The start of the 2025 LIV Golf season is just a matter of weeks away, and Riyadh Golf Club will host the first event of the year.
With Greg Norman moving on, a new era is now upon the PIF-backed venture, and incoming CEO Scott O’Neil will be looking to improve the LIV brand over the next 12 months. And an early decision from the league has proven extremely popular with golf fans.
The opening event in Saudi Arabia will tee off at 6 p.m. local time under the cover of darkness. Thankfully, the facilities at Riyadh Golf Club allow floodlit night golf, and viewers are excited to watch LIV’s finest tackle the opening event under the lights.
Golf fans react to LIV Golf’s ‘under the lights’ decision
Taking to X on Tuesday evening, many fans expressed their excitement about the innovative decision.
“Great innovation once again from LIV. Won’t be long until PGA steals it and claims it as their own,” a fan wrote.
“This is incredible,” another added. “Love it!”
This fan said, “This is such a fresh take on golf! Night golf under the lights will be amazing to watch, especially with the time difference working so well.”
“Nighttime golf in Saudi Arabia sounds epic. What a cool idea to start the season with something so different and dynamic,” another wrote.
Finally, this fan said: “That’s such an exciting way to kick off the season! Night golf in Saudi Arabia sounds incredible, and the timing for U.S. viewers is perfect, too.”
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What have Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler said about floodlit golf?
LIV’s floodlit decision comes just a month after Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka went head-to-head in Las Vegas under the cover of darkness.
Scheffler said it was really challenging playing under the lights, and McIlroy claimed putting was particularly hard.
“It was a bit of a battle in the alternate shot and we were lucky to scrap a win over those six holes. We were just saying before we got back on air how difficult it is to play under the lights and how difficult it is to putt under the lights especially,” he said.
“But super happy to get the win and partner, Scottie; it’s a nice way to finish the year.”
During ‘The Showdown,’ the participants had to deal with cooler temperatures, which will not be an issue in Riyadh for the LIV season opener. After the season opener in Saudi Arabia, LIV will head to Adelaide for the popular Australia stop.
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