India, April 29 -- Last year, LIV Golf Adelaide set the benchmark for the new League. More than 77,000 fans watched that event that took the South Australian city by storm, with Cameron Smith and his men whipping up a frenzy even though both individual and team titles denied them.Not this year.A team title for the all-Australian Ripper GC, after beating the all-South African Stingers GC in the first-ever team playoff, was just the icing on the cake. LIV Golf Adelaide Version II easily lifted the bar, and all their future events will be compared to itMore than 94,000 spectators watched the action unfold at The Grange, and the early numbers for Channel 7 broadcast showed close to a million viewers for Friday's telecast in the country. These numbers do not include users of LIV Golf + app, which is fast becoming one of the finest platforms to follow the action with its streaming and host of stats, graphics and pre-and post-event shows.

The local government has thrown its might behind the tournament and were rewarded with nearly 40 per cent of spectators traveling to Adelaide from out of state.And yes.these numbers will fade when compared to several PGA Tour events and the major championships. The Waste Management Phoenix Open remains the most attended golf tournament in the world, with over 700,000 fans present during the 2018 championship. But for a League that was virtually written off before it even started, and the opposition and obstruction it faces, Adelaide showed the immense possibilities it has. The critics will still point to sparsely-attended events like Jeddah. But having a tournament in Saudi Arabia, where professional golf has a history of less than six years, is more a responsibility of the League. Public Investment Fund (PIF) is bankrolling it, and they want the game to grow in their own country. To be fair, even that number is growing. From a few hundreds in the past, it has now reached a few thousands. It is currently held at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), which is more than 100 kilometers away from Jeddah. Once it moves closer to populous cities, like the capital Riyadh as planned, there will be further improvements.

The other very notable point about Adelaide was how the fans embraced the team aspect of LIV Golf. Of course, it was easy there because just about everyone was supporting Ripper GC. But the team aspect of the tournament is gaining a lot of traction this year.Crushers GC, which has our very own Anirban Lahiri in the Bryson DeChambeau-led team, is fast becoming a fan favourite, helped by their stupendous performances and also the charisma and social media expertise of the Captain. Their comeback wins in both Jeddah and Hong Kong were spectacular.Again, LIV critics have often argued that they are unable to understand and appreciate team competition. Really? One doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to fathom this. The best three scores count on the first two days. All four scores count in the final round. And it adds a fascinating sideshow to the main tournament.It helps when there is a binding theme for a team. Like the all-Aussie Ripper (Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert), the all-South African Stinger (Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmester and Branden Grace), the all-American 4Aces (Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Harold Varner III and Pat Perez), the all-Latin American Torque (Joaquin Niemann, Sebastian Munoz, Carols Ortiz and Mito Pereira) or even the all-Spanish speaking Fireballs (Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, David Puig and Eugenio Chacarra). But teams like Crushers have shown that popularity can transcend geographical and racial boundaries.Even Commissioner Greg Norman touched on the subject while speaking at the end of the tournament."I am extremely proud. In our league's short history, LIV Golf Adelaide has become a can't-miss event on Australia's calendar of major international sporting events and this week, we raised the bar once again," said Norman."I want to thank the Australian fans and those who travelled afar to be in Adelaide. The country has clearly embraced our league and what it represents: team golf - a new and needed product that is delivering for the sport's future."

The one thing LIV Golf has done really well is to take care of the fans. It starts with ticket prizes, to providing them with better information, to supplementing golf with entertainment. Even their fast-paced TV broadcast scores over other Tours.Before I finish, let's get back to fan numbers. LIV Golf moves to Singapore this week, and there will surely be many who'd start counting them. Having covered international events in the city-state for nearly three decades now, I'd proclaim a total crowd of anywhere near 30,000 over the three days, a massive success. That's how it is. You just cannot expect similar numbers to Phoenix, especially with nearly 100 per cent humidity levels in summer.Should that deny an important global hub like Singapore a world-class event? Absolutely not.

Read Also: shah rukh khan flaunts his batting skills; abram wows with yorker to rinku singh during kkr's practice ahead of dc clash