LIV Golf UK Fantasy Preview
The 2024 LIV Golf season has flown by fast, and we are down to the final three regular-season tournaments. On the first leg of the European tour, Sergio Garcia completed a fairytale homecoming by finally winning his first LIV Golf trophy on the second hole playoff in Andalucía, after Anirban Lahiri missed his tap-in putt on the 18th during regulation.
Like Tyrrell Hatton in Nashville, Garcia swept both trophies in Andalucía after Abraham Ancer and David Puig defeated Crushers GC's Bryson DeChambeau and Paul Casey on the first playoff hole of the team competition. And we're coming off the last major of the season, with 17 LIV Golf players participating at the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Like Real Club Valderrama at LIV Golf Andalucía, Royal Troon proved to be a difficult course to maneuver, and the wind and rain caused problems for several big names. In fact Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm (T7) was the only LIV Golf player to finish the tournament under par, a testament to the difficulty of the conditions. Crushers GC substitute John Catlin (T16) and Stinger GC's Dean Burmester (T19) rounded out the top-20, while 4Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson (T31) finished with his best outing at a major this season.
Now, attention turns to LIV Golf UK at JCB Golf and Country Club in Rocester, England - the venue for the 11th LIV Golf tournament of the LIV Golf League season. The par-71 course opened for play in 2018, and the design utilizes natural landscapes like the Uttoxeter Canal and Alders Brook.
Measuring 7,255 yards, three of the par four holes are less than 400 yards, with holes two and 12 being potentially driveable at 337 and 302 yards, respectively. The par-five 10th is the longest hole on the course at 632 yards, which follows the 170-yard, par-three hole, the shortest at JCB. For more information about LIV Golf UK, including an overview of the course and highlighting the six English-born LIV Golf players, be sure to check out the first look at the tournament.
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Here are my picks for LIV Golf UK.
Captains (3)
Jon Rahm
Legion XIII
It had been a disappointing major season for Rahm heading into the Open. The Legion XIII captain finished T45 in his defense of the Masters before missing the cut at the PGA Championship and was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Open due to a left foot infection. But the 29-year-old Spaniard bounced back with a T7 finish at the Open, ending his tournament with a strong three-under 68 in the final round, and he was the only LIV Golfer to finish in the top-10 at Royal Troon. Rahm leads the league this season in birdies per round (5.14) and GIR (73.41 percent), and he ranks in the top-10 in putting average, driving distance and scrambling.
Bryson DeChambeau
Crushers GC
DeChambeau entered The Open as the most accomplished LIV Golfer in majors this season, highlighted by his one-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open. Royal Troon proved to be the foil for the Crushers GC captain, however, and he admitted after he missed the cut that he doesn't have the Open "fully figured out yet," per Mike McAllister of LIV Golf. And while the upcoming JCB course has its fair amount of hazards, the wider fairways and driveable par-fours should give DeChambeau an opportunity to contend for his first LIV Golf trophy of the season.
Dustin Johnson
4Aces GC
The three-week break following his T51 finish at LIV Golf Nashville seems to have helped Johnson round into form. He finished T17 at LIV Golf Andalucia, and he followed that up with a T31 finish at The Open, his best performance across his major outings season. While he has been middle-of-the-pack in driving accuracy for the season, Johnson finished eighth in that category (59.52 percent) and 14th in GIR (51.85 percent) at LIV Golf Andalucia. That accuracy should help the 4Aces captain maneuver the numerous booby traps that litter the fairways and greens at JCB Golf and Country Club.
Others to consider: Joaquin Niemann, Torque GC (finished T7 or better in seven of 10 LIV Golf tournaments this season, made the cut in all three major appearances this season, including a T58 finish at The Open), Sergio Garcia, Fireballs GC (coming off his first LIV Golf victory on home soil in Andalucia, defeating Anirban Lahiri on the second playoff hole, and the Spaniard ranks in the top-five this season in scrambling, driving accuracy and GIR)
Non-captains (5)
Dean Burmester
Stinger GC
Burmester was the second-best full-time LIV Golfer at the Open behind Rahm, and the South African was in early contention for the Claret Jug before dropping down the leaderboard after a five-over 76 in the third round Saturday. While Burmester hasn't been the most accurate off the tee this season, he manages to get himself out of trouble, ranking eighth in scrambling (66.25 percent). He also ranks fifth in driving distance (316.2 yards) and 12th in both GIR (70.37 percent) and putting average (1.58).
Patrick Reed
4Aces GC
Reed has quietly finished in the top-five in two of the last three LIV Golf tournaments, including a T4 finish in Andalucia when he carded a four-under 67 in the final round when he carded five birdies from holes one to eight. He ranked second at LIV Golf Andalucia in birdies made (14), sixth in scrambling (70.37 percent) and 12th in driving accuracy (57.14 percent).
Tyrrell Hatton
Legion XIII
Like DeChambeau, The Open was a disappointment for Hatton, as he missed the cut for the first time across all major outings this season. Still, Hatton is the only player to finish in the top-24 in every LIV Golf tournament this season and has finished in the top-five in three of the last four events, highlighted by his six-stroke victory in Nashville. He ranks second this season in both putting average (1.52) and birdies per round (4.73) and fifth in scrambling (68.45 percent).
John Catlin
Crushers GC
Catlin will fill in for Charles Howell III (tibia) for the fourth-straight LIV Golf tournament at JCB. Leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and International Series Rankings, Catlin has taken advantage of his extended play on the LIV Golf tour, finishing in the top-24 in all three outings. Catlin's strong play carried into Royal Troon, where his T16 finish marked his best performance at a major in his young career. LIV Golf captains will surely be lining up this offseason to sign Catlin to their squad.
Richard Bland
Cleeks GC
It's hard to ignore the consistency Bland has had this season, particularly over the last two LIV Golf tournaments where he has finished T9 and T14 in Nashville and Andalucia, respectively. He's found plenty of success outside of the league, winning both the Senior PGA Championship and Senior U.S. Open Championship. Bland ranks fourth this season in GIR (72.04 percent) and 10th in driving accuracy (62.14 percent).
Others to consider: Paul Casey, Crushers GC (finished T17 or better in the last three LIV Golf tournaments, ranks second this season in GIR (72.59 percent), sixth in scrambling (68.24 percent) and seventh in driving accuracy (64.05 percent)), Abraham Ancer, Fireballs GC (finished T58 at The Open, leads the LIV Golf league this season in driving accuracy (68.1 percent) and 10th in GIR (70.56 percent)).
Teams (2)
Fireballs GC (Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, David Puig, Eugenio Chacarra).
Fireballs GC earned the sweep on home soil at Andalucia, with Garcia capturing the individual trophy while Ancer and Puig outlasted Crushers GC on the first playoff hole. Fireballs were fifth or better across all major statistical categories at Andalucia, and for the season they rank third in driving accuracy (60.79 percent) and birdies per round (15.07).
Crushers GC (Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri, John Catlin)
While Fireballs GC triumphed in Andalucia, Crushers GC stumbled at the finish line, with Lahiri's missed tap-in putt on the 18th hole leading to a playoff in both the individual and team competitions. Crushers continue to sit atop the team standings with back-to-back second-place finishes, but they haven't captured a team trophy since Hong Kong. They lead the league in GIR (71.33 percent) and rank second in driving accuracy (61.86 percent).
Others to consider: Torque GC (have finished T5 or better in nine of 10 LIV Golf tournaments this season, rank second in GIR (70.56 percent)), Cleeks GC (while they rank sixth or worse across all statistical categories this season, they have finished T6 or better over the last four tournaments, including a victory in Houston).
Sleepers (4)
Peter Uihlein
RangeGoats GC
Uihlein got off to a horrendous nine-over 80 start at LIV Golf Andalucia and was at the bottom of the leaderboard heading into Championship Sunday. However, he carded a six-under 65 in the final round, which was the best score of the tournament.
Anthony Kim
Wild Card
Opposite of Uihlein, Kim got off to a strong start at LIV Golf Andalucia and was T21 heading into Sunday. Unfortunately for Kim, he collapsed in the final round with an 11-over 82, but he has shown signs of improvement after a 12-year break from professional golf.
Andy Ogletree
HyFlyers GC
Although Ogletree has failed to accrue points in all but one tournament this season (T3 at LIV Golf Adelaide), he managed to make the cut in his debut outing at The Open, finishing 79th.
Eugenio Chacarra
Fireballs GC
Chacarra was in contention early in Andalucia, but he settled for T12 after going four-over across the final two rounds. He has finished T18 or better in three of the last four LIV Golf tournaments
Prediction
While Jon Rahm has yet to capture an individual trophy in LIV Golf this season, his strong outing at The Open should provide the momentum he needs to finish atop the leaderboard at JCB, with Burmester and Garcia rounding out the top three. Englishman Bland and Hatton will both finish in the top-10, while Kim finishes in the top-24 for the first time this season. After back-to-back second-place finishes, Crushers GC will claim their third team trophy of the season, with Torque GC and Fireballs GC rounding out the podium.
