Jon Rahm has been chasing Joaquin Niemann in the LIV Power Rankings all year, and with his first LIV win at the UK and a runner-up at The Greenbrier, he finally ran him down.
Niemann certainly didn’t give it up without a fight though, finishing one shot behind Rahm at the UK as runner up. Jon came out swinging with a first round 63 and a 6-shot lead over Niemann, but Joaquin fired 67 and 65 on the weekend only to come up just shy.
Niemann certainly didn’t play poorly at The Greenbrier either, finishing at 11 under par and a T15 (along with Bryson DeChambeau), but Rahm has been relentless in 2024 and his runner-up to Koepka on Old White pretty much sealed the deal.
Niemann will need to win Chicago with Rahm finishing outside the top 10 to retake the lead, and the way Rahm has played that doesn’t seem likely. As the year winds down, there are twelve LIV players included among the All-Time Top 100 Players, with Phil at the top and Bryson the most recent addition on the strength of his fantastic major championship season.
Joaquin Niemann: Falls to #2
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner-up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes—as well as performance at the major championships.
Top 5
No. 1 Jon Rahm: 100.8 Rating
Jon started to heat up with his final round at The Open and a Top 10 finish, and then kept rolling when he held off Niemann for his first LIV win at the UK. Although the last nine holes at the Olympic Tournament in France were excruciating after the first 63 holes of flawless golf, Rahm came back with another powerful performance at The Greenbrier where he recorded a runner-up, losing in a playoff to Brooks Koepka.
In 11 LIV events, Rahm has recorded a win, a runner-up, 5 Top-5’s and 4 Top-10’s—and his average finish is 5.2.
What separated Jack and Tiger was brilliant consistency and professionalism—and Jon Rahm epitomizes exactly that.
Think Jon will be among the leaders on Sunday at Bolingbrook? You can take it to the bank.
No. 2 Joaquin Niemann: 93.6 Rating
Joaquin has had an amazing year with 2 wins, 6 Top-10’s and a runner-up at the UK, going toe-to-toe with Rahm throughout the year.
Keep in mind that Niemann is only 25 years old, although you may think he’s far older (Joaquin turned pro at 19 and won his first Tour event at 20).
He charged hard but finished a shot back at the UK, and finally relinquished his lead in the LIV Power Rankings when Rahm recorded yet another Top-10 at The Greenbrier—but unfortunately for Niemann it was like trying to hold back a tidal wave.
And while he has yet to make his presence felt at the major championships, Niemann has had extraordinary success at every level since first picking up a club as a toddler—so his time will come without doubt.
Bryson: Bombing it at Bolingbrook
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 86.7 Rating
Bryson got off to a slow start at both the UK and Greenbrier, finishing strong but just outside the top 10 in both events.
With his U.S. Open win, runner up at the PGA and T6 at The Masters, Bryson had an incredible year at the majors—and 2 Top-5’s (Jeddah and Nashville) along with 4 Top-10’s in 12 LIV events is one heck of a regular season.
Bryson is back, and he’ll be hitting eye-popping bombs at Bolingbrook—so Rahm and Niemann will need to bring their A games to keep him at bay.
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 83.3 Rating
Hatton played great at the UK, recording a T2, but followed up with a less than stellar performance (25th) at The Greenbrier—which pretty much sums up Tyrell’s 2024 campaign.
Tyrell’s season included brilliant performances (a win, runner-up, 3 Top-5’s and a Top-10), along with forgettable finishes (Hong Kong—21 and Houston—18) and mediocrity (T15 in Jedda and T14 at Adelaide).
Which Tyrell Hatten will show up in Chicago? We’ll have to wait and see.
Cam Smith: 3 Times a Runner-up
No. 5 Cameron Smith: 76.9
Smith is having about as good a season as you can have without recording a win. Including a T2 in the UK, Cameron has recorded 3 runner-up finishes in 2024. When you add 4 Top-10’s and a T6 at The Masters, Smith has had a very successful season.
Like Brooks Koepka however, Cameron puts the bulk of his stock in performance at the majors, and after the good start at Augusta he was outside the top 20 at the PGA and U.S. Open, and then missed the cut at The Open Championship.
Still, Cam is coming off back-to-back Top-10’s at The UK and The Greenbrier, so a win in Chicago would be a great way to wind up the year and make a statement for 2025.
Notables
Brooks Koepka (No. 6/75.7 Rating)
Brooks applied the brakes to the Jon Rahm freight train with a playoff win at Greenbrier for his second victory of the 2024 season and 5th career LIV championship.
It’s been a strange year for Koepka though, making the cut in all four majors while finishing outside the top 20 in every one of them. And although he has a pair of LIV wins along with a T5 and 2 Top-10’s, Brooks was downright lousy in a couple of events (Miami—45 and Nashville—42) and lackluster in others (Hong Kong—28 and Andalucia—27).
Koepka is an enigma for sure, with all that power and ability. Seems like if the putts are falling early, it’s lights out for the field—but if not, the fire begins to fade.
Let’s hope Brooks has it going in Chicago, it would be great to see another bare-knuckle brawl with Rahm.
Louis Oosthuizen: Sweet Swing
Louis Oosthuizen (No. 8/67.2 Rating)
Is there a golf swing in golf more enjoyable to watch? Or a nicer guy on the planet? Once again Louis Oosthuizen is quietly having a solid year with a runner-up (Adelaide), T4 (Andalucia), and 4 additional Top-10’s.
Louis is also the picture of consistency, in spite of a balky back, ranking fourth in average finish at 12.8.
If you can tear yourself away from watching Bryson bomb it, check out the simple elegance of a Louis Oosthuizen long iron—brings a smile every time.
Give Us One More Thrill Phil!
Phil (No. 44/32.8 Rating)
Still no Phil. After tying Gary Player for second behind Jack with 102 major cuts when he made it to the weekend at Royal Troon, it almost seems that Phil has packed it in for the season.
Following a mediocre performance at the UK (T34), Mickelson appeared ready to make some noise at The Greenbrier with two solid rounds, but then blew up on Sunday to finish 50th.
Mickelson also passed a comment that at 54, perhaps it was nearing the time he should “step aside,” but it’s looked like Phil was done before and then he suddenly popped back up.
Come on Phil, give us one more thrill in Chicagoland.
Donald Ross was by far the most prolific of the classic golf course architectural masters, having designed or remodeled more than 300 courses in the United States that are still open for play.
Many of the most famous courses designed by Ross are private, including Oak Hill, Seminole, and Oakland Hills, but there are 100 Donald Ross courses that are open to the public–starting with Pinehurst #2.
Pinehurst #2, Pinehurst ResortNC
Pinehurst #2, site of the 2024 U.S. Open, is perhaps the most famous Donald Ross design, having previously hosted the Open in 2014, 2005 and 1999 as well as the 2014 Women’s Open, 1936 PGA Championship and the 1951 Ryder Cup.
Donald Ross
Donald Ross also designed courses 1 and 3 at Pinehurst Resort, and a great many of his classic course designs were conceived in his home adjacent to #2, Dornoch Cottage, where Ross lived from 1925 until his death in 1948.
Dornoch Cottage, Pinehurst Resort
Ross left us with a wealth of wonderful golf courses, and we are fortunate indeed that so many are available for everyone to enjoy. We have selected our Top 35, but you can also spin through a comprehensive list of all public Donald Ross courses.
Since Donald Ross made his home in North Carolina, it is not a surprise that 11 of the Top 35 public Ross courses are located in NC. Florida is second with 4, followed by Ohio and New Hampshire with three each.
In addition to Pinehurst, premier golf resort locations with Donald Ross courses include French Lick in Indiana, Pine Needles (also in NC), and The Broadmoor in Colorado.
Should you wish to delve deeper into the life and work of this remarkable man, The Donald Ross Society is a fantastic resource.
And if you’re just looking for great public golf where you are or where you’re going, the GolfDay Search Engine makes it easy to find the best courses and a better bang for your buck.
Course Architects: Donald Ross/William Langford/Mark Mahannah/Brian Silva
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3/132
Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass Thursday-Sunday/Mats Monday-Wednesday) with Targets, Putting Greens (3) and Chipping Greens with Bunker and Jim McLean Golf Academy.
Holes: 18 (Twelve Hole Regulation Course/Belmont and Six Hole Executive Course/Little Bell)
Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Donald Ross/David W. Gordon/Edmund Ault/Davis Love III
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 65.5/121
Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Wedge Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (3) and Eighteen Hole Putting Course (The Ringer).
While Scottie Scheffler is having one of the greatest seasons in PGA Tour history, he’ll have to keep his foot firmly on the gas to keep Xander Schauffele in the rear view. With his second major victory of 2024 at the Open Championship, Xander positioned himself to pull neck and neck with Scottie for Player of the Year if he can close with a couple of wins and add a FedEx Cup to his mantelpiece.
Scheffler and Schauffele: Making History
Scheffler has recorded 5 tour wins, a major championship and 2 major Top-10’s, while Schauffele has won 2 major championships with 2 major Top-10’s. Neither has missed a cut, and Scottie has recorded Top-10’s in 14 of 16 starts (87.5%) while Xander has 12 Top-10’s in 18 starts (66.6%).
History in the Making
Only a few times in history have two players performed at the level of brilliant consistency displayed by Scheffler and Schauffele in the 2024 season—and of course we have to look at Jack and Tiger to provide perspective
Jack and TigerSet The Standard
In addition to their major championships, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods set a standard for consistent excellence that would seem impossible to replicate—yet Scottie Scheffler is on the cusp of doing just that.
The Rivalries
Jack and Tiger were challenged and pushed by a number of All-Time Top 100 players who would also earn their place in the Hall of Fame, creating intense rivalries that elevated their games to even greater heights.
Early in his career Jack clashed with Arnie and Player, followed later by legendary battles with Weiskopf and Watson.
Tiger and Phil went at it hammer and tongs for a decade and more, Vijay recorded 92 Top-10’s between 2001 and 2006, while Ernie Els had one of his greatest seasons in 2004—all when Tiger was at the pinnacle of his power.
When Scottie and Xander tee it up this week at TPC Southwind in Memphis for the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs, we will have the opportunity to see two players destined to be among the greats of the game at peak performance with the richest prize in golf history on the line.
Of course, there are other elite players who have no intention of allowing Scottie and Xander to steal the show, including Rory as he looks to redeem his 2024 season with a fourth FedEx Cup.
Through the annals of golf history, however, it is extremely rare to have two players performing at such a high level in the same year—so the next three weeks is a sure bet to deliver some pretty fantastic golf.
Kampen Golf Course, Pete Dye Design: Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue University
Many of the premier University courses in the U.S. are found at schools that are known for nationally ranked athletic teams, such as Indiana University (Pfau Course), Texas Tech (Rawls Course), Ohio State (OSU Golf Club) and Stanford (Stanford Golf Course), but quite a few colleges not commonly associated with big-time sports offer fantastic golf facilities as well.
The Top 50 include classic designs by the eminent figures in golf course architecture, including Alister MacKenzie (University of Michigan Golf Course and Ohio State Golf Club), C. B. McDonald and Seth Raynor (Yale Golf Course), Donald Ross (Dennison University, Mark Bostick Course at Florida State and Orchards at Mount Holyoke college).
Also among the Top 50 are modern masterpieces by Tom Fazio (Karsten Creek at Kansas State and Great River at Sacred Heart University), Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (Warren Course at Notre Dame), Michael Hurdzan (The Meadows at Grand Valley State), and Tom Doak (Rawls Course at Texas Tech).
Tom Doak and Jim Urbina: The Rawls Course at Texas Tech
The first family of golf course architecture is present throughout the Top 50, with Robert Trent Jones original designs at the University of Georgia, Duke, Seven Oaks at Colgate University, Eisenhower Golf Club at The United States Air Force Academy, and Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University, as well as updates to the Stanford Golf Course. Robert Trent Jones II designs include University Ridge (Wisconsen University) and The Blessings (University of Arkansas) while Rees Jones lent his celebrated skills to updating the wonderful RTJ design at Duke University.
Ohio State and The University of Florida turn to Jack
When Ohio State University decided to update their Alister MacKenzie championship course, it was fitting that Jack be the man to oversee every detail, and Nicklaus Design also remodeled the Seminole Legacy Course at The University of Florida to deliver a very stiff test of Division I golf.
Twenty-six states include at least one member of the Top 50, but Michigan (5) and North Carolina (4) boast the largest number. Illinois, Indiana, South Carolina and Texas follow closely with 3 each.
The Blessings at Arkansas State: Robert Trent Jones II
Ranked byGolfDay Rating, listings include the year a club was founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link for course description/photos, as well as current national rankings by Golf Digest. The Club website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.
While we’ve included the Top 50 below, you can also find a more comprehensive list with GolfDay University Courses, or click “courses near me” just to find the best golf in your area—with GolfDay rating and the distance from your location.
The GolfDay University course rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who provided the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, as well as practice facilities and programs.
If you are looking for great public golf, or planning a vacation, the GolfDay Search Engine makes it easy to find the best courses and a better bang for your buck.
Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Green (Short Game Facility with Bunker available to University Golf Teams Only).
Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Rees Jones
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.2/145
Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Unlimited Callaway Balls included with Greens Fee).
Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers. Heated and Covered Range available Year-Round.
Practice Facilities: Warm Up Net and Expansive Putting Green (Weisfeld Golf Center with Range and complete Short-game facility available to University Golf Teams only)
Course Architects: Donald Ross/Ron Garl/Bobby Weed/Scot Sherman
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0/138
Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Chris Kane Complex including Indoor Bays and Swing Analysis).
Practice Facilities: Driving Range with Targets (Mats-Monday/Tuesday, Grass Irons only-Wednesday/Thursday, Full Grass Friday-Sunday), Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (3). Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
Course Architects: Arnold Palmer/Eric Larson/Brandon Johnson
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6/142
Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass: Friday-Sunday/Mats: Monday-Thursday) and Putting Green. Short Game Facility with Bunker–Members and Golf Team Only.
Course Architects: Wayne Stiles/John Van Kleek/Gil Hanse
USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.5/134
Practice Facilities: Warm Up Net, Putting and Chipping Greens. Full Range available after May 15 at Cole Field (2 miles from course) with Range Balls included in Greens Fee.
Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (2) and Indoor Simulator with TrackMan Technology.
Jon Rahm keeps packing on the Top 10’s and Bryson DeChambeau lit up the first three majors of the year–yet Joaquin Niemann continues to hold the lead in the LIV Power Rankings.
Of the 18 LIV players to tee it up for The Open Championship at Royal Troon, 11 made the cut where brutal wind and gnarly rough saw 10 of the Top 20 players in the World Rankings head home for the weekend.
The weather continued to play havoc with scoring as rain came in on Saturday afternoon, adding another element to the difficult conditions at Troon, and then on Sunday the wind abruptly turned 180 degrees presenting the players with an entirely new look—and requiring a big shift in strategy and approach amidst the pressure of the final round at a major championship.
As the leaders came back to the field, Jon Rahm battled the elements and stayed within striking distance at 2 over through the first three rounds. On Sunday Jon came out guns blazing with 3 birdies on the first 3 holes and 32 on the front-nine to pull within 2 shots of the lead before a wayward tee shot on the 11th hole led to a bogie that derailed his run.
Although Rahm didn’t pick up his third major, his T7 adds another Major Top 10 to an already phenomenal record, and he will join Phil, DJ, Sergio and Lee Westwood among the first 50 in All-Time Top 100 Players.
Joaquin Niemann: Holding on at #1
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships.
Top 5
No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 87.4 Rating
Along with his two wins at Mayakoba and Jeddah, Niemann has also recorded 6-Top 10’s including his T6 at Andalucia last week, and improved his average finish of 9.6, second only to Jon Rahm.
Although his performance at the major’s has not met expectations thus far in his early career, it is only a matter of time before Joaquin breaks out in a big way—and there is nothing not to like about this young man (exemplified by the 4 birdies he made on the back nine Friday at Troon following a nightmare 8 at the Postage Stamp Par 3).
No. 2 Jon Rahm: 86.0 Rating
Still no LIV wins (incredibly), but five Top-5’s and four Top-10’s in nine LIV events this year is pretty tough to beat. And with all those great finishes, it’s not a surprise that Rahm also holds a substantial lead in average finish at 6.0.
Although Jon came up short at The Open, there was a glimpse of the fire that the world is used to seeing from Rahm when he is in the hunt on Sunday—look for him to break through with his first LIV win this weekend at The UK.
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 84.6 Rating
In addition to his U.S. Open win, runner up at the PGA and T6 at The Masters, Bryson has recorded 2-Top 5’s (Jeddah and Nashville) along with 4 Top-10’s (including a T9 at Andalucia last week).
While Bryson missed the cut at The Open this week, his 2024 season has been nothing less than spectacular—and you can look forward to watching him bomb his way to the top of the leaderboard at major championships for many years to come.
Tyrell Hatton: Winner in Nashville
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 77.9 Rating
Hatton recorded a T3 at Andalucia on the heels of his first LIV win in Nashville at The Grove, where he dominated for a six-shot margin of victory.
For the season, Tyrell has recorded 3 Top-5’s and a Top-10 to go along with his win, while sporting the third best average finish at 10.1—just behind Niemann.
Sergio Garcia: Winner at Andalucia
No. 5 Sergio Garcia: 67.9 With his home-court win at Andalucia last week, Sergio jumped into the Top 5 on the Power rankings. In addition to his win, Garcia has also recorded a pair of runner-up finishes (Mayakoba and Trump Doral in Miami), as well as a T5 at Houston.
Dean Burmester: Top 20 at The Open
No. 5 Dean Burmester: 67.0 Rating
Dean got off to a fast start in the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba, a T8 in Hong Kong, a win in Miami at Trump National Doral and another T3 at Adelade—but cooled off with no Top 10’s in his last four LIV events.
It seemed that the Burmester magic was back as he stayed among the leaders through Thursday and Friday at The Open, but as the rain and wind grew stronger on Saturday afternoon Dean’s hopes were washed away with a 41 on the back, and a 3rd round 76.
Burmester re-set and shot an even par 71 on Sunday for a solid Top 20 Open finish, so it seems that he’s ready to resume his early season success.
Notables
Brooks Koepka (No. 6/63.9 Rating)
For a lot of players making the cut at all four majors wouldn’t be all that bad, but for Koepka it’s a dismal year.
Brooks has recorded a win, a Top 5 and 2-Top 10’s thus far in 2024 however, so he’s still in position to make a move with big finishes at the U.K., Greenbrier and Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago. But will he be motivated?
Phil Mickelson: 102 Major Cuts
Phil (No. 41/33.0 Rating
Phil continues his slumber in the LIV events, but he was teeing it up on Saturday at Royal Troon while ten of the top twenty players in the world were lounging on the couch.
And although it wasn’t the same Phil who fought Henrik Stenson tooth and nail at Troon in 2016, firing that brilliant final found 65, he’s still got some game at 54 years old (finished in a tie with 2023 Open Champion Brian Harmon and ahead of Hideki Matsuyama, another World Top 20 player).
The 2024 Open Championship was also the 102nd time that Mickelson has made the cut at a major championship, tying Gary Player for second behind Jack.
The premier private clubs in the U.S. feature classic designs by the preeminent course architects in golf, including Alister MacKenzie, C. B. McDonald and Seth Raynor, A. W. Tillinghast, William Flynn, Donald Ross and Colt & Alison.
Also among the Top 75 are modern masterpieces by Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Gil Hanse and Tom Doak—all destined to grow in stature with the passing of time.
In addition to his fantastic original designs at Ballyneal and Sebonack (with Jack Nicklaus), Tom Doak has restored and updated seven of the Top 75, including Chicago Golf Club (No. 21), Shoreacres (No. 34) and Milwaukee Country Club (No. 32).
Ohoopee Match Club: Gil Hanse Masterpiece
Gil Hanse was retained by eleven of the Top 75 clubs to assure that their classic courses would continue to provide a major championship test of golf, including Winged Foot (No. 1), Merion (No. 7), The Los Angeles Country Club (No. 16), and Southern Hills (No. 17). In addition, his original design at the Ohoopee Match Club in Georgia has opened to rave reviews.
Twenty-eight states include at least one member of the Top 75, but New York (10), California (7) and Pennsylvania (7) boast the largest number. Georgia, Illinois and Massachusetts follow closely at 5 each, Ohio with 4, and New Jersey and Colorado with 3 each.
Maidstone Country Club, East Hampton NY
Ranked by GolfDay Rating, listings include the year a club was founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link for course description/photos, as well as current national rankings by Golf Digest. The Club website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.
While we’ve included the Top 75 below, you can also find a more comprehensive list with GolfDay Top 500 Private Clubs, or click “clubs near me” to find the best golf clubs in your area—with GolfDay rating and the distance from your location.
Merion Golf Club, Ardmore PA
The GolfDay private club rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who provided the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, as well as club longevity and prestige.
If you are looking for great public golf, or planning a vacation, the GolfDay Search Engine makes it easy to find the best courses and a better bang for your buck.
While all eyes have been on Jon Rham since he joined LIV for the 2024 season, Joaquin Niemann quietly remains atop the LIV Power Rankings through the first nine events. And although Rahm has finished among the top 10 in every LIV event he’s played, Bryson DeChambeau has bulled past him into the No. 2 slot with his powerhouse performance at the U.S. Open.
Not only has DeChambeau moved to the top of the LIV Power Rankings, his fantastic play at the 2024 major championships (U.S. Open win, runner-up at the PGA Championship and Masters T6), has also moved Bryson onto the list of the All-Time Top 100 Players.
Bryson (No. 90) joins a long list of LIV players already residing among the Top 100, starting with Phil at No. 9 and DJ at No. 29, Sergio (32), Lee Westwood (34), Rham (52), Koepka (57), Paul Casey and Hendrick Stenson (T64), Louis Oosthuizen (85), Charl Schwartzel (90), Bubba Watson (T99) and Cameron Smith (T99)
Should DeChambeau keep it rolling and win The Open Championship, he would vault all the way into the All-Time Top 75.
And if Jon Rahm were to kick it up a notch and win The Open, he would move into the All-Time Top 50.
Joaquin Niemann: Hanging in at #1
Young Joaquin Niemann will need to marshal all of his talent to keep the big guys at bay—and keep in mind that Brooks Koepka is also due for a big performance at a major.
One thing is for sure, the race is heating up and the next few weeks will be about as exciting as it can get.
LIV Power Ranking Update
Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships. There is one LIV event coming up before The Open Championship—Andalucia at The Real Club Valderrama (July 12-14).
Top 5
No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 83.0 Rating
Niemann has won two LIV events in 2024 (Mayakoba and Jeddah), and also recorded 5-Top 10’s with an average finish of 10.0, second only to Jon Rahm.
Coming off a solid T3 at The Grove in Nashville, Joaquin will need to keep it going at Valderrama and have a good showing at Royal Troon if he hopes to hold off Rahm and a hard charging DeChambeau.
No. 2 Bryson DeChambeau: 81.1 Rating
Bryson moved steadily up the board last year after a strong showing at the 23’ PGA Championship (T4), finishing at No. 10 on the LIV Power rankings.
In 2024 DeChambeau has ramped it up further, mashing the pedal to the floor with a win at the U.S. Open, runner up at the PGA and a T6 at The Masters—not to mention 5 LIV top 10’s.
It’ll be a wild ride watching Bryson bomb it off the tee at Royal Troon.
No. 3 Jon Rahm: 78.5 Rating
Jon Rahm: 8 top-10’s
Rahm has still not notched an LIV win, but he’s recorded a top 10 in all eight events he’s played. His amazing 5.5 average finish leads the league by a wide margin, but that first win has somehow eluded him—perhaps some home court vibes at Valderrama will push him over the top (and get him revved up for The Open as well).
No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 73.1 Rating
Hatton wins in Nashville
Hatton recorded his first LIV win at Nashville last week, dominating the field at 19 under and a six-shot margin over runner-up Sam Horsfield. Tyrell has also posted 3-Top-10’s in the ’24 campaign and added a strong showing at The Masters (T9).
At 32 years old, Hatton is in the prime of his career—and he’s been knocking on the door at The Open for a while now (2016–T5, 2019–T6, 2022–T11 and a T20 in 2023). Tyrell was born and still resides in Buckinghamshire, England, so The Open Championship is a prize he would dearly love to take. His game is very sharp right now, so look for Hatton among the leaders on the weekend at Troon this year.
No. 5 Dean Burmester: 66.0 Rating
T12 at PGA Championship
Dean got off to a fast start in the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba, a T8 in Hong Kong, a win in Miami atTrump National Doral and another T3 at Adelade.
Following a solid tournament in Singapore (T14) and a terrific performance at The PGA with all four rounds under par and a T12 finish, Burmester was pretty mediocre in Houston and Nashville (T18 and T 25).
He still holds the 5th highest average finish in the league at 14.0, but Dean will need to step it up at Valderrama and The Open if he hopes to stay in touch with the leaders.
Notables
Brooks Koepka (No. 6/62.9 Rating)
4 T10’s at The Open
Brooks was showing signs of life before his dismal performance in Nashville (42) with a win in Singapore and 2-Top 10’s (Adelade and Houston). And although he hasn’t recorded a major Top 10 in 2024, he’s not been very far off (a poor third round knocked him out at the PGA and a tough second round cost him at the U.S. Open).
Koepka’s trademark at major’s has been his consistency and resilience—so three consecutive mediocre major championship finishes is a surprise.
In his last 7 starts at The Open, Brooks recorded 4 Top 10 finishes (2015–T10, 2017–T6, 2019–T4, and a T6 in 2021).
Looks like Brooks is due.
Cameron Smith (No. 7/62.6 Rating)
Cam recorded his second runner-up of the year in Singapore after a T6 at The Masters, and had a strong finish in Nashville last week (T9). When Smith has a putter in his hands, anything can happen—and if the short stick heats up as it did in 2022, there’s a good chance he’ll be raising the Claret Jug again in July.
Carlos Ortiz (No. 9/58.8 Rating)
First win in Houston
After a slow start to the 2024 LIV season, Carlos posted a T4 in Hong Kong in April and climbed into the Top 10 with his first LIV win 3 weeks ago at the Golf Club of Houston and continued his strong pay with a T9 in Nashville.
Phil (No. 43/30.1 Rating
Lefty Shades
Phil hasn’t made the cut at The Open Championship since 2018, and it’s been over ten years since he fired that brilliant 66 in the final round at Muirfield to come from 5 back and win the 2013 Championship.
Mickelson has done nothing in the LIV events this year other than a T6 at Jeddah back in March, and he missed the cut at both the PGA and the U.S. Open.
His last two starts at Houston (T37) and Nashville (T40) were disappointing to say the least, but as George Patton would say that is exactly why you should expect Phil to mount a major offensive at Troon a couple of weeks from now.
On the other hand, Phil may finally have run out of hat rabbits—but it’s always fun to watch him tee it up again a major championship.
Real Club Valderrama, Spain
2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule
Andacucia: Real Club Valderrama, Spain (July 12-14)
The summer is starting to roll, and it’s time to think about planning a golf trip. Myrtle Beach is the #1 golf destination in the U.S., offering more than eighty courses–along with great food, terrific nightlife, and gorgeous beaches for when you’re not on the course.
Many of the great modern architects are on display among the wide variety of courses in the Myrtle Beach area, including Tom Fazio (Barefoot Resort and TPC Myrtle Beach), Pete Dye (Barefoot and Prestwick), Rees Jones (Arcadian Shores), Tom Doak (Legends Resort) and Jack Nicklaus (Pawleys Plantation and Long Bay).
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, perennially among the Golf Digest Top 100 public courses, was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. in 1948, with Rees Jones providing updates and renovations in 2003, 2013 and 2018.
And then there are the two masterpieces left to us by Mike Strantz at Caledonia and True Blue. We’ve included the Top 5 Golf Resorts and the Top 30 Public Courses in the Myrtle Beach area on the basis of GolfDay Rating, but a complete list of MB public courses is also available by visiting the GolfDay Course Search Page.
The GolfDay Rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest and Golfweek, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews.
The resort rating also includes a factor for the variety of courses located at the property as well as the quality of accommodations and level of service.
If you have yet to mark Myrtle Beach from your bucket list, now is the time. And even if you’ve made the trip many times before, MB never disappoints—so start getting a plan in motion.
Course Architects: Greg Norman/Tad Burnett/Davis Love III/Tom Fazio/Pete Dye
USGA Course/Slope Rating:
Norman: 74.2 Rating/141 Slope
Love: 74.9 Rating/141 Slope
Fazio: 73.4 Rating/144 Slope
Dye: 76.0 Rating/143 Slope
Practice Facilities: Lighted and Covered Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Dyer and Greg Norman Golf Academies.
Practice Facilities: Wedge Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Full Grass Driving Range available at True Blue Course. Range Balls included with Greens Fee).
