Tag: Cameron Smith

LIV Golf 2025: Preview and Power Rankings

**Jon Rahm: Looks to light it up in 2025**

Jon Rahm had a phenomenal 2024 LIV season, capping off the year with a dominating 3-shot victory over Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia at the final event of the year in Chicago and finished atop our LIV Power Rankings by a wide margin.

Rahm’s performance at the ’24 majors, however, has no doubt left him burning through the winter with just one Top-10 finish (Open Championship)—so you can bet he will be laser focused in 2025 (uh-oh Scottie).

2024 was a break-out season for Joaquin Niemann as he led our Power Rankings through most of the year until Rahm finally ran him down with a win at the UK and then followed with a runner-up at the Greenbrier.

Although Niemann faltered a bit down the stretch, he still finished well ahead of #3 Bryson DeChambeau, in spite of Bryson’s fantastic performance at the ’24 major championships.

It also seems the Masters Tournament Committee was keeping an eye on Niemann’s fantastic 2024 LIV season, offering Joaquin a special invitation to Augusta National in April.

**Joaquin Niemann: Heading for Augusta**

All the leaders in our year-end rankings recorded a Top 10 finish in the final event of 2024 at Bolingbrook Golf Club, so when you look at the way the big guns finished up the year, the 2025 LIV season should deliver a ton of excitement.

Keep in mind that 12 LIV players are included among our All-Time Top 100 Players, starting with Phil at #9, DJ at #29, Sergio at #32 and Lee Westwood at #34.

Jon Rahm broke into the top 50 with his T7 at The Open Championship, and Bryson BeChambeau moved up to #91 with his win at the U.S. Open, runner-up at The PGA and T6 at The Masters.

Brooks Koepka, currently #57, can move into the the top 50 all-time with a big year at the ’25 majors (and he is due after last year where he made all the cuts but failed to record a Top-10).

Power Rankings Overview

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: 110.2 Rating Jon started the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba and kept his foot on the gas all year, finishing in the top 10 week after week until finally torching the field with 2 wins and a runner-up in the final 3 events of the year.

In 12 LIV tournaments, Rahm recorded 2 wins, a runner-up, 5 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s—with an average finish of 4.8.

Unless he suffers a signifacant injury, Rahm will dominate again in 2025—and it’s a good bet there will be another major championship trophy on his mantel before the year is out.

No. 2 Joaquin Niemann: 99.1 Rating

Joaquin jumped out early winning 2 of the first 3 events of 2024 (Mayakoba and Jedda), and applied heat through the final round of the last tournament of the year in Chicago.

In 13 events, Joaquin recorded 2 wins, 2 runner-ups, 3 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s, with an average finish of 8.9.

Rest assured, the sweet swinging Niemann, who only just turned 26 in November, will continue to dog Rahm though the 2025 season (and perhaps grab a major championship as well).

**Bryson: Huge year at the Majors** **in ’24**

No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 90.2 Rating

The 2024 LIV season was a good one for Bryson with 2-Top 5’s and 5-Top 10’s, but considering his powerhouse performance at the major championships (including his second U.S. Open win), you would have expected quite a bit more—particularly after recording 2 LIV wins in 2023.

Still, DeChambeau was very consistent throughout the season and ended the year at 4th in average finish (12.8)—look for Bryson to elevate his game further at LIV events, while remaining a force (and a big draw) at the majors in 2025.

No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 87.8 Rating

Hatton posted a win in Nashville at The Grove in 2024, his debut season with LIV, and also recorded a runner-up, 4 Top 5’s and a Top 10.

Tyrell posted an average finish of 10.2, 3rd in the league behind Rahm and Niemann, while recording his best ever showing (T9) at The Masters.

Hatton is loaded with talent, and if he keeps his temper in check it’s almost certain he will record another win (or two) in 2025

No. 5 Brooks Koepka: 79.6

Brooks notched 2 more LIV wins in 2024 (Singapore and Greenbrier), bringing his league leading total to 5 since joining LIV in 2022 (and matching his number in major championship victories).

In spite of the wins, Koepka’s 2024 season was dissapointing, with an average finish of 16.4 which ranked him at 10th in the league. Brooks also failed to record a Top-10 at any of the majors (although he made the cut in all of them).

Koepka appears as fit as he’s ever been, but he will turn 34 years old in May and the clock is beginning to tick—it’s time for Brooks to bring the hammer down more often at LIV events to sharpen his game, particularly those preceding the major championships.

A sixth major win would bring Koepka even with Phil and Lee Trevino, and two more tie’s him with Arnie and Sam Snead—look for Brooks to make his move in 2025.

Movers

Sergio Garcia: Sergio nailed down his first LIV win in 2024 at Andalucia, and also recorded 3 runner-up finishes (Mayakoba, Miami and Chicago), while adding a T5 at Houston and T8 at The Greenbrier.

Sergio ended the year at No. 6 in our Power Rankings and 6th in average finish at 14.7—a big jump from his 2023 season.

Although Garcia just turned 45, he’s in fantastic shape and remains one of the premier ball-strikers in golf–don’t expect him to fade away any time soon.

Louis Oosthuizen: Oosthuizen looked like the Louis of old in 2024, recording a runner-up (Adelaide), a T4 (Andalucia), and 4 Top 10’s. He also ended the year 5th in average finish at 14.6, jumping to 9th in our power rankings.

Let’s hope the back holds up in 2025, because there is nothing more enjoyable than watching Oosthuizen strike a laser-like long iron pin seeker (see double eagle at Augusta in 2012.)

Cameron Smith: After leading our Power Rankings in ’23 with 2 LIV wins, a runner-up, 2-T5’s and a pair of Top-10’s (as well as a couple of major Top-10’s), Smith went winless in 2024 and plummented all the way down to No.7.

Cam didn’t exactly fall off a cliff though, with 3 runner-up finishes, 4 Top-10’s and a T6 at The Masters—but two extremely poor performances (Houston and Chicago) knocked his Average Finish down to 17.3 (12th in the League).

Expect Smith and his putter to get back on track with a couple of wins in ’25, and if that wand heats up at a major he will be very tough to beat.

**Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia: Feb 6-8, 2025**

2025 LIV Schedule

Riyadh: Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia(February 6–8)

Adelaide: The Grange Golf Club, Australia (February 14–16)

Hong Kong: Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong (March 7–9)

Singapore: Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore (March 14–16)

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LIV Golf: 2024 Power Rankings through Greenbrier

**Jon Rahm: Moves to #1** (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez)

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.

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.

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 (25^th) 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.

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 5^th 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 (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.

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.

2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule

Chicago: Bolingbrook Golf Club (September 13-15)

Team Championship Dallas: Maridoe Golf Club (September 20-22)

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LIV Golf: Masters Wrap-up and 2024 Power Rankings

**Bryson DeChambeau: Finds His Footing at Augusta**

Thirteen LIV players teed it up at Augusta last week for The Masters, eight made the cut, and 3 finished in the Top 10. Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith both finished at 2 under (T6) while Tyrell Hatton came in at even par (T9).

The big story at the 2024 Masters was the weather, where extremely high winds wreaked havoc with scoring as only eight players finished under par (as compared with twenty-five players under par in 23’). After storming out of the gate with an opening round 65, Bryson followed up with three mediocre rounds of 73-75-73—mainly because the continual buffeting by the wind eventually turned his putter into a block of ice.

Cam Smith was steady throughout, recording rounds of 71-72-72-71, anchored by the short stick. While not the pure magic seen at his 2022 Open Championship victory, his putter and short game held up well in all that wind—securing him another major T10.

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 (LIV Player Rankings).

**Joaquin Niemann: #1 in the Power Rankings**

While fifty-five players have participated in one or more tournaments this season, we’ve included only the top fifty. While most would expect Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith or Dustin Johnson to be occupying the top spot, instead you will see a 25-year-old Joaquin Niemann standing atop the mountain. There are two LIV events coming up before the PGA Championship in mid-May, however–Adelaide at La Grange Golf Club in Australia (April 26-28) and Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club (May 3-5), so there’s opportunity for someone to make a big move.

Top 5

No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 72.0 Rating

Niemann has won two of the five LIV events played in 2024 (Mayakoba and Jeddah), and also recorded a T4 in Hong Kong and a T9 in Miami with an average finish among the Top 10 (9.0–second only to Jon Rahm.)

While he didn’t have his best at Augusta, Joaquin still finished in the Top 25 at +4 (tied with Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantley.) He’ll have his work cut out for him to hold off Jon Rahm for the top spot in the LIV rankings all year, but keep a close eye on Joaquin at the PGA next month—he can hit it with anybody.

No. 2 Jon Rahm: 67.4 Rating

Although Rahm has not yet won a LIV event, he finished among the Top 10 every time he teed it up (3, 4, 5 and 2-8’s). His average finish of 5.6 is also the League’s best by a wide margin, so it’s just a matter of time before the door bursts open. While the much-anticipated showdown with Scottie Scheffler at Augusta didn’t materialize, you can be sure that the 23’ Masters champ will make his presence felt at Valhalla for the PGA Championship.

No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 62.8 Rating

Bryson moved steadily up the board last year after his strong showing at the 23’ PGA Championship (T4), and finished the year at No. 10 with 5 LIV Top-10’s. In 5 events this year, DeChambeau has recorded a T4 (Jeddah) and 3 Top-10’s (Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Miami). With his T6 at The Masters, Bryson is chomping at the heals of Niemann and Rahm—it would be a big surprise if he were not among the leaders again on Sunday at the PGA.

No. 4 Dean Burmester: 58.8 Rating

Who? Not a household name to American golf fans, South African Dean Burmester played his entire career on the Sunshine and European Golf Tours accumulating 14 wins before joining LIV for the 23’ season (where he picked up 3 Top-10’s). With a win in Miami at Trump National Doral, a T3 at Mayakoba and T8 in Hong Kong, Dean is making himself known in a big way. His average finish of 13.2 places him 7^th through the first five events, ahead of Dustin Johnson (15.6), Cam Smith (16.5), and Brooks Koepka (20.4).

No. 5 Tyrell Hatton: 56.0 Rating

Hatton recorded a Top-10 in his first LIV event at Mayakoba, but dropped steadily in his next 3 starts until a T4 in Miami propelled him upward to his strong showing at the Masters (T9). He’s a superlative ball-striker and there’s something piratical about Tyrell–look for him to hoist his Jolly Roger among the leaders at the PGA in a couple weeks (unless his temper sends him off the plank).

**Tyrell Hatton**: **T9 at The Masters**

Notables

Cameron Smith (No. 10/52.5 Rating)

After finishing #1 in the 2023 LIV Power rankings, Cam was wallowing in the middle of the pack until a runner-up in Hong Kong and a T6 at The Masters shot him up to the 10^th position.

Perhaps the first major of the year got his blood flowing.

Brooks Koepka (No. 19/42.6 Rating)

Outside of a T5 in the first LIV event of the year at Mayakoba, Brooks has been sleep-walking through the 2024 season—and his performance at Augusta (+9/T45) did nothing to indicate he was ready to emerge from his slumber.

As everybody knows, Brooks puts the bulk of his focus and energy into the majors, particularly the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Hopefully The Masters will serve as a blaring wake-up call and he’ll arrive at Valhalla tuned up and ready to defend his title.

**Brooks Koepka:** **Reigning PGA Champion**

Phil (No. 43/37.2 Rating

At 53 years old, Phil can still play–there’s no doubt about it. Last year he did nothing in the LIV events leading up to The Masters, and magically recorded a runner up finish. Once again in 24’ he’s done virtually nothing in the LIV tournaments, yet makes the cut at Augusta by a comfortable margin —and finishes ahead of both Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.

What’s up with that? Perhaps Phil should put his foot on the gas in the upcoming LIV events at Adelaide and Singapore to sharpen his game and then see if he can add another PGA Championship to his major trophy case. The 2024 Masters was the one hundred and first major championship cut he’s made in his career, one behind Gary Player (who is second only to Jack).

**Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta GA**

Masters Summary

Bryson DeChambeau	T6
Cameron Smith	T6
Tyrell Hatton	T9
Patrick Reed	T12
Joaquin Nieman	T22
Phil Mickelson	T43
Jon Rahm	T45
Brooks Koepka	T45
Dustin Johnson	MC
Sergio Garcia	MC
Bubba Watson	MC
Charl Schwartzel	MC
Adrian Meronk	MC

2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule

Adelaide The Grange Golf Club, Australia (April 26-28)

Singapore Sentosa Golf Club (May 3-5)

Houston Golf Club of Houston (June 7-9)

Nashville The Grove (June 21-23)

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LIV Golf: 2022 Power Ratings

Now that the first LIV season has been completed, we’ve taken a look at which players had the greatest success heading into 2023. Players have been rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, top five and top ten’s–as well as performance at the 2022 major championships (LIV Player Rankings).

While sixty-eight players participated at various events throughout the year, we’ve included only the top forty-eight, using finishes in the individual portion of each tournament.

Not surprisingly, Dustin Johnson dominated pretty much from start to finish. Cameron Smith had an immediate impact following his jump to LIV after winning The Open Championship, and Joaquin Niemann played superb golf—at 24 years old, the young gun that LIV hopes will attract other talented PGA stars in their twenty’s.

Top 5

No. 1 Dustin Johnson: 80.9 Rating

After opening with an 8^thplace finish at the initial event in London, Dustin recorded a T3 at Pumkin Ridge in Portland, a T2 in Bedminster and then won the fourth event in Boston. In the seven stroke play tournaments on the schedule, Johnson recorded four top 5’s, a top 10 and a win—with his worst finish being a T15 in Bangkok. For the season, Dustin’s average finish was 5.1. When you add a T6 at the Open Championship, Johnson is at the top of the LIV power rankings by a wide margin.

No. 2 Cameron Smith: 62.2 Rating

Following his brilliant performance at St. Andrews, Cam came up a shot shy of joining the playoff in his first LIV event at The International Club in Boston, settling for a T4 at 14 under par. He kicked it up a notch by winning in his second event at Rich Harvest Farms in Chicago, so in the four events he played, Cameron recorded a win and top 5.

With his Open Championship victory and a T3 at The Masters, Smith is second on the LIV power rankings.

No. 3 Joaquin Niemann: 58.7 Rating

At 24 years old, Joaquin Niemann is one of the brightest young stars in golf. After joining the PGA Tour at 19, Niemann recorded 22 Top-10’s including 2 wins in 5 years–making the cut in just under 80% of the events he entered while reaching the Tour Championship in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Joaquin joined LIV prior to the fourth event in Boston, and immediately recorded a runner-up finish (losing to DJ in a playoff). With a T4 at Rich Harvest Farms in Chicago and a T3 at the final regular event in Jeddah, Nieman recorder three Top 5 finishes in the four events he played, with an average finish of 7.3–just behind Johnson.

No. 4 Patrick Reed: 57.2 Rating

Patrick recorded a T3 in his first LIV event in Portland, and finished among the top 5 in three of the five events he played (including a runner-up at Bangkok and a 5^th at Trump National Bedminster).

Reed also ended the season with a 10.8 average finish (3^rd behind DJ and Niemann).

**Charl Schwartzel**
**https://pictures.reuters.com/**

No. 5 Charl Schwartzel: 54.3 Rating

After winning the first LIV event in London, Charl recorded two additional Top 10’s (Chicago and Jeddah.). When you add his Top 10 at The Masters in April, Schwartzel comes in at number 5.

Notables

Sergio Garcia (No. 6–54.1 Rating)

Garcia got off to a slow start in his first two LIV events, but recorded four Top 10’s in his last five tournaments (including Top-5’s in Chicago and Jeddah). Garcia’s average finish for the year was 12.9 (the 6th highest of the top 48 players who competed in the 2022 LIV events)

Talor Gooch (No. 8–52.4 Rating)

Gooch finished among the Top 10 in each of the first four LIV events in 2022, but dropped off significantly in the final 3 (although he recorded a T12 at the final regular event in Jeddah).

Only seven players were better than Talor’s average finish of 13.6.

Brooks Koepka (No. 9–52.2 Rating)

Brooks’ mediocre play in his first four LIV events is likely due to lingering pain from the knee injury he suffered in 2021, but he finished strong with a T8 at Bangkok and a win at the final regular LIV tournament in Jeddah.

Look for Koepka to make his presence felt in a big way when the 2023 season gets going—particularly at the major championships.

Phil (No. 38—27.6 Rating)

Mickelson’s LIV season was not memorable to say the least, but he showed signs of the old Phil with a T8 at Rich Harvest in Chicago and a T15 in Bangkok.

While the media swarm undoubtedly took a toll in 2022, look for Phil to shake it off and come out strong at the first LIV event in February (Mayakoba).

Should Phil win at Mayakoba, it will be difficult for the powers that be at Augusta National to keep him out again (although they did it last year when he was the reigning PGA champion).

Team Championship-Miami

Dustin Johnson, Pat Reed, Talor Gooch and Pat Perez (the Aces) took home the team championship at Trump National Doral with a composite score of -7, one shot clear of Punch GC (Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby).

Smash GC (Brooks Koepka, Jason Kokrak, Peter Uhlein and Chase Koepka) finished a distant third with a composite score of +4.

**Mayakoba: Greg Norman Design, Mexico**

2023 Upcoming LIV Schedule

Mayakoba El Camaleon, Mexico (February 23-26)

Adelaide The Grange Golf Club, Australia (April 21-23)

Singapore Sentosa Golf Club (April 28-30)

Valderrama Real Club, Spain (June 30-July 2)

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LIV Golf: Top 5 Through Boston

**DJ and Cam Smith Lead the Field**
**https://www.si.com/**

Now that the first four LIV events have been completed, it’s a good time to take a look at which players have had the greatest success heading to Rich Harvest Farms in Chicago (September 16-18). We’ve rated and ranked players based on events played, average finish, wins, Top-10 finishes (including runner-up, top-5 and top-10) as well as performance at the 2022 major championships (LIV Player Rankings). To date, 68 players have competed in one or more of the LIV tournaments played thus far, and each has been rated on the performance criteria outlined above to provide a basis for our rankings.

The Leaders

Dustin Johnson: No. 1 / 72.5 Rating

Late Sunday afternoon at The International in Boston, DJ found himself in a sudden death playoff with newly minted LIV players Joaquin Niemann and Anirban Lahiri. When DJ rammed in a lengthy putt for eagle on the opening playoff hole, he raised the trophy for his first LIV tournament win. Having already recorded top 10’s at each of the first 3 events (T2 at Trump National Bedminster, a T3 in Portland and 8^th place finish in London), along with a T6 at the Open Championship, Johnson is at the top of the LIV player rankings.

Cameron Smith: No. 2 / 64.0 Rating

Although Cam came up one shot shy of joining the playoff in Boston, a T4 (14 under) along with his Open Championship victory in July and T3 at The Masters back in April vaulted him all the way to Number 2, just behind Dustin.

**Talor Gooch, Henrik Stenson and Brandon Grace**
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https://www.theguardian.com/

Talor Gooch: No. 3 / 56.0 Rating (Tie)

While Talor has yet to record an LIV win, he has finished among the top 10 in all four events (9^th in London, 7^th in Portland, T6 at Bedminster and a 6^th place finish in Boston). Gooch also made the cut in 3 of the 4 majors he played in 2022 (including a T14 at Augusta), which places him in a tie for No. 3 with Henrik Stenson.

Henrik Stenson: No. 3 / 56.0 Rating (Tie)

Stenson held off Matt Wolff and DJ at Bedminster to win the only LIV event he’s played thus far. Unfortunately, Henrik had to withdraw from the field in Boston last weekend—but all indications are that he will be ready to go in Chicago.

Brandon Grace: No. 5 / 55.7 Rating (Tie)

Brandon recorded a T3 in the first LIV event in London, and followed that up by winning at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland. With his T13 at Bedminster and a 12^th last week in Boston, Grace has the 3^rd highest average finish (7.3) of any player who has competed at all four LIV tournaments (behind DJ at 3.5 and Taylor Gooch at 7.0).

**Louie Oosthuizen and Patrick Reed: LIV Top 10**
**https://www.si.com/**

Notables

Louis Oosthuizen: No. 9 / 49.2 Rating

Louie is among the Top 10 on the strength of a T10 in London, 5^th place finish in Portland, and a T9 last week in Boston. With one of the great golf swings in history, it’s a pretty good bet that Oosthuizen will record his first LIV win before the final event of the season at Trump Doral in October.

Patrick Reed: No. 10 / 48 Rating

Reed has recorded 2 top-5 finishes in the 3 events he’s played thus far (T3 in Portland and 5^th at Bedminster). Patrick also made the cut at all four of the major championships in 2022.

**Brooks and Bryson: Need to Kick it in Gear**
**https://www.si.com/**

Treading Water

Brook Koepka: No. 25 / 35.3 Rating

While Koepka puts the most stock in major championships, it’s still a surprise that Brooks hasn’t made a bigger showing in his first three LIV events (a T16 in Portland, T11 at Bedminster and a T26 last week in Boston). 2022 has also been Koepka’s worst season in memory at the majors with missed cuts at The Masters and The Open Championship, along with a 55^th place finish at the U.S. Open and a T55 at the PGA.

Although Brooks hasn’t made any excuses, it looks like the knee injury he suffered back in 2021 is a likely a factor in his mediocre performance thus far in 2022.

Bryson DeChambeau: No. 26 / 34.7 Rating

Bryson recorded a T8 at The Open Championship and a T10 in his first LIV event in Portland, but followed that up with a T31 at Bedminster and a T17 last week in Boston. Given his tremendous length from the tee, those performances are significantly below what most would expect.

I’m guessing that “The Scientist” will be heading for the lab, however, and will soon come up with a potion to improve his average finish number (currently at 19.3).

Missing in Action

Phil Mickelson: No. 60 / 15 Rating

To say Phil’s first four LIV tournaments have been a struggle is an understatement. In twelve rounds, Mickelson has carded only two under 70 (a first round 69 in London and a second round 69 last Saturday in Boston). At the first event in London, he finished at T33 (+10). In Portland he came in at T40 (+10), and then followed that up with a 35^th place finish at Trump National Bedminster (+6).

Unfortunately, it didn’t get any better in Boston where he finished with a T40 (+2). When you throw in missed cuts at the two major championships he played this year, it’s hard to believe this is the same Phil who won the PGA only last year—perhaps he’s waiting for the big stage at Trump Doral in October.

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2022 Open Championship: Cam Smith unleashes the Wand

As The Open headed into the back nine on Sunday at St. Andrews, the engraver prepared to etch Rory McIlroy’s name on the Claret Jug. McIlroy stood at 17 under par, having opened up a 3 shot lead over young Victor Hoveland, and he was in complete control of his game. Rory had already recorded a runner-up at the Masters, T8 at the PGA and a T5 at the U.S. Open—and it seemed a certainty that his long awaited fifth major championship was at hand.

Anything can happen, however, on the back-nine of an Open Championship on Sunday, particularly at St. Andrews.

When a thunderous cheer suddenly erupted from the 11^th green, the name to be inscribed on the oldest Trophy in golf would have to wait a bit. Cameron Smith had just rolled in another putt, making consecutive birdies to get within 2 shots of McIlroy. Rory was on cruise control, bombing drives and hitting greens—but making no putts (his only birdie on the back nine came when he drove the green on 10, and 2-putted for a 3). Cam Smith, on the other hand, was making everything. At the 12^th hole he drove it to the very front of the green, leaving a difficult eagle putt from over 70 feet—and drained an 11-footer for birdie to pull within 1 shot of Rory. On the 13^th, Cam rolled in another birdie, this time from nearly 20-feet, to pull even with McIlroy at 18 under par. And on the Par 5 14^thhole Smith completed a stretch of 5 consecutive birdie’s by knocking in a 5-footer that brought him to 19 under par, and the outright lead.

The Magic

The championship hung in the balance as Smith reached number 17, the famous “Road Hole,” still clinging to a 1 shot lead. A poor approach left him just under the steep faced bunker guarding the front left of the green, and the pin was tucked just behind it. With brilliant touch and steel nerve Cam pulled the putter once again, and using the contour surrounding the bunker, was able to give himself an opportunity to save par from 10 feet—and then calmly knocked it in.

The 18^th hole of the Old Course at St. Andrews is reachable with a well-struck tee shot, and one of the most exciting finishing holes in golf. While all eyes were on Rory, however, a powerful young phenom, 25-year-old Cameron Young, had quietly moved back into contention, pulling within 2 shots of Smith’s lead—and they were playing together in the second to last pairing.

**Cam Smith: Unleashes the Wand**
**Golf Digest** (**https://www.golfdigest.com/**)

After Smith hit a solid tee shot just short of the green, Young unleashed a bomb that settled pin-high with a very makeable eagle opportunity from just 17 feet—a putt that would draw him even with Smith at 19 under and force a playoff. Cam was also fully aware that Rory, still only a shot back at 18 under, was likely to reach the green at 18 and have an opportunity for eagle, or a 2- putt birdie that would move him to 19 under as well.

Facing a 75-foot putt up the slope with a sharp right to left break and maximum Open pressure, Cam smoothly rolled his ball to within 3 feet, where he tapped in to finish at 20 under par, a shot ahead of Cameron Young (who indeed made his eagle putt to finish at 19 under). When Rory failed to eagle the last, Cam added his name to the illustrious group who have won The Open on the Old Course, while setting a new scoring record at St. Andrews.

Cam Smith

His Open Championship victory is the latest in a breakout year for Cam. He won the Players back in March, and followed that up with a T3 at the Masters, a T13 at the PGA and a T13 at the Memorial. Ranked 7^th on Tour in putting, I suppose it should not have been much of a surprise to see him roll it so beautifully at St. Andrews, but when you consider the venue and the pressure of closing at a major, it was a truly spectacular performance.

At 28 years of age, Smith has always carried himself with the confidence and swagger of a PGA Tour veteran. And with 5 Tour wins, including a major championship and Player’s Championship under his belt, Cam is in position to secure a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame—and the putter to make it happen.

Cameron Young

At 25-years old, in only his first season on Tour, Cameron Young will be a force on the PGA Tour for many years to come. In addition to his gutsy runner-up finish at The Open, Young recorded a T3 at the PGA back in May, runner-up finishes at The Genesis and Wells Fargo Championships, and T3’s at both the RBC Heritage and Sanderson Farms Championships.

While Young’s primary weapon is the driver (currently ranked 6^th in distance from the tee at 318 yards), Cameron is lethal on the greens as well (8^th on Tour in putting). That’s a powerhouse combination, and will make him a man to keep an eye on as the season rolls toward the FedEx Cup playoffs.

LIV

The LIV contingent made their presence felt at The Open, erasing a mediocre performance at the U.S Open, and no doubt bringing a smile to Greg Norman’s face. 10 of the 23 LIV players who competed at The Open made the cut, with Dustin Johnson (-13) and Bryson DeChambeau (-12) recording Top 10’s. Abraham Ancer and Sadom Kaewkanjana both finished at -11, among the Top 20.

Their play on Sunday was particularly impressive, as both Ancer and Kaewkanjana fired closing rounds of 65, with Bryson carding a 66.

The third LIV event is scheduled for July 29-31 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ.

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