Elvis Smylie marked his LIV Golf debut with a stunning victory at the Riyadh season opener, holding off Jon Rahm by one stroke to finish at 24 under par. Ripper GC also secured the team title, sweeping both competitions in the league's first 72-hole event. The tournament highlighted LIV's new Official World Golf Ranking points allocation for top-10 finishers.
The fifth season of LIV Golf began under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia, featuring 57 players over four rounds with no cuts. Australian rookie Elvis Smylie, 23, led wire-to-wire in his debut for Ripper GC, carding a bogey-free 8-under 64 in the final round to win by one stroke over Jon Rahm. Smylie's total of 24 under set a league record for the lowest score in a regular-season event, boosted by strong putting after switching to a new blade putter.
Rahm, captain of Legion XIII, mounted a late charge with a 9-under 63, including birdies on five of his last six holes, but fell short at 23 under. He praised the 72-hole format, saying, “I think four rounds is better golf and better for the players who are playing good golf that week.” Peter Uihlein finished solo third at 21 under, while Abraham Ancer, Thomas Pieters, and David Puig tied for fourth at 20 under.
Ripper GC dominated the team competition, finishing at a record 69 under par, three shots ahead of Torque GC. Their final-round score of 26 under, led by Smylie's 64 and Cameron Smith's 65, marked the third-best single-round team performance in LIV history. Captain Smith lauded Smylie: “I genuinely think he can be the best golfer in the world. He’s got all the tools of the trade.”
The event carried added significance as LIV earned OWGR points for the first time, limited to top-10 finishers and ties. Smylie collected 23.03580 points, projected to boost him significantly from 134th in the rankings. CEO Scott O’Neil called it a “vote of confidence” but noted the restriction felt unfair, with 82 percent of the field ineligible. Jon Rahm echoed this, saying, “It doesn’t seem fair. The small fields out there... their players get full points.” Peter Uihlein, however, welcomed the step forward, stating, “We have more world ranking points today than we did yesterday.”
Smylie earned $4 million from the $20 million individual purse and 200 season points, while Ripper GC shared in the $10 million team prize. The win, the first debut victory since Henrik Stenson in 2022, sets momentum for next week's LIV Golf Adelaide.
