Ever since the game of golf was invented, it’s been an individual pursuit where players battle it out against each other one-on-one, but LIV Golf is changing all that.
One of the big innovations brought in by Greg Norman’s outfit is the team element, which sees every player in the field not only competing as an individual, but also as part of a team. The 48-runner fields are divided into 12 teams of four, each with their own name, branding and captain.
In the first event of the LIV Golf Series, in London, there was a draft, where players were picked by captains to join teams, though some line-ups were already set. With more players signing with the breakaway series all the time, line-ups have chopped and changed, but in general, every team has a LIV-appointed captain who selects his squad. All four players take part in the three-day tournament, with the two best scores in the first two rounds counting towards the team score, and the best three in the third and final round.
In the regular season of the inaugural year, there is $20million on offer in the individual event, with a further $5million to be split by the winning team. The season will finish in October at Trump National Doral in Miami with the Team World Championship, where total prize money will be doubled to $50million.
In the opening event, in London, Stinger GC, the all-South African team captained by Louis Oosthuizen took first place with a total of 20-under-par, a massive 14 shots clear of Crushers GC, who finished one shot clear of Majesticks GC. Oosthuizen therefore split the $3million team first prize with teammates Charl Schwartzel (who also won the individual competition to bank another $4million), Hennie du Plessis and Branden Grace.
In Portland, Stinger GC had to settle for second despite one of their players, this time Branden Grace, again winning the individual event. Despite Grace’s efforts, they still finished seven shots adrift of 4 Aces GC’s 23-under. Captain Dustin Johnson, with a new all-American line-up of Talor Gooch and debutantes Pat Perez and Patrick Reed, split…
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