Cameron Smith, the reigning Open champ, says his week in Adelaide with LIV Golf outstrips his history-making trip to St Andrews last summer, hailing the Australian event as the”best” he has ever played in.

TheAussie was roared on by 20-deep rows of fans at The Grange last week and, despite a T-3 and missing out on individual glory in Adelaide to eventual winner Talor Gooch, Smith said it was his most amazing experience of his career.

“I would go as far as to say this is the best event I’ve ever played,” he said. “I think I’m probably biased a little bit being from Australia, but this is what LIV Golf is about.”

Cam was not alone. HyFlyers Hall of Fame captain Phil Mickelson added: “LIV Adelaide is really an example of what is possible, and a new opportunity to present golf in a different way and have a different energy and a different feel.

“What LIV Golf has provided is a great alternative for the traditional ways of golf, and the people here in Australia have embraced it, and so you see a whole different energy.”

Even the politicians got involved, with South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas adding: It exceeded my expectations. The moment those tickets went on sale and they sold out within minutes.

“The anticipation has been here from the get-go… What we’re particularly excited about, if I’m frank, is that the power of the game of golf at such a high elite professional level, to be able to draw the eyes of the nation, indeed internationally, on our city and our state. That is a wholeheartedly good thing, and we’re very grateful to have this partnership with LIV to be able to deliver that.

“From my perspective, it didn’t take much of a genius to work out that there is an appetite for high-quality golf in Australia. We’ve been yearning for this. LIV provides us the opportunity to enjoy that and experience that.

“It is the South Australian economy that will be a major beneficiary of it.”

With live entertainment each night and, due to demand,  the gates open for the Pro-Am, the records were smashed in Australia.

The first league features 14 tournaments in seven different countries as many of the sport’s biggest names continue their pursuit of the LIV Golf League Individual Championship and Team Championship.

This week, the league visits the famed Serapong course at Sentosa Golf Club for the fifth tournament of the season.