LIV Golf ultimately couldn’t upset the world golfing hierarchy at Augusta, with DeChambeau and Reed failing to stop Rory McIlroy from completing the coveted career Grand Slam.
2025 LIV Golf Series
LIV Golf Mexico City
Club de Golf Chapultepec, Naucalpan, Mexico
25th-27th April
LIV Golf ultimately couldn’t upset the world golfing hierarchy at Augusta, with DeChambeau and Reed failing to stop Rory McIlroy from completing the coveted career Grand Slam. It was a slight body blow for LIV, as McIlroy has been the PGA Tour’s biggest ambassador in the ongoing legal battles with the breakaway tour. Having said that, five LIV players finished inside the top 15 at Augusta (the most at any Major since the start of LIV). In any event, the LIV Golf Series returns from a three-week hiatus for the inaugural staging of LIV Golf: Mexico City. LIV has visited Mexico in each of the last two seasons, with Mayakoba hosting tournaments in 2023 and 2024. Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz will look to feed off the fanatical home support while Joaquin Niemann looks to preserve his fragile lead in the individual standings. This week’s event should be familiar to any long-term fans of the PGA Tour: Club de Golf Chapultepec (one of the grand old courses in Mexican golf).
Club de Golf Chapultepec was originally the brainchild of Scottish US Open winner Willie Smith (who died while designing the layout on the early 1900’s). His brother- and two time US Open champ- Alex Smith picked up where he left off, ultimately completing the course in 1921 (it was later renovated by Peter Clifford in 1972). Chapultepec has hosted the Mexican Open on numerous occasions. More pointedly, it also hosted the WGC Mexico Championship on four occasions. It is a tight, tree-lined course that appears to share some DNA with Valderrama. This 7,385-yard course won’t play anywhere near that yardage (the course sits at a nosebleed-inducing 8,000 feet about sea level). Players will need to use their noggins this week, as distance control will become a major factor in determining the champion. This should be an exciting week, with plenty of drivable par 4’s leading to the type of risk-reward golf that LIV tends to gravitate towards.
Many of the current LIV practitioners will have great memories of Chapultepec, with four of the current members picking up podium finishes during the four-year WGC stretch (DJ won twice here). Jon Rahm has continued his impressive consistency this season (he is still yet to finish outside the top ten in a LIV event). But considering all those close calls: Rahm isn’t winning enough (which is translating into some dire Major championship form). Still, he will be a good fit in these conditions. Joaquin Niemann is a tee-to-green monster and should be able to find plenty of fairways out there. Bryson will be looking to bounce back after his final round capitulation at Augusta while Patrick Reed will be looking to continue his mini career renaissance.
Past Winners
n/a
Betting Favourites (To Win): Jon Rahm (11/2), Joaquin Niemann (8/1), Tyrell Hatton (10//1), Bryson DeChambeau (10/1), Patrick Reed (12/1)
Value Bet
Dean Burmester- To Win (20/1)
I really like the look of Dean Burmester this week. The South African understands what it takes to win at altitude, winning six times in similar conditions on the Sunshine Tour. He has played here in the past, finishing in a tie for 30th way back in 2018 (though he did impress with a closing 65). The big-hitting Burmester has really started to come into his own on the LIV Tour, winning in Miami last year and finishing runner-up at this year’s Hong Kong event (which features similar conditions to these).
The Man to Beat- Patrick Reed- To Win (12/1)
One of the best players yet to win a LIV event, Patrick Reed is starting to pick up some serious momentum. ‘Captain America’ was exceptional at the Masters, finishing solo 3rd after a brilliant final round surge. That wasn’t an isolated result: Reed had recently finished 2nd at the International Series Macau. He also has real course credentials, winning the 2020 edition of the now-defunct WGC-Mexico Championship. He is clearly in form and playing on a course where he has tasted victory in the past. This looks like incredible value at 12/1.
