Australia’s Elvis Smylie made fairly the doorway to LIV Golf, successful his debut occasion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning AEST.
The extremely rated 23-year-old, who joined LIV this 12 months after his maiden season on the DP World Tour, held off fast-finishing former world No.1 Jon Rahm by one shot.
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Smylie completed 24-under par in LIV’s first 72-hole occasion after storming dwelling with a bogey free eight-under par closing spherical of 64 to additionally assist the all-Australian Ripper GC take the workforce title.
Smylie shone down the stretch of the match that was performed below lights – the one of its sort on the LIV schedule.
Rahm mounted the stress with 4 straight birdies to finish the spherical, however Smylie made three again 9 birdies to carry off his challengers.
The Queenslander was a recipient of Cameron Smith’s scholarship when he was a proficient teenager, and he described claiming his first skilled win for the reason that 2024 Australian PGA Championship as “a dream come true”.
“I wished to come back out right here and make an announcement. I wished to show that I’m among the finest out right here, and I really feel like I’ve executed that, and it’s solely up from right here,” Smylie mentioned.
“I actually simply tried to embrace each second. I knew there was a world-class area making an attempt to chase me down, however I’ve obtained so many wonderful individuals round me.
“It’s a particular feeling.”
Smylie’s victory got here within the first LIV occasion with Official Golf World Rating factors and he’s anticipated to rise to a career-best 78th on the earth consequently.
His financial institution stability can also be trending up with the win.
Smylie earned roughly $1.75 million plying his commerce in Europe final 12 months.
The left-hander comfortably eclipsed that together with his first up victory.
He earned $5.7m (US$4m) for successful the person trophy.
Smylie may even pocket his quarter-share, alongside Smith, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert, of Ripper GC’s $4.28m (US$3m) workforce prize.
In addition to the monetary windfall, the victory is also a serious enhance to Smylie’s confidence of his first look at LIV’s Adelaide occasion subsequent week.
“It’s going to be actually thrilling enjoying in entrance of a house crowd,” he mentioned.
“The nice factor with LIV is it’s a worldwide tour. You’re enjoying many alternative programs in so many alternative international locations and having the ability to expertise all of it with the Ripper guys goes to be very cool, and an expertise I can’t look ahead to.”