The LIV Golf League heads from Andalucía to the UK for LIV Golf UK. Jon Rahm leads the markets this week, with the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrell Hatton also near the top of the betting boards.
2024 LIV Golf League
LIV Golf UK
JCB Golf and Country Club
26 – 28 July
Last week’s Open Championship was not a great showcase for the 18 LIV practitioners, with Jon Rahm ending the tournament as the only LIV player under par.
I thought that Valderrama’s difficulty would provide solid preparation for Royal Troon. I was wrong. Going forward, I think it would be beneficial to play on a true links in the week prior to the Open.
In any event, the LIV Tour circus moves to England this week for the third installment of LIV Golf UK. The first two editions were hosted at the Centurion Club (called the LIV Golf Invitational London in 2022 and the LIV Golf London in 2023).
In fact, the 2022 event actually marked the inauguration of this entire LIV enterprise. The organisers have gone in a slightly different direction this year, heading to a fairly new course: JCB Golf and Country Club.
JCB Golf and Country Club
The brainchild of Lord Anthony Bamford, JCB Golf and Country Club was designed by Robin Hiseman and opened as recently as 2018. I actually first became familiar with this course after watching Rick Shiels hack his way around it on his YouTube channel.
It is a visually spectacular course, working its way through farmland, woodlands and gorgeous lake lands. Measuring 7,302 yards, JCB is a bit of a monster.
Having said that, four of the par 4’s measure under 400 yards and two of them are imminently drivable (music to Bryson’s ears). In fact, all four of those holes could be drivable for Bryson.
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. It is a 244-yard masterpiece centred around a daunting island green.
Honestly, this makes the iconic 17th at Sawgrass look like a putt-putt challenge. I have a feeling that the 17th will certainly serve up some drama come Sunday.
Driving distance should be a factor this week while the lightning-fast greens will require great scrambling skills.
The Contenders
Jon Rahm has been the epitome of consistency this season but he will be desperate to capture that maiden LIV title. The last two events have been won by first-time champions (Tyrell Hatton and Sergio Garcia) and Rahm should use that as motivation this week.
Hatton will be looking to delight his home supporters while Garcia will be teeing it up for the first time since his playoff victory at Valderrama (he failed to qualify for last week’s Open Championship). Bryson
DeChambeau just couldn’t get to grips with Royal Troon, missing the cut in a disappointing follow-up to his awesome US Open win at Pinehurst No.2. Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson flirted with contention at Troon and neither can be dismissed on this behemoth.
Joaquin Niemann will look to consolidate his series lead in what is the antepenultimate event of the regular season.
Past Winners
2023: Cameron Smith (-15) *LIV Golf London at Centurion
2022: Charl Schwartzel (-7) *LIV Golf Invitational London at Centurion
To Win Outright:
Jon Rahm 7/1 | Bryson DeChambeau 7/1 | Tyrell Hatton 8/1 | Joaquin Niemann 9/1 | Sergio Garcia 12/1 | Cameron Smith 18/1
Value Bet
Dustin Johnson – To Win 28/1 | To Place 6/1
It is surely just a matter of time until DJ finds his best golf again. The 2022 LIV individual champion won a title in Vegas earlier this season but he has only picked up one other top-10 since then (T7 in Singapore).
He took a three-week break following a dismal T51 finish in Nashville and it seems to have helped him. He finished T17 in Andalucía and was actually in the mix at Royal Troon, ultimately faltering to a T31 finish (his best result in a major this year).
His driving appears to be coming back to its former glory (he was 8th in Driving Accuracy in Andalucía). His combination of length and distance from the tee should help him navigate this long, obstacle-ridden course.
The Man to Beat – Joaquin Niemann – To Win 9/1 | To Place 39/20
I think this could be a great opportunity for Joaquin Niemann to extend his individual points lead. The Chilean has been absolutely dynamic this season, winning titles in Mayakoba and Jeddah (to go with six other top-ten finishes).
He trails only DeChambeau in Driving Distance this season and he currently sits 3rd in GIR. His towering tee-to-green game should help him avoid most of the peril around JCB.
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