COLLEGE GROVE, Tenn. — Bryson DeChambeau took aim, with notes of sweat and beer wafting in the grandstands around him, while LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman stood on the green.
Norman jokingly tended the flag on the par-3 15th hole for DeChambeau, the 2024 U.S. Open champion, during Saturday’s second round of the LIV Nashville tournament.
DeChambeau smiled but admitted later he didn’t know what was going on.
“I had no idea (it was Norman),” DeChambeau said. “If I knew it was him . . . I would have been totally cool with it. I wasn’t trying to wave him off.”
Welcome to the weirdness of No. 15 at The Grove, LIV Nashville’s 132-yard, par-3 “party hole” with amphitheater-style seating, VIP suites and plenty of booze — styled much like the rowdy par-3 16th at the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.
DeChambeau hit his tee shot to about 10 feet, then jogged the length of the hole to slap hands with spectators. Most fans had their shirts on, but among the men, some did not.
Nashville fans — known for their willingness to party — were even rowdier than they were for the opening round. A mob of people with plastic cups followed DeChambeau as he walked to the 15th tee box. His entrance encapsulated the sold-out day at The Grove, which ended with him at 9 under for the tournament, four shots behind leader Tyrrell Hatton (13 under) going into Sunday’s final round.
The LIV party hole is an absolute scene in Nashville. Fans chanting Bryson DeChambeau’s name, Greg Norman tending the flag for him, then he flags it and will have a putt to tie the lead! Listen to that atmosphere. Who’d have expected this 2 year ago!! pic.twitter.com/qav2DCrdxL
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) June 22, 2024
Gary Bryant, who came as a spectator, waited nearly three hours for DeChambeau to arrive at No. 15.
“It’s different (than the PGA Tour), but it’s a good different,” Bryant said. “It’s more interactive. But we know the golfers are here to focus on the course, too.”
Fans booed when players missed the No. 15 green and cheered wildly if they hit it close, no matter who was teeing off. Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, generally a fan favorite, received a chorus of boos when his tee shot found the left bunker. It was the opposite when Jon Rahm, who had to quiet a loud fan behind him as playing partner Richard Bland teed off, landed his shot about 8 feet from the pin.
“It’s always tricky when you have some sort of distance-control wedge, and then you have (all the noise),” Rahm said. “You almost need to control (your) adrenaline.”
Norman, who began the day walking with Hatton’s group, made his way to No. 15 and asked fans for feedback on how they thought the concession lines could move faster.
“We had some ideas,” said Zack Denlinger, who spoke with Norman from behind the ropes for about a minute. “If someone’s in line for a hot dog, but all I want is a Transfusion (drink), I don’t need to wait for the hot dog to be done. I just want a drink.”
Many people wanted drinks there Saturday.
“It’s fun to be able to, for one hole, go, ‘Oh, look at this environment, this is sweet. Let’s give the fans a little something special,’ ” DeChambeau said. “Yeah, I love it.”