Big names to tee off at LIV Golf HK tournament
Australian golfer Cameron Smith says fans can expect to see a lot of birdies and great shots at the LIV Golf tournament which tees off in Fanling on Friday.  Smith, who came second in the recent Hong Kong Open, described Fanling as a "smart person's golf course", offering lots of opportunities but also requiring patience.  He said the tournament will be tough with many big names joining the field, including Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, and Joaquin Niemann.  Smith captains Ripper GC, with Matt Jones, Marc Leishman, and Lucas Herbert on the team.  “I would expect that the leaderboard, particularly at the top end of the leaderboard, is going to be a lot different this week given what the course provides. But at the same time, we got some guys that are playing pretty outstanding golf at the moment and they are going to be tough to beat,” Smith said.  “It will be an interesting week. Hopefully for our team, it’s the week that really kicks off the rest of the season. I know all the boys are probably pretty disappointed in how they’ve played the first three events. Feeling good and looking good early in the week, but we still got to go out there and actually do it. We will see what happens.” Meanwhile, Hong Kong Golf Club captain Andy Kwok said this tournament will offer an experience combining golf and entertainment, including music performances, to attract all types of people to the mega event.  He said it's the first time the territory has ever hosted a LIV golf tournament, and it shows that the city is ready to host more large-scale sports events in future.  “It is also a reassurance for us that golf as a sport can really attract spectators and eyeballs from around the world. So this is great for Hong Kong as we want to be the mega event capital of the region,” he said.  “I think through golf, we can be one of the drivers to help the Hong Kong government achieve this goal. We are in this position to work hand in hand with various tours as well as with the Hong Kong government.” He added that fans from 29 countries and territories are expected at the tournament, and that it will be broadcast to 110 countries and territories.