Robert TheodorsonThe Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, home of the 2015 Presidents Cup will host LIV’s inaugural event in South Korea this weekend.
Mexico City’s action-packed tournament featured compelling battles between three of LIV’s best captains, a team fight for first place that came all the way down to the wire, and further established Joaquin Niemann as one of the preeminent golfers in the world.
How will Korea stand up against a tournament that featured so much drama and held so much gravity?
We are proud to bring you our LIV Fantasy rankings for the next iteration of LIV Korea! Let’s examine our picks for the five groups.
Picks by Group
- Jon Rahm – Where accuracy is key, I’ll take Jon Rahm who is first in the league in birdies scored and second in GIR percentage. Not to jinx it, but Rahm is essentially guaranteed a Top 10 finish, and like last season, his first victory on the season is more a matter of when, not if.
- Phil Mickelson – On a course where power is not a requirement and strategic play is a must, I’ll take Phil over what is a very competitive field for Group 2. Mickelson’s 6th place finish in Miami, another course that features a decent amount of water, gives me hope that he will rise above worthy contenders such as Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, and Charl Schwartzel. As Korea will be the last tournament before The PGA Championship, look for Phil to be all the more locked in.
- Caleb Surratt – Last weekend’s hero at Mexico City has been having a fantastic sophomore season! Leading the league in putting average at 1.54, the league’s youngest player has shown incredible maturity as evidenced by his late clutch birdie to push Legion XIII over Ripper at the conclusion of Mexico City. I would also feel comfortable with Richard Bland or Cameron Tringale for Group 3 but feel that Surratt, like his teammate McKibbin, is capable of pulling off a win sooner than later.
- Danny Lee – Lee owns one of Group 4’s two top-10 finishes this season (T-9 in Miami) and sits second in individual standings with 10.26 points, behind Martin Kaymer’s 11.66; Kaymer also posted a T-10 in Hong Kong. For whatever reason, the Iron Heads’ best day is usually Friday, giving you a glimpse of their ceiling before the inevitable Saturday fade. Monitor Lee’s form closely and consider deploying your sub for Round 3 if needed.
- Louis Oosthuizen – With limited data to go on for the Jack Nicklaus course, we do know that Louis Oosthuizen starred here in the 2015 Presidents Cup. Korea will require more precision than power, and Oosthuizen is T11 in GIR with a 69.75% success rate. While the Stinger captain’s season has been mostly disappointing, we’re trusting he regains some of his old form this weekend and his experience with the course gives him a slight edge over others.
Picks for Teams
- Legion XIII – All four members of Legion XIII are currently in fantastic form after winning Mexico City. There are no weak links amongst Rahm’s powerhouse team. Not only do I believe they will win Korea outright, but they have to be the favourite to produce this weekend’s individual champion as well. Rahm and Hatton look amazing after Augusta. Surratt and McKibbin are in incredible form, and one likely has a chance for a surprise victory, but for right now we’ll settle for a Top 5 finish.
- Ripper – Cam Smith’s Ripper squad look like they’re in their 2024 form and have ‘finally’ come together to challenge for a team win every single tournament.
Remember to lock in your fantasy roster before Round 1 tees off at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 1 (Round 2 opens Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET).
The first round tees off at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 1 (11 a.m. KST Friday, May 2), and U.S. coverage rolls out across the FOX Sports family—primarily FS1, with supplemental feeds on FOX, FS2 and the FOX Sports app. Whilst UK viewers can catch all the action live on ITVX.
