Robert TheodorsonMaridoe Golf Club, the site of the 2024 LIV Team Championship will play host to the first LIV tournament after an incredible U.S. Open at Oakmont which saw three LIV golfers: Tyrrell Hatton, Carlos Ortiz, and Jon Rahm finish in the Top 10.
It was at Maridoe that Cam Smith’s Ripper squad won their first team championship last summer, beating out favourites Legion XIII and the reigning champions, Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers.
It was a weekend that included shocking upsets, chief among them was Kevin Na’s cellar-dweller Iron Heads squad taking out Brooks Koepka’s Smash in the first round. Na’s Iron Heads would eventually finish 3rd overall in the team championship, taking home $7 million in cash.
Now Dallas hosts one of two tournaments (the other being Andalucia) before the fourth and final major championship of the season, The Open at Royal Portrush July 17 – 20.
Looking to build their game and challenge for a win after close calls at Oakmont, Friday’s attention will focus on Brooks Koepka, Carlos Ortiz, Jon Rahm, and Tyrrell Hatton.
Also making the cut at Oakmont, LIV Miami winner Marc Leishman will look to bring Ripper another big win in Dallas. Patrick Reed, who finished T23, still seeks his first win on LIV. What better place to resume that quest than in his native Texas?
How will Bryson DeChambeau respond in his collegiate hometown after missing the cut in a U.S. Open, a tournament he was favoured to win by a wide margin?
Who will use the next two tournaments as an opportunity to sharpen their skills for one last chance to take home major championship glory in July?
We are proud to bring you our LIV Fantasy rankings for the next iteration of LIV Dallas!
Picks by Group
- Jon Rahm– Unsure of Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann after missing the cut at Oakmont? Jon Rahm and his record/streak of never finishing outside of the Top 10 has you covered. Not only is Rahm the most consistent man on LIV, he’s also putting together a fine finishing streak at the major championships with finishes of T14 (Masters), T8 (PGA Championship), and T7 (U.S. Open).
- Tyrrell Hatton / Sebastian Munoz – The choice for Group 2 is interchangeable between Hatton and Munoz, both of whom have finished T20 or better in the past three events. Hatton (T5, T13, T15) is likely your prime pick after a close call at Oakmont before flubbing the 17th. Munoz (T7, T20, T15) has had a better season but peaked early with a T2 finish in Jeddah. This really is a coin flip, but personally I’m going with Hatton because *spoiler* I’m picking Legion XIII to win Dallas. Anytime you can pick Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton for one fantasy team, you’re probably going to come out on top.
- Ben Campbell – The RangeGoats’ newest addition has been a welcome surprise this season when healthy. Despite missing two tournaments (with one WD), Campbell is 29th in the individual standings and had a great tournament at LIV Virginia finishing T19 to include a Sunday score of 9-under par.
- Sam Horsfield– I am ready to be hurt again by picking a Majesticks or Iron Heads fantasy option. With limited individual data from the 2024 Team Championship, Horsfield actually did quite well in Dallas last season, having the lowest score in stroke play. Horsfield started the year off with a bang, but has since trailed off. It will be noted that his recent results have been good enough to compete for a spot in The Lock Zone. There’s no one else in Group 4 that I trust to score some much-needed points from a grouping that usually hurts you.
- Adrian Meronk – For the substitute position, let’s take a flyer on LIV Jeddah winner Adrian Meronk who bottomed out at Mexico City but has since been finishing better with every tournament.
Picks for Teams
- Legion XIII – Strong performances at Oakmont from Rahm and Hatton put Legion XIII over all others, while some rest for youngsters McKibbin and Surratt will likely do them well. Legion XIII’s form, as a whole, has been lacklustre recently with 5th and 6th place finishes the last two tournaments, but I predict this trend to go into full reverse. Still in first place by a margin of just over ten points, Dallas will be the definitive tournament to see if Legion XIII will go into the team championship with the first seed, which I believe they will.
- Crushers – Can they win three in a row? It’s already been done once this season, but it remains a rare feat as it has only happened twice in LIV history.
Remember to set your fantasy roster before Friday when LIV returns to action in Dallas! The action begins at 12:15 PM ET on June 27th.
LIV Dallas can be viewed throughout the weekend on the Fox Sports App, FOX, and FS2.
