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Will Jon Rahm secure a first win at LIV Golf Andalucia?
16 Troon-bound stars complete their Open preparations at LIV Golf Andalucia where the breakaway tour makes its first appearance of the season in Europe.While the likes of McIlroy, Schauffele, and Aberg fine-tune their links games at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, LIV Golf’s next platoon of Major hopefuls will have to settle for the consolation prize of some warm weather training in Spain’s deep south. The breakaway tour arrives in Europe for its tenth event of the season, currently led by Joaquin Niemann in the individual standings with Crushers GC topping the team leaderboard.
Despite failing to land a win since joining the Saudi-backed tour, Jon Rahm remains Niemann’s closest threat, having finished inside the top 10 in each of the eight events he has played, withdrawing from Houston and the US Open with a foot injury. His 8-under 63 in Nashville’s second round was the best score of the tournament and a good sign for Legion XIII fans that the two-time Major winner is edging closer to that level again.Fellow countryman Sergio Garcia will have both eyes fully fixed on the prize in Valderrama after falling agonizingly short for the second consecutive year at Open Final Qualifying. The Fireballs GC captain was fuming with officials at West Lancashire last week after being issued a slow-play warning he deemed to be unfair given the uncontrolled crowds following the 2017 Masters Champion. Two LIV players did prevail in the 36-hole shoot-out, however. Abraham Ancer and Sam Horsfield bumped LIV’s representation up to 16 in Troon and will maybe think about swapping in a driving iron to the bag this week.A well-rested Bryson DeChambeau also returns after a two-week break, looking to go one better than last year when Talor Gooch denied him the win by a single shot. The US Open Champion hasn’t picked up a LIV victory this season but tied for third in Nashville and will be keen to build on Crushers GC’s slender lead at the top of the team standings.Which LIV players are in the field for The Open?LIV has four Open Champions and two debutants among its squad of 16 heading to Troon.PlayerTeamBest OpenAbraham AncerFireballs GCT11 – 2022Dean BurmesterStinger GCT11 – 2022Bryson DeChambeauCrushers GCT8 – 2022Tyrrell HattonLegion XIIIT5 – 2016Sam HorsfieldMajesticks GCT67 – 2021Brooks KoepkaSmash GCT4 – 2019Dustin Johnson4Aces GCT2 – 2011Adrian MeronkCleeks GCT23 – 2023Phil MickelsonHyFlyers GCWon – 2013Joaquin NiemannTorque GCT53 – 2022Andy OgletreeHyFlyers GCDebutLouis OosthuizenStinger GCWon – 2010David PuigFireballs GCDebutJon RahmLegion XIIIT2 – 2023Cameron SmithRipper GCWon – 2022Henrik StensonMajesticks GCWon – 2016
What is the format of LIV Golf Andalucia?With the addition of a 13th franchise – Rahm’s Legion XIII, the 2024 field rises to 54 players, inclusive of the two wildcard players – Anthony Kim and Hudson Swafford, who compete as unsigned individuals.The team-assigned players compete in two competitions simultaneously- an individual event and a team event. Each stroke counts in the individual event, whereas in the team event, only the combined scores of the team’s top three players count for rounds 1 & 2, with all four scores counting in the final round of each event.Each event is played over 54 holes, with no cuts and shotgun starts. For more information, check out our LIV Golf: Everything You Need to Know page.Where is LIV Golf Andalucia played?LIV Golf Andalucia is played at Real Club Valderrama, near Cádiz, Spain, and is ranked among the best golf courses in Europe. The golf club is one of only two in Europe to be awarded the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Certification for its commitment to conservation and is often referred to as the “Augusta of Europe” for its championship pedigree and immaculate maintenance. The course hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup where Seve Ballesteros captained Europe to a dramatic 14.5-13.5 victory. At just 7,010 yards, Valderrama’s challenge is more hazard-based, featuring a litany of bunkers that guard the greens and edge out into fairway landing spots. In 2023, only 13 players finished under par (71), demonstrating just how difficult it is to score low.How much does the LIV Golf Andalucia winner receive?Like all regular season events, LIV Golf Andalucia has a $25 million purse, with $20 million assigned for the individual competition and $5 million for the team competition.The individual winner in Valderrama is set to receive a $4 million share, ranging down to $50,000 for those finishing at the wrong end of the leaderboard.Only the top three teams will receive prize money in each event. The winners will earn their team $3 million, with $1.5 million and $500k earned by the second and third-placed teams respectively.LIV Golf Andalucia: Tee Times US viewers can catch all the action on the CW App & LIV Golf+ App.Shotgun Starts (all times EDT)Friday, July 12: CW App & LIV Golf+ App, 07.15Saturday, July 13: CW App & LIV Golf+ App, 07.15Sunday, July 14: CW App & LIV Golf+ App, 07.15UK viewers can watch the action for free on the LIV Golf YouTube channel.Shotgun Starts (all times BST)Friday, July 12: LIV Golf YouTube, 12.15Saturday, July 13: LIV Golf YouTube, 12.15Sunday, July 14: LIV Golf YouTube, 12.15About the authorRoss TugwoodSenior Digital WriterRoss Tugwood is a Senior Digital Writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.He is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.
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