Australia’s Elvis Smylie has made an extraordinary debut in LIV Golf, winning the season opening event in Saudi Arabia.
The 23-year-old impressed greatly under the floodlights, finishing with a bogey-free final-round eight-under 64 to narrowly hold off Spaniard Jon Rahm.
Rahm finished strongly with four straight birdies, leaving Smylie with an uncomfortable putt for par on the final hole to claim the win.
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Elvis Smylie of Ripper GC poses for a photo with the trophy after winning the final round. Getty
He finished 24-under par to secure the first LIV debut win since Henrik Stenson in 2022.
“I mean, it’s a dream come true. I really didn’t know what to expect this week, playing at night, obviously a whole different ball game out here,” Smylie said.
“And I wanted to come out here and make a statement. I wanted to prove that I’m one of the best out here, and I feel like I’ve done that.”
Smylie signed with Ripper GC ahead of the 2026 season, with the left hander hailing from Queensland.
He emerged on the scene across 2024 and 2025, with wins on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
But this LIV Golf victory will certainly go a long way, earning him $5.7m in prize money, which reportedly quadruples his prior career earnings.
American Peter Uihlein came in third, just three off the lead after shooting five-under in round four.
Aussie Lucas Herbert tied for ninth at eight-under, while Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman finished outside the top 10.
Smylie celebrated with a Daniel Ricciardo-style shoey on the podium.