To succeed at The Watering Hole, it’s best to embrace the moment

Ripper GC’s Marc Leishman birdied The Watering Hole during a practice round Tuesday. It happened in relative silence, unlike the raucous party atmosphere that will envelop the par-3 12th during the four days of competition at LIV Golf Adelaide.

But even when the stands are packed with fans lining the 165-yard hole, Leishman knows how to deliver at The Watering Hole. In nine previous competitive rounds at The Grange Golf Club, he’s birdied the 12th four times and made par the other five times. Of the 57 players in the field this week, no-one has a better stroke average at the hole than Leishman’s, whose 2.65 average is matched only by Korean Golf Club’s Danny Lee.

In 2024 when the Rippers won the team trophy in dramatic fashion in LIV Golf’s first team play-off, Leishman birdied the hole in each of the three rounds. The year before, in LIV Golf’s first visit to Adelaide, he finished his final round on the 12th and then proceeded to do a shoey.

“Some bloke threw me his shoe – it was out of someone else's shoe,” Leishman recalled. “It was disgusting, actually. Yeah, I’ve got a pretty good average there.”

To succeed at The Watering Hole, you have to embrace all that it offers. Pick a good walk-up song, produce a good shot, get the fans on your side. The only player in LIV history with a better stroke average at the 12th is Pat Perez, the former 4Aces GC player whose memorable celebration after sinking a lengthy birdie putt there is a must-watch highlight.

Asked why he’s performed so well at the 12th, Lee – who was born in Korea but moved to New Zealand at the age of eight – responded, “The people. I like the crowds. The vibes. Just trying to make birdie everytime I go to that hole. Give them what they came here to see.”

Leishman, of course, has the benefit of being a home crowd favorite as a member of the all-Australian Rippers.

“I enjoy the whole vibe of the place,” he said. “It's nice to be able to get them cheering, and to feel like you're sort of the home team guy or the hometown person, it's pretty cool. Yeah, hopefully I can do the same again this year.”

At least a dozen players in the field have not experienced The Watering Hole. One of those is young Fireballs GC star Josele Ballester, who joined LIV Golf in the middle of last season.

“I've seen some videos about it,” Ballester said. “I was fortunate enough last year when I was still in college to play at the Waste Management and I had experienced that craziness, as well. So just can't wait to be out there.”

Lee has also played the tournament in Phoenix but said he enjoys the fans in Australia more. They get loud but they don’t try to interfere with the competition.

“People here are a lot more respectful,” Lee said. “They understand the game of golf … It’s a million times better over here with all the Australians. Different level of crowds. They know how to enjoy it properly. We love them.”

Lee is changing his walk-up song this year, going with Kanye West’s “Runaway”. He’s not the only player giving considerable thought to their music. Ballester spent some time thinking about his walk-up song. “Hopefully it's well with the vibe of the tournament,” the 22-year-old Spaniard said. “Can't wait to put on a good performance and hopefully hit some good shots on that Watering Hole.”

Another of LIV Golf’s young guns is Elvis Smylie, the 23-year-old Australian and the newest member of the Rippers. Last week in Riyadh, Elvis’s walk-up song on the first tee box was “A Little Less Conversation”, a nod to his namesake, Elvis Presley.

Smylie won in his LIV Golf debut and enters Adelaide as the league’s newest sensation. He won’t have to worry about getting the fans on his side. Neither will Leishman and the other Rippers, led by captain Cameron Smith and including Lucas Herbert. In fact, Smylie will get the biggest cheers if he returns to the top of the podium.

“I'm looking forward to Elvis, being able to watch him experience a massive week,” Leishman said. “Like Cam said, it's a highlight of our year and I know he's going to enjoy it.”