Swedish star Björn Hellgren, one of the newest members of the LIV Golf League, is back on The International Series at the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times, continuing to make the most of golf’s global pathways while adjusting to life under the spotlight, including the pressure of playing in front of crowds exceeding 100,000 on LIV.
Hellgren returned to Sentosa Golf Club just more than a month after his Aramco LIV Golf Singapore debut on the same course, and once again showed growing comfort on the world-class stage, moving to four-under-par through 36 holes to safely make the cut.
Reflecting on his second round in Singapore, Hellgren admitted he was pleased with his overall ball-striking but felt the score could have been lower.
“I’m playing good golf, just not scoring well,” he said. “You saw it out there. If I can get the putter going and start making a few more putts, I’ll be fine.”
Having also played the course during LIV Golf Singapore last month, Hellgren noted subtle but important differences in setup this week.
“The rough is tougher here, but the greens are slower,” he explained. “When we played LIV they were really fast and it was windy as well. It’s still a tough course though. When it firms up like it did during LIV, even par is a good score. Now maybe two or three under is a good round.”
Hellgren’s rise onto the LIV Golf League has been swift, earning his card through a top-three finish at LIV Golf Promotions in Florida earlier this year alongside Richard T. Lee and Anthony Kim, shortly after claiming his breakthrough victory on the Asian Tour at the Saudi Open presented by PIF last season.
On The International Series, he has also posted strong results in Thailand, including top-10 finishes at International Series Thailand and the Black Mountain Championship in 2024. The latter, staged in Hua Hin, is where he often bases himself when competing in the region.
Since stepping into LIV Golf, Hellgren admits the scale of the experience has been the biggest adjustment.
“It’s been unbelievable,” he said. “Every week is pretty cool. The standard is incredibly high, everyone competes at another level. It’s competitive, but I think I’m adjusting well and just need to keep improving.”
One of the biggest learning curves has been adapting to the large, vocal crowds that have quickly become a hallmark of LIV events.
“Adelaide for sure,” he said when asked what stands out this season. “That was really cool. Over 100,000 people, everyone loud, trying to get your attention, the atmosphere was insane.”
“At first it was new for me,” he added. “South Africa was similar, very loud. But you get used to it. Now I don’t really care, I actually enjoy it. It takes time to adjust to that kind of atmosphere, music blasting, crowds everywhere, you just try not to miss the green.”
With seven LIV events still to come across the United States, Korea and Spain, Hellgren continues to balance his LIV commitments with opportunities on The International Series.
“Next is Washington, then Korea, then Spain,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to Spain, Real Club Valderrama is like a home course for me.”
This week in Singapore also carries added significance, with two places into The 154th Open Championship available through The International Series.
“That’s the main reason I’m here,” Hellgren said. “I’m at four under, still two days to go. Just need to keep going.”
