LIV GOLF CHICAGO PREVIEW: NOTES ON THE 12 TEAMS
Sep 18, 2023 - 5:31 PMWritten by: Mike McAllister
A quick look at each of the 12 LIV Golf League teams going into the first round of LIV Golf Chicago.
Teams listed in order of current point standings.
4ACES GC
Current individual points standings: Patrick Reed (3), Dustin Johnson (8), Peter Uihlein (14), Pat Perez (24)
6th place in Bedminster was ninth points finish (top 8) of season
Reed’s 4th place in Bedminster was his third top-5 points finish in last four starts
Only team shooting under par collectively for par 3s (-8), par 4s (-14) and par 5s (-212)
Scoring averages in 2023: Reed (68.8), Johnson (68.9), Uihlein (69.3), Perez (69.8)
TORQUE GC
Current individual points standings: Mito Pereira (6), Sebastián Muñoz (12), Joaquin Niemann (21), David Puig (29)
Has most team wins (4) this season and has points finishes in 10 of 11 tournaments
Niemann’s 7th place in Bedminster is his best points result of season
Pereira leads League in greens in regulation at 74%
Scoring averages in 2023: Pereira (68.7), Muñoz (69.1), Niemann (69.3), Puig (69.8)
STINGER GC
Current individual points standings: Branden Grace (5), Dean Burmester (11), Louis Oosthuizen (20), Charl Schwartzel (41)
Team’s 3rd place in Bedminster is its third consecutive podium result and fifth in last six starts
Burmester’s 5th place in Bedminster is his best points result in last eight starts
Schwartzel’s 22nd in Bedminster is his first points-producing result in last seven starts
Scoring averages in 2023: Grace (68.8), Burmester (69.0), Oosthuizen (69.6), Schwartzel (70.5)
CRUSHERS GC
Current individual points standings: Bryson DeChambeau (7), Charles Howell III (10), Anirban Lahiri (15), Paul Casey (34)
Lahiri’s 2nd place points finish in Bedminster matches his best result of season
DeChambeau is LIV Golf’s active streak leader in counting scores with 18
DeChambeau’s LIV-best streak of 20 consecutive rounds under par ended in Rd. 1, Bedminster
Scoring averages in 2023: DeChambeau (68.7), Howell (69.2), Lahiri (69.4), Casey (70.1)
RANGEGOATS GC
Current individual points standings: Talor Gooch (2), Harold Varner III (9), Bubba Watson (35), Thomas Pieters (36),
Only team this season with points finishes (top 8) in each of first 11 tournaments
Gooch leads League this season in par-4 scoring (36 under)
Team tied for League lead in greens in regulation (69.78%)
Scoring averages in 2023: Gooch (68.2), Varner (68.9), Pieters (69.8), Watson (70.2)
FIREBALLS GC
Current individual points standings: Carlos Ortiz (13), Sergio Garcia (17), Abraham Ancer (30), Eugenio Chacarra (32)
Ancer’s 3rd place points finish in Bedminster is his best LIV result in 17 regular-season starts
Chacarra making his first start since winning International Series’ St Andrews Bay Championship in 10-hole playoff on Asian Tour
Team has finished with points in nine tournaments in 2023
Scoring averages in 2023: Ortiz (69.1), Garcia (69.3), Ancer (69.8), Chacarra (70.3)
RIPPER GC
Current individual points standings: Cameron Smith (1), Marc Leishman (25), Matt Jones (37), Jediah Morgan (46)
Smith moved into No. 1 spot in Individual Champion standings for first time after winning in Bedminster
Team won its first-ever team title and has podium finishes in two of last three starts
Jones comes off 2nd place at International Series’ St Andrews Bay Championship after battling in 10-hole playoff
Scoring averages in 2023: Smith (68.1), Leishman (69.4), Jones (70.3), Morgan (71.9)
SMASH GC
Current individual points standings: Brooks Koepka (4), Jason Kokrak (19), Matthew Wolff (23), Chase Koepka (48)
B. Koepka making his first LIV start since being named to U.S. Ryder Cup team
Team returning to site of its first-ever podium finish (2nd) last year at Rich Harvest Farms
C. Koepka finished 8th last year in Chicago, shooting 70-67 in final two rounds
Scoring averages in 2023: B. Koepka (68.8), Kokrak (69.0), Wolff (70.7), C. Koepka (72.1)
HYFLYERS GC
Current individual points standings: Cameron Tringale (16), Brendan Steele (18), Phil Mickelson (38), James Piot (47)
Team comes off its best two-tournament stretch with 4th in Greenbrier, 5th in Bedminster
Mickelson’s 10th place points finish in Bedminster is his best result of season
Tringale’s 68.7 scoring average ties for third best in League this season
Scoring averages in 2023: Tringale (68.7), Steele (69.2), Mickelson (70.5), Piot (71.2)
MAJESTICKS GC
Current individual points standings: Henrik Stenson (27), Ian Poulter (33), Sam Horsfield (42), Lee Westwood (45)
Horsfield returns to the lineup after missing the last seven LIV events with an injury
Poulter’s active streak of 127 consecutive par 5s at par or better is LIV Golf record
Stenson leads League in par-5 scoring this season (64 under)
Scoring averages in 2023: Stenson (69.7), Poulter (69.9), Horsfield (71.1), Westwood (71.3)
IRON HEADS GC
Current individual points standings: Danny Lee (26), Kevin Na (28), Scott Vincent (31), Sihwan Kim (50)
Team looking to end string of four consecutive non-points finishes
Kim comes off his best points finish of season (33rd) in Bedminster
Lee among League leaders in sand saves at 64%
Scoring averages in 2023: Na (69.6), Vincent (69.7), Lee (70.5), Kim (74.3)
CLEEKS GC
Current individual points standings: Richard Bland (22), Graeme McDowell (39), Bernd Wiesberger (44), Martin Kaymer (49)
McDowell’s 12th place in Bedminster is his best points finish of season
Bland has 12th or better finishes in three consecutive starts
Wiesberger is active streaks leader in three-putt avoidance with 123 consecutive holes without a three-putt
Scoring averages in 2023: Bland (69.5), McDowell (70.4), Wiesberger (70.6), Kaymer (72.1)