This has been a chaotic few weeks for the LIV stars. Talor Gooch won the last LIV event, holding off a spirited charge from hometown hero Jon Rahm to triumph at Valderrama (Gooch’s first victory since claiming the 2023 individual title).
2024 LIV Tour
LIV Golf UK by JCB
JCB Golf and Country Club, Rocester, England
25th-27th July
This has been a chaotic few weeks for the LIV stars. Talor Gooch won the last LIV event, holding off a spirited charge from hometown hero Jon Rahm to triumph at Valderrama (Gooch’s first victory since claiming the 2023 individual title). All attention then turned to Royal Portrush, with 19 LIV practitioners bearing down on the year’s final Major Championship. It was an uncharacteristically poor showing from the LIV contingent, with only Bryson sneaking his way into the top ten (his top-ten finish coming after a horror-show start to the tournament). This week, the LIV series returns for the third to last event in the regular season: LIV Golf UK by JCB. This will also be the last event hosted outside of the United States. LIV Golf UK has been a fixture on the tour since its inception and this will be the 2nd successive edition hosted at the gorgeous JCB Golf and Country Club. Last year’s event proved to be a pivotal moment in the entire season, with Jon Rahm claiming his maiden LIV title en route to claiming the year-end individual honours.
The brainchild of Lord Anthony Bamford, JCB Golf and Country Club was designed by Robin Hiseman and opened as recently as 2018. I first encountered this course on YouTube, as Rick Sheils hacked his way around in typically entertaining fashion. It is a visually spectacular course, working its way through farmland, woodlands and gorgeous lake lands. JCB is a bit of a behemoth, measuring in at 7,301 yards. Having said that, four of the par 4’s measure under 400 yards and two are within reach of the big boys (though the likes of Bryson and Burmester probably have a chance at reaching all those greens). But there are some really challenging holes out there. The par-5 10th is an absolute behemoth that measures 632 yards! But the piéce de résistance has to be the stunning par-3 17th. The 244-yard masterwork plays severely downhill to an island green (it makes the iconic 17th at Sawgrass look like a chip-in challenge). I have a feeling that the 17th will serve up some drama come Sunday. Driving distance should be a factor while the lightning-fast greens will require great scrambling skills. Scoring was impressive last year and I think approach play will be the most vital stat this week (players need to set up plentiful birdie opportunities).
Joaquin Niemann and Jon Rahm have had contrasting seasons near the top of the LIV Golf individual standings. Joaquin Niemann still has his nose out in front, winning an incredible four separate titles. Curiously, the Chilean ball-striking supremo hasn’t finished inside the top ten in any of the other six non-wins. By contrast, 2nd placed Rahm is yet to win a title this year but is right on Niemann’s heels after picking up nine top 10’s in ten starts. The defending champion, Rahm will be earmarking this as his chance to leapfrog the slightly more erratic Chilean. Bryson DeChambeau lurks menacingly below them and will be hoping to bring JCB to heel with his awe-inspiring strength. Valderrama champ Talor Gooch will look to build on that showing while the likes of Koepka and Oosthuizen could do with a result to boost their chances of entering the Lock Zone.
Past Winners
2024: Jon Rahm (-13) *at JCB
2023: Cameron Smith (-15)
2022: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
Betting Favourites (To Win): Bryson DeChambeau (11/2), Jon Rahm (11/2), Tyrell Hatton (13/2), Joaquin Niemann (9/1), Talor Gooch (20/1)
Value Bet
Sergio Garcia- To Win (30/1)
Sergio Garcia started the season in reinvigorated manner, picking up three top 10’s in his first five events (including a title-winning run in Hong Kong). He experienced a bit of a mid-season slump, failing to qualify for the US Open while losing momentum in LIV. He still managed to secure an Open berth via his early-season form. And he looked much more assured in his last LIV outing, finishing in a tie for 10th at Valderrama. He looked solid at Royal Portrush, finishing in a tie for 34th. Garcia will be hoping for a few strong performances as he looks to force his way into Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup reckoning.
The Man to Beat- Tyrell Hatton- To Win (13/2)
Tyrell Hatton played beautifully here last year, finishing in a three-man tie for 2nd (just one shot behind eventual champ Jon Rahm). Hatton has played consistently well at the Majors this year, finishing T14 at the Masters, T4 at the US Open and T16 at Royal Portrush. He hasn’t won since June last year but still possesses three top 10’s in LIV this season. He statistically fits this course like a glove, hitting over 70% of his GIR and averaging over 311 yards off the tee. Hatton has been working on his temperament and could enjoy a solid end to the campaign.
