'We've Got 14 Majors Out Here Now' - Pro On The Strength Of LIV Golf
Branden Grace says LIV Golf now has 14 events just like Majors given the increased strength of the field
Branden Grace says that a stronger LIV Golf League now contains “14 Majors out here” that won’t see such dominant victories such as what their Stinger GC achieved at Centurion last year.
The South African plays on a team full of his compatriots alongside Major champions Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel and completed by Dean Burmester.
LIV Golf returns to Centurion a year after it all began, and despite doubts over the future of the new tour after the PGA Tour-PIF deal, the word from the players is that it’s business as usual.
Ian poulter says it’s full steam ahead while his Majesticks teammate Lee Westwood expects LIV to go from strength to strength after the deal.
And Grace agrees, saying that the field is now much stronger than the one from last year, when Schwartzel led a sweep of the podium places as Stingers won by 14 shots.
“Everything is just getting stronger and better,” said Grace. “The teams are stronger now. There's more guys, hopefully more guys coming to make it even stronger. To finish one-two-three I don't think is going to happen pretty soon if ever again.
“I think we as a team won by 16 shots last year. It's so strong now, I don't think anybody has won with more than let's say five shots ever since that. But it's nice to be here.
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"The fields are getting stronger. We just have to keep playing good golf. We've got 14 Majors out here now, so we have to play really well.
“I think last year Louis was very clever. He racked us up in a team before everything really even started. He had a plan behind his madness.”
A lot has happened in the 12 moths since LIV began at Centurion, but Grace believes the tour has continued to get better as time has gone on.
“Obviously last year this time was a little nerve-racking,” Grace added. “We didn't know what was going on, what to expect, and look at where we are now. Everything has gotten bigger and better as the weeks progressed on.
“Obviously the way we started last year was like a fairy-tale start, getting one-two-three on the podium and the team win, as well.
"It's just amazing how things have progressed, how happy we are, how we're enjoying golf, how we're enjoying the environment, and it's great to be here.”
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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