Originally set for a 12:15 PM shotgun start on Thursday, March 19, tee times for the first round at The Club at Steyn City have been moved forward to 10:05 AM local time.
The decision, announced this morning, aims to ensure that play can begin and progress ahead of the expected afternoon weather. Gates, hospitality, and the fan village were opened at 9 AM to give spectators more time to settle in ahead of the early start.
Officials confirmed that subsequent rounds - Friday through Sunday - will maintain their scheduled 12:15 PM shotgun starts for Rounds 2 and 3, with Round 4 set for 12:05 PM, though these remain subject to change.
This marks LIV Golf's very first visit to the African continent, and expectations are sky-high.
The 57-player field includes major champions such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and South Africa's own heroes Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester. Phil Mickelson is also making his 2026 LIV Golf debut here.
With almost 100,000 tickets sold in advance, the four-day event is projected to deliver a significant injection into the local economy through tourism, hospitality and related spending.
Jon Rahm says LIV Golf's expansion into South Africa is one of the aspects of the league he appreciates most, as he prepares to visit the country for the first time next month.
The all-South African LIV Golf team has been renamed Southern Guards GC ahead of the league's first event in South Africa, scheduled for March 19-22 at The Club at Steyn City.
South Africa is set to get a major economic boost from the upcoming LIV Golf tournament, with projections estimating close to R1 billion in activity from tourism, local spending, and international exposure.
Jon Rahm's private jet was reportedly used to transport several LIV Golf players and their families out of the war-torn Middle East.
