The LIV Golf League heads to Nashville this week for the league's first ever event at The Grove. This Tennessee gem was designed by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman and features plenty of danger out there for the players to have to navigate. It will play as a par 71 at nearly 7,300 yards.
Carlos Ortiz surged up to 11th in the individual standings with his win in Houston. Joaquin Niemann continues to pace the league over Jon Rahm and Dean Burmester. On the team side of things Cleeks GC got their first ever team victory in Houston and now sit 7th in the standings with Crushers GC continuing to lead the way out front.
Speaking of Crushers GC, their captain Bryson DeChambeau dazzled the crowd at Pinehurst all week and picked up his second U.S. Open title. He will certainly have a lot of positive vibes going to Nashville and send the crowds into a frenzy.
Play LIV Golf Fantasy Now! Ready to make your LIV Golf Fantasy Selections? Set your lineup by shotgun start on June 21st at 1:00 PM EST.
Here are the team Power Rankings for the ninth event of the LIV Golf League season.
1. Fireballs GC
There's a lot of positive vibes going on with Fireballs GC. They are coming off back-to-back T2 finishes in Singapore and Houston. They also put three of their players into the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. Sergio Garcia and Abraham Ancer are among the top 10 in the individual standings, and David Puig put in a strong T3 finish in Houston while also making the cut at the U.S. Open and locking up a spot in the Paris Olympics.
Predicted Order of Finish: Ancer, Garcia, Puig, Eugenio Chacarra
2. Smash GC
They are starting to rekindle that early season form that led them to a win in Vegas and a third in Jeddah. Smash GC was fourth in Singapore before a T2 in Houston last time out. They rank as the most accurate team off the tee this season, which will certainly be a benefit on a course with plenty of trouble. This team seems to be ready for a late season run led by Brooks Koepka and Talor Gooch, who both rank top-8 in the individual standings.
Predicted Order of Finish: Gooch, Graeme McDowell, Koepka, Jason Kokrak
3. Torque GC
Arguably the most consistent team all season, Torque GC has a worst finish in eight events of T6. While they are still looking for their first victory, they sit third in the season-long team standings and that anticipated win very well might come this week. Torque GC leads the LIV Golf League in birdies and is a close second in GIR percentage. Captain and individual points leader Niemann will certainly be fired up after just missing making the U.S. Open field.
Predicted Order of Finish: Niemann, Sebastian Munoz, Ortiz, Mito Pereira
4. Cleeks GC
This team is firing on all cylinders after posting a T2 in Singapore and following that up with their first-ever team victory in Houston. It all starts with Captain Martin Kaymer, who looks rejuvenated after solid showing at Pinehurst, the site of his dominant win at the 2014 U.S. Open. Adrian Meronk is the highest Cleeks GC member in the individual standings at No. 12 after a runner-up showing in Houston. The accurate ball striking of Cleeks GC will lead them to good things on this dangerous course as they rank fourth in both driving accuracy and GIR percentage.
Predicted Order of Finish: Meronk, Richard Bland, Kaymer, Kalle Samooja
5. Crushers GC
Captain DeChambeau comes in off the win in the U.S. Open and he is sure to bring that infectious energy to the rest of his squad at Nashville. Charles Howell III is expected to return following missing Houston with a tibia injury. Even if he can't go Asian Tour points leader John Catlin makes for an excellent replacement. The defending champions and current points leaders are primed for another excellent week as they rank third in driving accuracy, first in GIR percentage and first in scrambling this season.
Predicted Order of Finish: Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri, DeChambeau, Howell
6. Ripper GC
The Australian team makes the biggest drop this week after a tough 10th place showing in Houston following back-to-back wins in Adelaide and Singapore. The Grove sets up as a challenging course for Ripper GC with water in play on a number of holes as they rank last in driving accuracy and second-to-last in GIR percentage. Captain Cameron Smith did put in a solid T32 showing at the U.S. Open and has now made the cut in the first three majors this season, however.
Predicted Order of Finish: Marc Leishman, Smith, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones
7. 4Aces GC
2024 certainly hasn't been the year 2022 team champions 4Aces GC has been hoping for sitting down in 10th in the overall team standings. They are starting to head in the right direction, however, after a T4 in Houston, their second best result of the season behind a runner-up in Vegas. Patrick Reed posted a T3 finish in Houston for his second top-10 in four starts, while Captain Dustin Johnson has finished 13th or better the last two events.
Predicted Order of Finish: Reed, Johnson, Pat Perez, Harold Varner III
8. Legion XIII
LIV Golf's newest team is in a state of uncertainty with Captain Rahm's status up in the air following withdraws at both LIV Golf Houston and the U.S. Open due to an infection in his left foot that has been causing him pain. It's such a freak injury and is extremely unfortunate given that Rahm had finished top-10 in the first seven LIV Golf events this year. Ben Campbell got the call to replace Rahm in the final round in Houston and likely would be the next man up again after shooting a five-under 67 in the final round. Englishman Tyrrell Hatton does come in off a strong showing at Pinehurst and should be an excellent fit for The Grove.
Predicted Order of Finish: Hatton, Caleb Surratt, Kieran Vincent, Rahm/Campbell
9. Stinger GC
After posting three podium finishes in a four-event stretch, Stinger GC is reeling a bit coming off 10th and 11th place team finishes the last two tournaments. They are dealing with their own injury concerns after Captain Louis Oosthuizen had to withdraw from Houston with a lower back injury. Oosthuizen has dealt with back issues for years so he surely knows had to manage it and hopefully he is good to go for Nashville. If fully healthy this team should have a good chance for a bounce back week as they are in the top half of the LIV Golf League in driving accuracy, GIR percentage and scrambling.
Predicted Order of Finish: Burmester, Charl Schwartzel, Oosthuizen, Branden Grace
10. RangeGoats GC
There is a lot of firepower on this team that make their ceiling pretty high with two podium finishes, but also their floor pretty low with three finishes outside the top-10 like last time out in Houston. RangeGoats GC does lead the LIV Golf League in driving distance and should be able to use that to their advantage at The Grove. Matthew Wolff has shown flashes of his top tier talent with a pair of top-five finishes this season and Thomas Pieters had a three-event top-15 streak snapped in Houston.
Predicted Order of Finish: Pieters, Wolff, Peter Uihlein, Bubba Watson
11. HyFlyers GC
There is optimism this team could start to emerge from the bottom tier of the league after a podium finish in Adelaide highlighted by Brendan Steele's first LIV Golf individual victory. Cameron Tringale has been the most consistent player through much of the season, finishing in the top half of the field in six-of-eight starts. The key for HyFlyers GC is Andy Ogletree, who dominated the Asian Tour last season, particularly the International Series events. If he can find the ball striking he did at Adelaide en route to a T3 finish it takes this team to a new level.
Predicted Order of Finish: Tringale, Steele, Ogletree, Phil Mickelson
12. Majesticks GC
It continues to be a struggle for Majesticks GC, whose highest player in the individual standings is Henrik Stenson at 34th. As a team they finished outside the top 10 in three of the last four events. Majesticks GC's problems have been on and around the green where the rank last in putting average and scrambling. The ball striking has actually been solid enough for some better results. Maybe a demanding test like The Grove falls into their favor and this team can see a few putts go in.
Predicted Order of Finish: Stenson, Sam Horsfield, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter
13. Iron Heads GC
This team remains in last place in the team standings with just 6.33 points accumulated through eight events. Captain Kevin Na has been the only real positive at 23rd in the individual standings behind two top-seven finishes this season. It is just tough to compete with some of the top teams when you rank bottom two for the season in GIR percentage, driving distance and birdies. Danny Lee has won a LIV Golf individual title and needs to start playing better.
Predicted Order of Finish: Na, Jinichiro Kozuma, Lee, Scott Vincent
