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LIV Golfers Continue to Thrive
After 18 LIV Golf members descended upon Augusta and came out with a passing grade overall, the golf world and Twittersphere started to put away the “LIV Golfers aren’t tested” narrative at record speed as the PGA Championship arrived. Twelve of the 18 made the cut and played the weekend at Augusta, Brooks flirted with a major victory, and Phil and Patrick Reed contended on Sunday. There’s no denying that the LIV golf haters were briefly silenced after the admirable showing. The questions had been swirling about their ability to play 72 holes and still go stride with the PGA Tour’s best, and they were answered with a resounding YES at Augusta…and a firmer YES at Oak Hill.
This past week gave the LIV Golf elite another chance to further cement their legitimacy on the world stage…and this time at a more unfamiliar and grueling track in Oak Hill. MY OH MY did they do some cement work. It’s amazing how many times the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf conversation has shifted, but last week at Oak Hill was a massive plate shift as Brooks Koepka grabbed that major he narrowly missed out on a month ago. Beyond Koepka’s dominance was a second triumphant week for Greg Norman and LIV Golf cronies – a majority of the LIV gang made the cut and four others finished inside the top 20. Let’s break down the highlights and what it means for the game of golf.
LIV Golf Favorites at the PGA Championship
Of the contingent of LIV Golf favorites, it was mainly Koepka’s win and a sizzling 65 on Sunday that propelled him up the leaderboard that made Sunday waves. As for weeklong headlines in Rochester, the LIV Tour players who showed were arguably the ones with the biggest question marks as of late. We wondered if Patrick Reed’s impressive Masters showing was fluke-ish and tied to the course experience. He shunned that narrative away with a T18 finish. Mito Pereira followed up a 72nd-hole choke job at last year’s PGA with a formidable tie for 15th place, getting him an invite back for next year. Last but not least, there was a previously Beefy Bryson that arrived at Oak Hill with a trimmed physique and a surprise performance nobody could have predicted.
Going off of as high as 125-1 odds to win this past week, the 202) US Open Champion DeChambeau had completely “lost it” for a while in his own words, and wondered if he would ever get back to that elite form on the biggest stages. Whether it be the overindulgence in protein shakes or his newfound long-drive obsession, things were off with Bryson for a while. He seemingly snapped out of that funk in just a few days of clinical ball striking at Oak Hill and has a reinvigorated mindset heading into the rest of the major championship season.
Still Got It
This was the final boss level in questioning the rust of the LIV Tour’s elite. While we can clearly see there are a few LIV players that have had their games fall off, the majority of the best that made the switch are proving to be just as motivated as ever to win at the highest level. They didn’t just stop practicing or caring about the thrill of victory once they got their check from the Saudis so that narrative is officially dead. The “rust” of missing out on tournament golf is not showing for the best of the LIV Tour, and despite 18 hole-less holes, a softer schedule, and lighter requirements for participation, the drive is still there to win at every level.
What’s Next? Make the Team
As for your LIV Tour major champion, this performance coupled with the Masters finish will almost certainly lock up a spot for him on the next Ryder Cup team. It had been up for debate as to how eligibility would work for LIV golfers playing in an event that has PGA and PGA Tour fingerprints all over it, but this past week and Team USA Captain Zach Johnson all but confirmed that if Koepka qualifies on points, he’s in for Italy.
Bryson and Patrick Reed and Europeans like Thomas Pieters will have to keep showing up on major championship boards to enter that Ryder Cup conversation. Regardless, it’s clear that the LIV contingent will be ready to go at Los Angeles CC in June and at Royal Liverpool in July and their odds at the window should be normalized as if they’ve been on the PGA Tour all along.
LIV Bits from Oak Hill
The photo of the week was not even taken on the course – it was a picture worth a thousand words where Phil Mickelson was walking next to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. To be a fly on the jacket for that conversation…
If there were any LIV Tour lowlights, they came from two players who have been playing great golf recently in events and seemingly had the form to compete. Both Abraham Ancer and two-time LIV Golf champion Talor Gooch had quick Friday departures, finishing nowhere near the +5 cut line to end their weeks abruptly.
Next up in majors, we go from New York sports fans to LA for The US Open where LIV Golf and the PGA Tour next will converge. More immediately, Brooksy majors and the LIV crew are in the Washington DC area for a quick turnaround this week at Trump National DC.
Golf FAQs
How do PGA Golf Majors Pools work?
In PGA Golf Majors Pools, member select six golfers to compete on a roster over the course of an event. The member with the best combined score from the six golfers wins.
Can you include all four majors into one pool?
Yes, but your commissioner can also customize these setting with RunYourPool. Pools can include up to all four majors, repicking golfers each time or adding bonus points for finishing positions
How do I assemble a roster?
Golfers are broken up in to six tiers, as members select one golfer per tier to be on their Major roster.
What happens to golfers who miss the cut?
Any PGA Player who does not make the cut will be given the highest score of Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
What are the four golf majors?
The Masters is the first major of the season, in April. The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open follow, with the British Open ending as the final major.
How do PGA One and Dones work?
Members in a pool select one golfer to win a tournament, but can't pick that golfer again for the rest of the season. The member with the best score at the end of the season wins.
What is a PGA One and Done pool?
A PGA One-and-Done Pool is a contest similar to Survivor Pools, in which members can only select a golfer one time per season for events.
Which tournaments are played for PGA One and Dones?
Pool commissioners can set up the season for as many or as few tournaments as desired. Go crazy and do all of them! Or dial it back for the major events. As commissioner of a RunYourPool contest, you decide which events to play in!
How to run a weekly golf pool?
In order to run a golf pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like One and Done or Pick-X Pools. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
How do golf Pick-X Pools work?
Members select a certain number of golfers per tournament, set by the pool commissioner. The member earns the total winnings that their selected golfer won for the tournament. Whichever member earns the most winnings over the duration of the season wins.
What is a golf Pick-X Pool?
A Pick-X Golf Pool calculates tournament winnings rather than strokes gained when deciding a winner. This amplifies the big name events that feature a higher prize purse.
How to run a golf pool?
How you decide to run a golf pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How do Masters Prop Bets Pools work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
When is the Masters?
The Masters is typically in April and the first major of the golf season. The 2023 Masters is set for Thursday, April 6 and will run until Sunday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is annually held at the Augusta National Golf Club located in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
