Australian corporate and golf community shows support for LIV Golf with the action set to begin in Adelaide

LIV Golf Adelaide is the week which defies all of the narrative around LIV Golf.

Apparently nobody attends as spectators. The event is set to attract total crowds in excess of 120,000.

Apparently nobody watches on TV. Audiences in Australia have regularly exceeded 1 million per round across 7, 7plus and 7mate in Australia.

Apparently it's an exhibition. Ask the players and fans this week if this doesn't matter.

Apparently they don't have any sponsors.

This week it was announced the Johnnie Walker (through a partnership with Diageo Australia) would become the Official Whisky of LIV Golf Adelaide, and BYD would return as Official Automotive Partner of LIV Golf Adelaide. Marketing Interactive says "The partnership positions LIV Golf Adelaide as more than a traditional sporting sponsorship, with Johnnie Walker leaning into experience-led activation designed to blend golf, live music and social connection.

At the centre of the activation is the Black Ruby Birdie, a bespoke cocktail created for the Adelaide event and served as the official drink of the tournament. The Black Ruby Blackberry & Soda premix will also be available across bars throughout the venue.

Beyond the bar, Johnnie Walker will operate a dedicated clubhouse within the fan village, offering cabanas, VIP areas and interactive brand experiences. Fans can engage with an interactive golf ball photo wall, try their luck at the Black Ruby Claw machine and access limited-edition Johnnie Walker golf merchandise, reinforcing the brand’s push beyond passive visibility and into participatory sponsorship."

Johnnie Walker is one of the most important sponsors of golf in its modern history.

Johnnie Walker was the title sponsor of the RYDER CUP when Europe hosted in 1993 in England and 1997 in Spain; they were title sponsors of the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship from 1991 to 1995 in Jamaica; they had the Johnnie Walker Classic from 1990 to 2009 with editions played in Australia, India, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, and Hong Kong; from 1998 to 1992 they sponsored the Johnnie Walker Australian Classic; from 1996 to 1998 they ran the Johnnie Walker Super Tour, a 8-man event with 4 rounds played in 4 Asian countries each year, visiting Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Korea and Philippines; they sponsored the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, in Scotland from 2002 to 2013; and most recently they have been the title sponsor of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Open Championship since 2024.

Marketing Interactive

Johnnie Walker only sponsors events which fit with its brand, and which they see potential in. LIV Golf Adelaide certainly fits the bill for them in connecting with the demographic they want to drink their products. If the activation works at LIV Golf Adelaide, then we could very well see a much deeper partnership between LIV Golf and this iconic Whisky brand. Having Johnnie Walker associated with the event adds credibility, they are a worldwide renowned brand, and a brand with a deep history in worldwide golf, with Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey, Adam Scott, Paul Lawrie, Ian Woosnam, Retief Goosen, and Larry Mize, among others, winning their events. For many, when you say Johnnie Walker, you think Golf.

Marketing Interactive

Cars and Golf have a long, and fruitful history, from Toyota to Volvo, from BMW to Ford, Buick to Holden, many of the great automobile manufacturers have had important golf sponsorships over the last century, but the only LIV Golf event which has an automobile partner is LIV Golf Adelaide. BYD is a Chinese company which manufactures Electric Vehicles, and has an annual revenue of more than $80billion and in 2025 overtook TESLA as the world's number one manufacturer of Electric vehicles.

Marketing Interactive  says "BYD will return as Official Automotive Partner of LIV Golf Adelaide, with the 2026 deal expanding the brand’s on-site presence and fan activations, centred around the debut of its new SEALION 8. Fan-facing activations will include naming rights to the BYD Shark Shack at the 12th hole, on-site charging stations powered by BYD’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology, live DJ performances powered entirely by a BYD SHARK 6, and an immersive fan village experience featuring spot prizes and vehicle displays.

BYD will also revive its Hole-in-One competition, awarding a BYD SEALION 8 Dynamic FWD to a fan rather than a player should a hole-in-one be scored on the 14th hole, with the prize drawn from customer entrants throughout the tournament. Its premium sub-brand DENZA, which launched locally in December, will also feature as part of the partnership. Sport has emerged as a key channel for BYD to accelerate awareness, consideration and experiential engagement."

“LIV Golf continues to redefine the modern sporting experience, and that progressive mindset aligns seamlessly with BYD’s approach to mobility,” said Stephen Collins, chief operating officer, BYD Australia.

“Extending our partnership into 2026 allows us to introduce what’s next, including the first Australian look at SEALION 8 and the arrival of DENZA on a global sporting stage.”

It is crucial for LIV Golf moving forward that they establish partnerships with Car companies, or have a single automobile partner and with BYD not partnering with any other golf event, LIV Golf Adelaide could be the perfect entry point, especially if LIV Golf takes the chance to go to China, a destination which the PGA TOUR is unlikely to ever visit again. BYD is headquartered in Shenzhen, the same place you can find Mission Hills Resort, China's greatest golf destination and one of the top two largest golf resorts in the world.

You can quickly see that this edition of LIV Golf Adelaide could be just as notable for what happens off the course, opposed to what happens on it for LIV Golf. Expanding deals on a global scale with Johnnie Walker and BYD could be massive, and transformational.

Aside from sponsorship, it is now clear that the Australian Golf institutions are behind LIV Golf's presence in Australia. Ahead, during and post LIV Golf Riyadh both the PGA of Australia, and Golf Australia posted about Ripper GC and LIV Golf Riyadh across their social media channels, and they are including LIV Golf results in their tour roundup on golf.com.au

PGA of Australia runs the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Australian PGA Championship, and Golf Australia runs the Australian Open, and are two of the oldest organisations in the world of golf, with the PGA of Australia founded in 1911, and the Australian Golf Union established in 1898.

Ripper GC and Golf Australia are partners in the My Golf programme, which gets children into golf across Australia.

The PGA of Australia and Golf Australia are setting the standard for how traditional, establishment institutions can embrace LIV Golf, and others should be taking notes.

SHANK, by Matt Hooper