The LIV Golf season resumes after a brief two-week hiatus for the first in two European pitstops: LIV Golf Andalucia.
2025 LIV Golf Series
LIV Golf Andalucia
Real Golf Club Valderrama, Andalucia, Spain
11th-13th July
The players will welcome this trip to Spain as it will negate a huge transatlantic trip ahead of next week’s Open Championship (a whopping 19 LIV players will be competing at Royal Portrush). This will be the 3rd edition of LIV Golf Andalucia hosted at Valderrama. Valderrama is one of the great cathedrals of European golf, playing host to the 1997 edition of the Ryder Cup. I think that was the precise reason why Norman and his cohorts honed in on Valderrama back in 2023, almost sticking it to the entrenched golfing establishment. Talor Gooch won the inaugural staging of this event before Sergio Gracia sent the Spanish faithful into delirium last year, holding off Anirban Lahiri in a playoff to win his maiden LIV Golf title. Valderrama always offers a stern test and should be ideal preparation ahead of the year’s final Major Championship.
Measuring a tick above- or below- 7000 yards (depending on what yardage you believe), Valderrama isn’t your typical LIV Golf layout that opens itself up to the bombers. It is a classical, tree-lined venue with a quintessentially European feel. Designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, this course is defined by fiendishly narrow fairways and tiny greens hidden behind imposing cork trees. Driving accuracy will prove hugely important this week, as it will be virtually impossible to find the greens from this punitive rough. The Valderrama green complexes are notoriously pernickety to negotiate, with sheer runoff areas waiting to punish anything remotely wayward. This will put a real onus on excellent scrambling skills (not too unlike Augusta). The real star of the show is the majestic par-5 17th. It is the prototypical risk-reward hole, enticing the players to take on the lake with their 2nd if they wish to fashion an eagle opportunity. The drama is only exacerbated by the amphitheater surrounding the green.
Joaquin Neimann has been the king of this year’s tour, winning four individual titles in eight starts. Interestingly, he finished outside the top ten in his four non-wins. Jon Rahm finished in a tie for 11th in Dallas, breaking his enviable consecutive top-ten streak. Perhaps that can finally liberate him, and he can win a title for a change. Bryson DeChambeau has picked up six successive top-ten finishes and finished runner-up here back in 2023. Patrick Reed has been resurgent of late, winning his first individual title in Dallas. Reed- a polarizing figure in the game- is really trying his best to force his way onto Keegan Bradely’s Ryder Cup reckoning. Sergio Garcia will no doubt attract massive attention as he seeks to defend his title. The Spaniard should feel emboldened after qualifying for his first Open Championship in three years (he was the leading non-exempt LIV player inside the top five in the season-long points race).
Past Winners
2024: Sergio Garcia (-5) *playoff
2023: Talor Gooch (-12)
Betting Favourites (To Win): Bryson DeChambeau (5/1), Jon Rahm (6/1), Tyrell Hatton (15/2), Joaquin Niemann (15/2), Patrick Reed (14/1)
Value Bet
Paul Casey- To Win (33/1)
Metronomic Englishman Paul Casey is exactly the sort of accurate tee-to-green player who should thrive at Valderrama. He finished solo 5th in Hong Kong but produced his best golf in his most recent LIV outing, finishing in a tie for 2nd in Dallas. He finished T20 here in 2023 and improved to a T17 finish last year (despite a three-over-par first round). Casey is really experienced and plays the type of risk-averse golf that should thrive on this challenging layout. In fact, he currently sits 2nd on the tour for fairways hit.
The Man to Beat- Patrick Reed- To Win (14/1)
‘Captain America’ Patrick Reed looks hellbent on forcing his way into Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup side. He was exceptional in Dallas, winning his first LIV Golf event at the 41st time of asking. No player in LIV has a better average finish here over the last two years (he was T4 last year and T5 in 2023). He has scored points in six of his last seven events and has performed well in the Major Championships, finishing solo 3rd at the Masters and T23 at Oakmont. Moreover, Reed currently ranks 4th on tour for Scrambling. It just feels like 14/1 is terrific value for the burly American.
