Southern Guards brace for intense rivalry, Aussie sledging at LIV Golf Adelaide

The Southern Guards GC are bracing for the sledging and chirps coming their way from Thursday as they tee it up in Adelaide for the second LIV Golf tournament, knowing there is no love lost between Australians and South Africans on the sporting field.

After a mid-table start to the 2026 League, the Southern Guards are looking to improve their standings on the official log as the first-ever LIV South Africa tournament in March creeps ever closer. While it may still be just over a month away, valuable winning momentum will be important for captain Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace.

Grace showed some mettle in Riyadh this past weekend, finishing ninth in the opening tournament in Saudi Arabia and bagging much-needed golf ranking points. He, alongside his teammates, will look to deliver a stronger overall performance in tough conditions on and off the course in Australia.

They have a score to settle with the Ripper GC side, playing on their home turf, with the all-Australian team still holding the edge over the South Africans after winning the first-ever team play-off match back in 2024 to claim the title. So, there will still be that element of revenge for the South Africans on the cards.

Of course, the heated battles between the two nations on the rugby and cricket field will only add to the suspense and potential niggle.

Burmester says they are bracing themselves for anything that comes their way.

“We can expect a lot of chaos in Adelaide,” he said.

“The Grange Golf Club will be hosting us for the final time before we move on to Kuyonga. We all really like the golf course, and the vibe is second to none. The only difference is they are Australian fans, and they will be backing Australians and not us South Africans.

“But we know the storm is coming and reality will hit us again. However, it is great to play in front of so many people and see them having a good time while watching golf. We are excited and want to get one up on the Aussies.”

Burmester said they expect a hard and fast course — something the team will have to adapt to. He likened it to playing golf in winter in Johannesburg, with the icy ground providing a similar feel to what they can expect in Adelaide.

He added that they will have to be creative around the greens as well, but there is a high level of excitement about playing Down Under.

After finishing tied for 51st in Riyadh, Burmester will look to turn his fortunes around in Australia. He will use this tournament as one of his final preparations for the South African Open Championship at the end of February in Stellenbosch.

It is a home tournament he aims to do well in as he continues his build-up to the first LIV event in South Africa from 19 to 22 March. The Southern Guards have set themselves a target of claiming the first title on local soil. But before that, they will also hunt for glory in Hong Kong (5–9 March) and Singapore (12–15 March).