Schwartzel wins LIV Golf Invitational Series event, earns largest payday in golf history

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Significant golf history played out Saturday on YouTube as the LIV Golf Invitational Series crowned its first champion in an event near London: 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

The catch? By holding off virtual unknown Hennie Du Plessis, Schwartzel earned $4.75M, the largest payout in the history of professional golf. The prize money from winning the three-day, 54-hole event surpasses his earnings from the last four years combined.

Schwartzel entered the tournament without a win on the PGA or European tour since 2016. 

“The guys (LIV) put up an amazing show. What they’ve done was way beyond our expectations,” Schwartzel said. “The entertainment, the way they treat everybody, and the amount of money they put up for us is out of this world.”

The new golf series is financed by the Saudi government and features eight events culminating in a Team Championship in Miami at the end of October.

The series has yet to secure a broadcast rights agreement in the United States but aired the tournament live on several free-to-watch services such as YouTube.

According to Apex Marketing, Round 1 of the event averaged 94,000 viewers and Round 2 averaged 54,000 viewers on YouTube.

LIV Golf’s entry list includes several notable names from the PGA Tour, headlined by six-time Major champion Phil Mickelson, who reportedly received $200M to leave the PGA Tour in favor of LIV. 

The PGA Tour announced on Thursday that all current and future LIV players will be suspended from PGA events.

2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Ian Poulter were among notable names to tee it up this weekend, with Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed announcing their commitments to play in LIV’s first event in the United States on June 30th in Portland at Pumpkin Ridge Country Club.