Life is great for the Bendigo professional golfer - not that it wasn't when he played on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour - but the move to LIV Golf has been an eye-opener for the 28-year-old.

While his LIV contract is not in the same stratosphere as the mammoth figures the likes of Jon Rahm and Cam Smith signed for, the financial stress that comes with being a professional athlete has eased.

"I think the whole format of what we're doing allows you to express yourself more freely,'' Herbert said of LIV Golf after his win in the Neangar Park Pro-Am.

"There's less constrictions on what you can talk about or on what will be picked up on the microphones. You can be yourself a lot easier.

"There was a weight lifted off my shoulders... obviously I had a big financial break to begin with and you're not playing in fear of a bad result.

"There's not really as much of a bad result. If you finish at the back of the field you still make money, you're still out there at the next event.

"You have some freedom to be aggressive (on the course) and take on some risks that previously would have been scarier."

With arguably the most famous golf tournament in the world being played this week - the US Masters - Herbert had a break in his LIV schedule which allowed him to come home to Bendigo to play in the Neangar Park and Axedale pro-ams.

Would he rather be playing at Augusta? Absolutely. Does he have any regrets about quitting the PGA Tour to play the LIV Tour, which has made his pathway to golf's four majors much tougher?

"I've had no regrets at all (about leaving the PGA Tour),'' he said.

"I had no guarantees before I left and playing at Augusta is something you have to earn.

"There's small avenues I can use at the moment to earn an Augusta berth next year, but hopefully a more direct path is made available through LIV in the future.

"I'm in the PGA Championship this year, so I guess there'll probably be three weeks this year (Masters, The Open and US Open) where there'll be an event I wish I was playing, but for 49 weeks of the year I'm extremely happy with the decision I made.

"I have a lot more freedom in my life now to explore how to get better as a golfer."

In signing with LIV, Herbert joined the all-Australian team Ripper GC alongside Cam Smith, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones.

Team golf is a major part of the LIV Tour - a major attraction for Herbert, who loved representing the Bendigo golf squad at Country Week when he was coming through the ranks.

"It's been great. I've never cared so much about the final days play when I'm in 25th or 30th place (individually),'' Herbert said.

"Previously, some final days it was very easy to lose interest when you were out of contention.

"Now in the team environment on LIV every shot counts. You fight really hard to get the from team fifth to fourth or third to second.

"When we finish and we have a beer together you can pat each other on the back and say 'good job for getting up and down on the last' or 'good job making birdies on three of the last four holes to get us into this position'.

"You don't normally get that feeling, which is nice."

A large crowd watched Herbert shoot a stunning 10-under par 61 at Neangar Park on Thursday and, much to Herbert's delight, Ripper GC caps were prominent throughout the gallery.

"It was special to see this many people out here watching, particularly when it's a Thursday and people have taken time out of work to come and watch,'' Herbert said.

"It was only two or three days ago that we got Ripper GC hats stocked in the pro shop here, so to see so many Ripper GC hats in the crowd was really cool.

"It was a great feeling to have Bendigo people supporting my team."

That support will go to another level when Herbert, Smith, Leishman and Jones play the LIV Adelaide event from April 26-28.

The inaugural Australian LIV event last year, held at The Grange Golf Club, drew an official attendance of 77,076 and was crowned the world's best golf event of the year.

The par-three watering hole or party hole made headlines around the world.

"I'm getting tingles already thinking about that party hole,'' Herbert said with a grin.

"I have a few Aussie songs picked out and I'll probably change it up a few times throughout the week.

"It's going to be a lot of fun."