But the full realisation of the popularity of LIV Golf’s first venture to Australia wasn’t completely realised until the lines of fans to enter The Grange started growing hours before the 11:45am shotgun start.

Inside the property it was plain to see who the majority of people were here to see, with Cam Smith’s every step cheered. Even when he hit “the worst shot of the day” on the par-3 12th hole surrounded by grandstands, the Queenslander received applause.

“That 1st fairway looked pretty narrow this morning. It seemed like everyone was on the edge of the fairway,” Smith said. “Yeah, it was a pretty epic day … it was incredible every hole, the support, the support going on to the tee, off the green.

“To be honest, it was pretty tiring, but no, it was a really good day. I'm looking forward to doing it again over the weekend.”

After his tee shot, the crowd got even more excited when Friday night’s entertainment, Australian DJ Fisher, ran towards Smith and attempted to get him to take part in a “shoey”.

Smith declined, and his play was mixed on day one, the reigning Open Champion mixing four birdies with his bogey at “the watering hole” to sign for a three-under 69. That leaves him seven back of runaway American leader Talor Gooch, now a member of the “Range Goats” team after leaving the “4 Aces” last year.

Smith wasn’t the only player to wax lyrical about the crowds that will have left Greg Norman and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas smiling from ear to ear after the ongoing accusations of Sportswashing on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government were brought to them earlier in the week.

Crowds watch on from the edge of the green as Smith putts out on 18 on Friday. PHOTO: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

Marc Leishman compared the noise and support to being in contention at a major, while 2021 Australian PGA Champion Jed Morgan described the experience simply “sick”.

“I mean, unbelievable. Probably as energetic a crowd as I've ever played in front of,” Leishman said. “That rivals being in contention at a major for sure. Obviously we're the home team, but all the yelling out at us and the support and the Leishman Lagers in the hand all around the course, yeah, it was ridiculous actually. It was really cool. Cool to be a part of.”

The crowds, with many decked out in their newly purchased LIV merchandise or sporting mullet wigs, mostly followed either Smith playing with Brooks Koepka and Ian Poulter, or the all Australian threesome of Morgan, Leishman and Matt Jones.

There was strong following for the group of Phil Mickelson, who managed a two-under 70 after the emotional high of his recent T2 at Augusta National. A double bogey at his second last hole leaving Mickelson to get a lesson from coach Andrew Getson in the score return area before signing for a throng of adoring fans.

Those fans moved onto the fan zone at the conclusion of play, where Fisher’s appearance doing his day job playing music rather than drinking from shoes created an experience rarely, if ever, seen at a golf tournament.

Young fans dancing away, watchers on at their first ever golf event and the likes of Australian amateur Harrison Crowe recently returned from The Masters suggesting that whatever the DJ was paid by LIV Golf to head to Adelaide from Coachella might have been worth it.

A number of players also decided to take in the performance from the side of stage, including Smith.

The DJ managing this time to get the golfer to partake in a shoey on stage to a wild reaction from the crowd that signifies the most successful event in LIV’s short history, that they might hope helps to drown out the external criticisms.