There will be five Australians playing this week at LIV Golf Adelaide, including one with a far deeper knowledge of the host venue than anyone else in the field.
RELATED: Phil Mickelson cites ‘family health matter’ for pulling out of LIV Golf Adelaide
South Australian Wade Ormsby, a long-time member at Grange Golf Club, is filling in for Phil Mickelson on the HyFlyers GC alongside 2024 LIV Adelaide winner Brendan Steele, Cameron Tringale and latest signing Michael La Sasso.
It’s familiar territory for the 45-year-old in more ways than one. Ormsby was part of the then-named Punch GC in LIV’s inaugural season in 2022, but since then has played the role of reserve for the league. Mickelson, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood are all absent this week, Mickelson due to a family health matter, Kaymer thanks to an elbow injury and Westwood courtesy of a wrist injury.
Ormsby, who won the Asian Tour’s Jakarta International Championship last October, only received the call-up for LIV Adelaide late last weekend (Ollie Schniederjans replaced Mickelson in Riyadh last week). The world No.414 contested the Webex Players Series event on the Murray River a fortnight ago, sharing 18th place at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.
He is grateful for the opportunity this week and feels ready.
“You’re always trying to be ready,” Ormsby told Australian Golf Digest today. “I played a week ago, so I made sure the game was in a place where I was ready to go. I was just hoping an opportunity would come about and it did, so I’m really excited for that.
“I’ve been a reserve quite a bit, so you do a lot of sitting around. At the start of doing this role, you’re kind of looking at who’s in the physio room and who’s injured and whatever else. But that just makes you go ‘crackers’, so you just try to be ready and do your work and just let it come to you, because you don’t want anyone to go down injured.
“Like I said, you just take the opportunities when you get them and try to do your best when you’re called upon. It’s a role I’ve just had to deal with.”
As for his enviable local knowledge and any perceived advantage, Ormsby is more circumspect.
“I do know a lot of the slopes on the greens, but the [rest of the field] have been here for three or four years now, so they know where they’re going as well. But you know where the room is and how to play to each pin and whatnot, but it’s definitely an advantage you’ve still got to perform and hit the shots.”
Ormsby has been helping HyFlyers teammate La Sasso formulate a game plan for tackling the composite layout at Grange and while acknowledging the pair take quite different lines off tees, Ormsby is under strict instruction from Mickelson to show La Sasso the nuances of the Grange greens.
RELATED: After an electric start last week, Ripper GC looks to keep the momentum
Ormsby has witnessed the growth of LIV Golf Adelaide from the inside – including inside the league and as a Grange member. During the 2022 LIV season, there were rumblings of an event in Adelaide – rumours that soon reached reality.
“So for that to all eventuate and for it to be at your home club and in your home state was unbelievable,” Ormsby said. “It’s really cool that it’s home for me.”
Your correspondent posed a hypothetical scenario to Ormsby, one that sees the HyFlyers in a playoff on Sunday afternoon against Ripper GC for this week’s teams title. When asked where his allegiances would be, he wasted no time in responding.
“One hundred percent with the HyFlyers,” he said with a chuckle. “Those boys (Ripper GC) won last week; they need to share it around. I just want to put my best foot forward and play well and try to help the team out… and have a strong week.”
FULL LIV GOLF ADELAIDE COVERAGE HERE