The LIV Golf Series is gearing up for its fifth event this week as Open champion Cameron Smith prepares for his second appearance in the Saudi-backed series after making his debut in Boston.
The Australian joined Joaquin Neiman, Harold Varner III, Cameron Triangle, Mark Leishman and Anirban Lahiri off the PGA Tour, with the field also shaping up ahead of the 2023 season, despite rumors that more players will make the switch in the coming weeks or months.
The top of the field is now more compelling than in any of the previous events, as Smith takes on Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood.
Dominate the team event Four Aces, Johnson, Reed and co. It will probably remain a favorite again despite the recent modification.
Here’s how to watch the Chicago event as LIV Golf returns:
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest round of golf.
What is Leaf Golf?
Reports of a new breakout league first surfaced in 2019 but have picked up in recent years as two-time World Open champion Greg Norman became the face of the Saudi-backed LIV golf series as its CEO.
With the Saudi Public Investment Fund financing the series, there is a clear link with the Saudi government, whose human rights record has been criticized by groups such as Amnesty International.
But what has long been seen as a bargaining threat to traditional PGA Tours and DP World and nothing more has been shaped by the LIV Golf Series, which also features new competition rules and what tournament organizers say is an “exciting” new formula .
Is it on TV?
LIV Golf has not been picked up by a major UK broadcaster.
However, the event is broadcast live for free on LIV Golf’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
What are the rules?
LIV Golf Series events will take place over three days and 54 holes, rather than the traditional four-day events with 72 holes. There will also be no reduction, so the 48 players starting the week will play all three rounds.
There will also be individual and team competitions in the same event. The player with the lowest score over 54 holes, as usual, wins the individual competition.
However, the team competition will consist of 12 teams of four players, with team leaders selecting teams using a “snake draft” before each event. Teams also want their own unique names and logos.
In terms of points, the two best individual scores will be counted in the team total during the first two rounds, with the three best scores combined in the third and final round. The team with the lowest total points at the end of the third round will be the winner.
How will the season work and where is the next event?
Chicago will be the fifth of seven “regular” meets this year, with the team championship forming the final meet of the season at Doral in Miami in October.
The tournament will see the seeded teams on all 12 teams and a four-day knockout cycle with match points to determine the winner, with a championship match taking place on the final day.
An individual champion will also be crowned using the points accumulated during the seven “regular season” events.
What time is the Chicago event?
The 54-hole championship will start on Friday, September 16 and run until Sunday, September 18. Round one begins at 1:00 PM ET (6:00 PM GMT) at Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Who is playing?
The biggest names initially included Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Louis Oustoizen, Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia, Charles Schwarzl and Kevin Na. However, after its first event, LIV Golf added top champions Bryson Dechambeau, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed to its ranks, before luring 2016 champion Henrik Stenson to Bedminster – at which point the Swede was stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy. Cameron Smith and Joaquin Neiman were the top names in the final round of hiring for the season and their second appearance in Chicago.
The complete list of players for the Chicago event
| Mexico | Abraham Anser | Outside | Jedea Morgan |
| Careful | Richard Bland | the United States | kevin ok |
| Careful | Laurie Kanter | CHL | Joaquin Niemann |
| Careful | Paul Casey | RSA | Sean Norris |
| esp | Eugenio Chakara | RSA | Louis Oosthuizen |
| the United States | Bryson DeShampoo | Outside | Ormsby Valley |
| esp | Serge Garcia | Mexico | Carlos Ortiz |
| the United States | Taylor Gotsch | the United States | Pat Perez |
| RSA | Burn Grace | the United States | los petit |
| Careful | Sam Horsfield | the United States | James Peyote |
| the United States | Charles Howell III | Careful | Ian Poulter |
| the United States | Dustin Johnson | esp | David Puig |
| Outside | Matthew Jones | the United States | Patrick Reed |
| Tha | Sadom Kaevkanjana | RSA | Charles Schwarzell |
| m | Martin Kaymer | Outside | Cameron Smith |
| Tha | Phachara Khongwatmai | SWE | Henrik Stenson |
| the United States | Sihwan Kim | the United States | Hudson Swafford |
| the United States | Brooks Kopka | the United States | Cameron Triangle |
| the United States | Chase Kopka | the United States | Peter Ohlin |
| the United States | Jason Kocrack | the United States | Harold Varner III |
| IND | Anirban Lahiri | territory | Scott Vincent |
| Outside | Mark Leishman | Careful | Lee Westwood |
| yoke | Graeme McDowell | CAR | Bernd Weisberger |
| the United States | Phil Mickelson | the United States | Matthew Wolff |
What is the difference?
- 4 Aces GC – Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Taylor Gotsch
- High Flyers GC – Phil Mickelson, Bernd Weisberger, Matthew Wolff, Cameron Triangle
- Punch GC – Cameron Smith, Mark Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby,
- Clix GC – Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Laurie Kanter, Richard Bland
- Iron Heads GC – Kevin Na, Sodom Kayukangana, Vashara Khongwatmi, Sihwan Kim
- Smash GC – Brooks Koepka, Jason Kokrac, Peter Oehlen, Chase Kopka
- Crushers GC – Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri,
- Majesticks GC – Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stinson, Sam Horsfield
- Stinger GC – Louis Oosthuizen, Charles Schwarzl, Branden Grace, Sean Norris
- Fireballs GC – Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Lopez Chacara
- Niblicks GC – Bubba Watson (non-player captain), Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford, James Piot, Turk Pettit
- Torque GC – Joaquin Niemann, Scott Vincent, David Puig, Jedea Morgan
How much is the prize worth?
Each regular season event will have a prize money of $25 million – every player on the field receives a discount, with a guarantee of $4 million for first place and $120,000 for last place. Of the $25 million, $5 million will be split between the top three teams.
The top three players in the overall singles tournament will receive a split of $30 million, the overall champion will receive $18 million, the runner-up will receive $8 million and the third place will receive $4 million.
The prize money for the season-ending team championship is $50 million, with the winning team splitting $16 million and the team that finished last receiving $1 million. Every player gets 25% discount.
By comparison, the winner of the PGA Championship, one of golf’s four major tournaments, gets $3 million out of a total prize money of $15 million.
Individual cash prize
- 4,000,000 dollars
- $2,125,000
- $1,500,000
- $1,050,000
- $975,000
- $800,000
- $675,000
- $625,000
- 580 thousand dollars
- 560 thousand dollars
- 540 thousand dollars
- 450 thousand dollars
- 360 thousand dollars
- 270 thousand dollars
- $250,000
- 240 thousand dollars
- $232,000
- $226,000
- 220 thousand dollars
- $200,000
- 180 thousand dollars
- 172,000 dollars
- 170,000 dollars
- 168,000 dollars
- $166,000
- $164,000
- $162,000
- 160 thousand dollars
- 158,000 dollars
- 156,000 dollars
- 154,000 dollars
- 152,000 dollars
- 150 thousand dollars
- 148,000 dollars
- $146,000
- 144,000 dollars
- 142,000 dollars
- 140 thousand dollars
- 138,000 dollars
- 136,000 dollars
- 134,000 dollars
- 132,000 dollars
- 130 thousand dollars
- 128,000 dollars
- $126,000
- 124,000 dollars
- $122,000
- 120 thousand dollars
Prize money for the team
- $3000.00
- $1,500,000
- $500,000