The final event in the inaugural LIV Golf season takes placce at Trump National Doral in Florida with a knockout Team Championship offering a $50 million purse.
In the final regular event of the season in Jeddah, Brooks Koepka won the individual competition to help Smash GC to its first victory in the team competition as the teams jostled for position in the standings ahead of the seeded finale. Smash GC begin the event seeded fifth, while the team that finished runner-up in Saudi Arabia, Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC, is the number three seed behind Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces GC and Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC.
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Four teams of 12 will take part in the event with $16 million on offer to the winning team to be shared amongst its members, with $8 million awarded to the runner-up. While Johnson's 4 Aces GC head into the tournament in the strongest position, there are some big names throughout a field which has two changes from the previous event.
Japanese player Hideto Tanihara misses out despite appearing in five of seven tournaments this season. After representing Iron Heads GC in the season-opener in London, Tanihara joined Torque GC and captained the team in Portland and Bedminster. However, following a finish of 17th in the individual event at Pumpkin Ridge, he has failed to live up to that promise and finished a lowly 34th in Jeddah.
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Perhaps even more unfortunate to miss out on the finale is South African Shaun Norris, who played in all seven previous events. Norris had represented Stinger GC in the previous three tournaments after beginning the season with 4 Aces GC. He also played for Crushers GC in Portland and Bedminster. However, like Tanihara, his recent performances have been disappointing and he finished 44th in Saudi Arabia.
Adrian Oteagua, whose sensational win on the DP World Tour’s Andalucia Masters has clearly not gone unnoticed, returns for the finale. The Spaniard rejoins Torque GC after previously playing for them in London and Boston. The other player making a comeback is South African Hennie Du Plessis who is on Stinger GC. Du Plessis made an impressive start to his LIV Golf career, finishing second in the individual event in London. He followed that up with finishes of 33rd in Portland and 44th in Bedminster.
The field features four former world number ones, including Johnson and Lee Westwood, while a total of 22 Majors have been won among the 48 players in the field. The top 36 players in the Individual Standings, who have played a minimum of four tournaments, qualify for the Team Championship, with league commitments and captains’ selections determining the remainder of the field.
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman said: “LIV Golf has revived the sport in record time during our beta-test season. LIV players are celebrating the team format which is bringing new energy and audiences to golf that the game deserves. It's fitting that we tie a bow on this historic year with a dramatic and innovative Team Championship that will propel us into a team-focused league from 2023 onward.”
Following the finale, LIV Golf is expected to confirm its 2023 schedule in November, with the competition expanding to a 14-tournament League featuring promotion and relegation. It will include 12 teams each led by one established captain who will have the chance to build their team franchise to gain the greatest fan followings and sponsor interest.
Below is the full field, teams and prize money breakdown for the LIV Golf Team Championship.
LIV Golf Team Championship - Field
- Abraham Ancer
- Adrian Otaegui
- Anirban Lahiri
- Bernd Wiesberger
- Branden Grace
- Brooks Koepka
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Cameron Smith
- Cameron Tringale
- Carlos Ortiz
- Charl Schwartzel
- Charles Howell III
- Chase Koepka
- Dustin Johnson
- Eugenio Chacarra
- Graeme McDowell
- Harold Varner III
- Hennie Du Plessis
- Henrik Stenson
- Hudson Swafford
- Ian Poulter
- James Piot
- Jason Kokrak
- Jediah Morgan
- Joaquin Niemann
- Kevin Na
- Laurie Canter
- Lee Westwood
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Marc Leishman
- Martin Kaymer
- Matt Jones
- Matthew Wolff
- Pat Perez
- Patrick Reed
- Paul Casey
- Peter Uihlein
- Phachara Khongwatmai
- Phil Mickelson
- Richard Bland
- Sadom Kaewkanjana
- Sam Horsfield
- Scott Vincent
- Sergio Garcia
- Sihwan Kim
- Talor Gooch
- Turk Pettit
- Wade Ormsby
LIV Golf Team Championship - Teams
- 4 Aces GC - Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch, Pat Perez
- Hy Flyers GC - Phil Mickelson, Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Wolff, Cameron Tringale
- Punch GC - Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby,
- Cleeks GC - Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Laurie Canter, Richard Bland
- Iron Heads GC - Kevin Na, Sadom Kaewkanjana, Phachara Khongwatmai, Sihwan Kim
- Smash GC - Brooks Koepka, Jason Kokrak, Peter Uihlein, Chase Koepka
- Crushers GC - Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri,
- Majesticks GC - Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Sam Horsfield
- Stinger GC - Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Hennie Du Plessis
- Fireballs GC - Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Chacarra
- Niblicks GC - Bubba Watson (non-playing captain), Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford, James Piot, Turk Pettit
- Torque GC - Joaquin Niemann, Scott Vincent, Adrian Otaegui, Jediah Morgan
LIV Golf Team Championship - Prize Money
| Position | Header Cell - Column 1 |
|---|---|
| 1st | $16m |
| 2nd | $8m |
| 3rd | $6m |
| 4th | $4m |
| 5th | $3m |
| 6th | $3m |
| 7th | $3m |
| 8th | $3m |
| 9th | $1m |
| 10th | $1m |
| 11th | $1m |
| 12th | $1m |
