Flash mob breaks out at LIV Golf event

LIV’s goal is to spearhead the modernization of the sport of golf, which is why many were left confused on Friday at the first hole of the Centurian Club course in Hertfordshire, outside of London. Greeting attendees for LIV Golf’s London event was a spectacle straight out of the early 2000s – a flash mob.

Further sending the performance back in time, staffers around the hole were dancing to LMFAO’s 2011 hit song, Party Rock Anthem.

It was a baffling start to what should be another entertaining weekend of golf as viewers hit the peak of major pro sports’ dry season.

Flash Mob breaks out on first tee before start of #LIVGolf London pic.twitter.com/RVmXpB9S9g

— Mike McAllister (@thegolfeditor) July 7, 2023

The drama started early in the UK as 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka slammed his Smash GC teammate Matthew Wolff for his recent performances.

“I mean, when you quit on your round, you give up and stuff like that, that’s not competing,” said Koepka, current captain of Smash GC. “I’m not a big fan of that. You don’t work hard. It’s very tough. It’s very tough to have even like a team dynamic when you’ve got one guy that won’t work, one guy is not going to give any effort, he’s going to quit on the course, break clubs, gets down, bad body language, it’s very tough. I’ve basically given up on him—a lot of talent, but I mean the talent’s wasted.”

Wolff has undoubtedly struggled on the course lately. In May’s LIV event in Washington, D.C., he withdrew prior to the final round, where he was 46th out of 48 players. He also recently finished 44th at a LIV event in Spain.

In a response to Koepka’s comments, Wolff said in a statement to Sports Illustrated that the sentiments were “heartbreaking” and should have been handled “much differently.”

In the statement, Wolff acknowledged that his performance hasn’t been up to standards. However, he also notes that he is making strides in his life off of the course. Those gains in his life and mental health, he believes, will ultimately result in better play.

Golfers at the LIV event hosted just outside London began teeing off at 9:15 p.m. AM on Friday.