MIAMI, Florida – Last year’s Masters was the first tournament where PGA Tour players competed against those who defected to the LIV Golf League. The LIV guys got the better of that one.
Four current LIV players finished one -two-three and a tie for fourth. That spoke well for the Saudi-financed circuit that is now in its third season. Spain’s Jon Rahm will defend his Masters title this week at Georgia’s Augusta National. He won last year when he was still a PGA Tour member.
Rahm hasn’t won an individual title as a LIV member, but team he captains – Legion XIII – won its second title in five starts on Sunday on the rugged Blue Monster course at Trump Doral and Rahm contributed several key putts to that victory. At least that’s some momentum to take into this week’s Masters.
Knowing a four-stroke lead was slipping away in a tight team battle with Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats, Rahm touched more on a clutch putt he rolled in down the stretch rather than dwell on his individual play.
“I was just trying to two-putt,’’ Rahm said, “and the putt just kept going. We won by one stroke, so obviously that putt meant more than I had thought it would.’’
It also doesn’t hurt that Rahm has been solid, despite not winning by himself. He’s the only LIV player to finish in the top 10 of all five tournaments of 2024. He tied for fourth Sunday, three strokes behind South African Dean Burmester and Spain’s Sergio Garcia.
Burmester took the individual title in a two-hole playoff, the third loss in extra holes for the winless Garcia in LIV play. Burmester and Garcia played the regulation 54 holes in 11-under-par 205. Both failed to par the final holes, necessitating their playoff.
Now the focus is solely on the Masters.
If LIV shows as well at this year’s Masters it’ll likely be because of the players who weren’t so impressive at Augusta last year.
Last year LIV also had a Florida tournament the week before the Masters and Brooks Koepka won it at Orlando’s Orange County National – a layout far less challenging than the Blue Monster. Koepka carried that momentum to Augusta and shared second with Phil Mickelson before the PGA Championship at month later.
On Sunday both Koepka and Mickelson couldn’t even come close to breaking par, much less contending. That doesn’t speak well for their chances at Augusta, but LIV has 13 players in the invitation-only field. Seven are past Masters champions. The tourney tees off on Thursday.
LIV Golf Miami Photo Album by Joy Sarver
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EALMB35XUkcZJcJAA
https://www.livgolf.com/leaderboard
PHOTO CREDIT: Joy Sarver
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