Incredible scene at LIV Golf tournament in Adelaide as entry queue stretches into the distance

Any doubts about whether Greg Norman’s controversial LIV rebel golf tour would be a smash hit down under have been put to rest by an amazing video of the queue for merchandise at the tournament in Adelaide.

Golf commentator Luke Elvy tweeted footage of the long line of attendees stretching into the distance on Friday morning, adding the caption: ‘The gates have ben open for 20 minutes. This is insane!’

‘Merchandise marquee. They’re lining up like they do in Disneyland for a ride,’ he says as the camera shows the huge queue.

‘Just opened the gates and everyone’s flocking for merchandise.’

The rebel tour has promised fans a very different experience to the stuffy vibe at PGA events.

Instead of a focus on peace and quiet during play, the LIV tournament will feature music blaring while the stars take their shots, and the 12th has even been labelled the ‘Watering Hole’ as it seeks to emulate the famous Party Hole from the Phoenix Open.

The line of fans waiting to buy LIV merchandise stretched into the distance before play had even begun on Friday morning in Adelaide 

Played at Adelaide’s Grange Course – a par-72 that stretches over 6,946 yards and was the scene of Norman’s first professional win in the 1976 West Lakes Classic – the LIV show also differs from the more established tours terms of how it’s run.

Forty-eight players compete in LIV events, which take part over 54 holes across three days, instead of the standard 72 holes across four days as it’s commonplace on the PGA and European Tours.

The event follow a shotgun start, with the 48 players starting simultaneously across different holes, rather than in staggered groups from the first or 10th tee.

The 48 players are divided into 12 teams and play in two competitions simultaneously – an individual and a team event. In the former, the winner is the player with the lowest total of shots over 54 holes.

In the team event, meanwhile, multiple scores count toward each franchises’ total each round, with the franchises with the cumulative low score being crowned the team champion for that event.

Aussie British Open champion Cam Smith (pictured in Adelaide on Thursday) is one of the biggest drawcards for the tournament, which is promising fans a party atmosphere

Smith (pictured with LIV boss Greg Norman and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas) is heading the all-Australian Ripper GC team at the event

Cameron Smith headlines Australia’s contingent and Ripper GC, the all-Australian team he features in alongside Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Jediah Morgan. 

Having finished runner-up to Jon Rahm at the Masters two weeks ago, Brooks Koepka heads to Adelaide as one of the favourites. The four-time major winner won the LIV Golf in Orlando at the beginning of the month and was a final round collapse away from claiming his first Green Jacket.

Phil Mickelson’s performance was similarly impressive, as Lefty shot seven-under in his final round to finish joint-second at Augusta and looks in the form of his life at 52 years of age.

Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed are also expected to be in the mix, as are Charles Howell and Danny Lee who have both won LIV Golf events earlier this season.