PEREZ, LIV’S TOP FOURTH MAN, SET TO RETURN TO 4ACES

Analytics suggest that Pat Perez was the most valuable Fourth Man on any LIV Golf League team in 2023. Thus, it’s no surprise that his 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson wanted him back for another season.

Perez became the first free agent this offseason to officially sign a new contract for 2024, as he’ll remain a member of the 4Aces, the club announced Monday.

“Couldn’t be more excited,” Perez said Tuesday from his home in Arizona. “It’s phenomenal to remain a part of LIV. I’m very grateful.”

Technically, Johnson could’ve gone in a different direction after the 47-year-old Perez finished in the Open Zone with an expired contract. But in reality, re-signing Perez makes the most sense for the Aces.

Not only does he offer terrific value as a good teammate and glue guy in the clubhouse, his performance inside the ropes is also sneaky solid … and arguably underrated.

Perez ranked 28th in the Individual standings this season with 47 points, the highest position of any team’s Fourth Man. Torque’s David Puig was the next best Fourth Man, ranking 31st (see full rankings below). Yet Perez would’ve ranked higher had he not lost tiebreakers utilized for individual points distribution.

Consider: He finished in a four-way tie for third on the traditional leaderboard at LIV Golf Adelaide but lost all the tiebreakers and dropped to sixth in points. Third place is worth 24 points while sixth place is worth 14.

Had Perez won all the tiebreakers in Adelaide, his season points total would be 57 points. That would’ve moved him inside the Top 24 Lock Zone and an automatic contract extension. The bogey he made on his final hole in Australia ultimately proved costly to his season-long status but luckily did not damage his future with the Aces.

Now consider his ability to provide his team with counting scores. In a powerhouse lineup that includes DJ, Patrick Reed and Peter Uihlein, Perez was still able to contribute 24 counting scores among his 39 regular-season rounds. In fact, he contributed at least two counting scores in 11 of 13 regular-season tournaments, and all three of his scores counted in the season opener in Mayakoba.

His most important counting score came in the final round in London when he shot 66, making four birdies on his final seven holes. The Aces needed every one as they beat Ripper GC by a stroke.

“DJ came over and gave me a big hug,” Perez recalled. “He was so excited that I shot 66 on Sunday when it counted to help the team win. And that’s happened numerous times, even last year. My scores weren’t fantastic; I wasn’t really playing that great. But my score actually had to count a lot at some point to help us win.”

The bottom line is that Perez more than carried his weight for the Aces in 2023 – even though his actual weight was 30 pounds less than in 2022 thanks to his rigorous offseason workout schedule. Once 230 pounds when he made his LIV debut, Perez played the 2023 season at 200 pounds.

“I played a lot better this year,” Perez said. “I think DJ saw the effort. And I think he likes having me on the team. I’m honored to get the deal and have another year. I’m going to try just as hard next season, if not harder.”

With contract in hand, the offseason goals are to maintain his current weight level and continue to work on his stamina. He sees the amount of work his fellow LIV Golf competitors are putting in, and he knows at age 47 that he must put in more just to keep up.

“I’m not going to get much smaller,” Perez said. “I’m never going to look like Joaquin Niemann. I don’t have that frame, don’t have that build. But I’ve tried to build stamina to just feel better, so when I need to put in the work and need to grind, I have the energy to do it.”

Perez said one of his motivating factors is 50-year-old Richard Bland of Cleeks GC. Bland found an extra gear late in the season and played well enough to finish in the Lock Zone and receive the automatic one-year extension from the Cleeks after his contract expired.

“He’s played phenomenal and I’m happy for him,” Perez said. “That certainly gives me a little bit of motivation to keep trying, keep working my butt off. He’s 50 and doing something that most people thought would never happen.”

His primary motivation, though, is in not letting down his teammates. Thrilled to be on one of LIV Golf’s most dominant and highest-profile teams, Perez also is aware of the pressure that also comes with the territory. He wants to avoid giving critics the opportunity to consider him a passenger on the powerhouse lineup.

While Perez’s individual play improved in 2023, the 4Aces did not fare as well. Yes, they did win two tournament team titles – Adelaide and London – and were among the four teams competing for the Team Championship on the final day in Miami. But unlike the beta-test 2022 season, the Aces did not steamroll the rest of the field during the U.S. portion of the regular season and did not repeat as season champions.

Getting back to the top of the mountain in 2024 will be their primary objective. Perez eagerly awaits joining his teammates in that chase.

“I’d like to see the team do well,” Perez said when asked about his goals for 2024. “I want to see my teammates do well, too. Sure, I’d like to play well, win one of these things or at least have a look at it. But I want the team to win a bunch and then win the team championship, and then hopefully be a part of the team again in 2025.”

For now, Perez knows where he’ll be in 2024. Rockin’ 4Aces apparel. Keeping his teammates loose. And contributing as many low scores as possible. It’s the role of the Fourth Man, and no one has done it better during LIV Golf’s first two seasons.

FOURTH MAN RANKINGS

Here's how each team's Fourth Man – the lowest point producer among the four regular members of the lineup – fared in the Individual Champion standings in 2023.