON AND CANTER TO PERFORM.
THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THOUGH WHO THE FAVOURITE COMING INTO CENTURION IS. TALOR GOOCH IS HAVING A SEASON TO REMEMBER WITH WINS IN AUSTRALIA, SINGAPORE AND SPAIN, AND THE AMERICAN COULD REMARKABLY WIN A FOURTH TITLE IN A FOURTH DIFFERENT COUNTRY WITH SUCCESS IN ST ALBANS. GOOCH'S VICTORIES IN THE 2023 LIV GOLF LEAGUE SEASON HAVE SHOWN THE GLOBAL NATURE OF THE LEAGUE, AND ITS VAST POTENTIAL. THE AMERICAN HAS WON IN ASIA, AUSTRALASIA AND EUROPE, PROVING HIS GAME TRAVELS WELL AND HE HAS THE ABILITY TO COMPETE IN ALL CONDITIONS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I HAVE ALWAYS BACKED LIV GOLF SINCE THE LAUNCH LAST JUNE - IT IS A WORLD TOUR.
ONE OF LIV GOLF'S HOMES IS IN LONDON, AND WHILST IT IS SOMEWHAT MISLEADING TO BRAND THIS EVENT AS LIV GOLF LONDON (WHEN IT IS BEING PLAYED 27 miles north of the city), this event represents a special place for liv and it would seem centurion will be a key venue for the league going into the future. the course was designed by SIMON GIDMAN AND OPENED 10 YEARS AGO WITH MANY PREDICTING IT WOULD HOST THE RYDER CUP IN THE FUTURE, AND GIVEN ITS PROXIMITY TO THE FORMER HOME OF SAMUEL RYDER, IT SEEMED TO BE A NATURAL FIT. CENTURION HAS HOSTED GOLF SIXES AND THE ARAMCO TEAM SERIES IN RECENT YEARS, BUT THE LIV GOLF EVENT REPRESENTS ITS BIGGEST EVENT TO DATE.
I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE COURSE IN 2022 AND IT OFFERS A VARIETY OF HOLES WHICH TEST ALL ASPECTS OF THE GAME, AND WITH AN EVEN STRONGER FIELD IN 2023 I EXPECT IT TO PRODUCE A COMPELLING THREE DAYS OF GOLF. PLAY GETS UNDERWAY AT 2.30PM ON FRIDAY, AND IN THE UK IT IS FREE TO VIEW ON YOUTUBE (SEE THE VIDEO BELOW) OR ON LIVGOLFPLUS.COM.
