DELOFTED: Africa calling! Why LIV Golf South Africa is making everyone sweat. Johannesburg, South Africa – Folks, the time has come: The Club at Steyn City, a championship layout personally crafted by Jack Nicklaus, is making history this week! North of Johannesburg, in the heart of the Highveld, the very first LIV Golf event on the African continent is taking place. A par-71 course, a hefty 7,557 yards (approx. 6,909 meters) long, promises many birdies, but those not from the region will have to consider several factors to truly contend. The biggest hurdle facing the pros this week is the thick Kikuyu grass at The Club at Steyn City. This dense, warm-season turf is native to the region and standard on South African courses, dominating fairways and rough alike. On the fairways, the ball sits up for clean, solid strikes. “On these fairways, the ball sits up so high that you get a more solid strike, and the irons can fly a little further,” explains Jon Rahm, Captain of Legion XIII. But here's the twist: The Kikuyu on the fairways is not what will be giving some players sleepless nights this week. The Kikuyu rough has grown thick and really grabs the club. This kills spin, limits distance on recovery shots, and creates unpredictable lies. This makes scrambling around the greens a real challenge and puts anyone who misses the tee shot in a tough spot. Bump-and-run shots are virtually impossible, as the spongy Kikuyu simply spits the ball out “dead”. Even the player with arguably the best short game in the world has respect for this Kikuyu rough challenge. “The rough here, I was at the chipping green yesterday. It was around six inches (approx. 15 centimeters) long; I could barely get the ball out,” reveals Cameron Smith, Captain of Ripper GC. His teammate Lucas Herbert already has more South Africa experience. “This is my fourth time here,” he says. “So I have some insider knowledge on how to prepare for South African courses. We’re playing on Kikuyu grass here, which requires a slightly different preparation around the greens. You have to get used to it.” Tom McKibbin of Legion XIII, although one of the youngest players in the league, has also been around a lot. The 23-year-old has six DP World Tour starts in South Africa under his belt and has landed in the top 25 four times. “It’s obviously a completely different grass to hit from,” says McKibbin. “Hopefully, I can use that to my advantage, having played on it so many times and knowing what I like and don’t like about it, especially with these lies. Hopefully, it will be a good week.” Players like Herbert and McKibbin may have experienced the South African Kikuyu a few times, but the South Africans Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Charl Schwartzel, and Branden Gr
