LIV Golf was well represented at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon. The Scottish winds and rain spelt doom for the majority of the field, but a few standouts were able to make their presence known. Let’s take a look at how each golfer fared.
Missed The Cut
Name: Cam Smith (Ripper GC)
Final Score: +12
Quick Recap: This one is the biggest surprise of the weekend. Smith won The Open two years ago at St. Andrew’s and was considered a favourite among LIV golfers to win.
Smith is usually at his best in the UK, notably winning in London and Bedminster last season.
Cam will get a redemption shot at JCB Golf & Country Club next week where he will seek his first individual win of the season.
Name: Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC)
Final Score: +9
Quick Recap: If Cam was the most surprising finish, then Bryson was the most disappointing.
Barely a month ago DeChambeau was crowned as the 2024 U.S. Open winner and was a betting favourite to win a second consecutive major.
DeChambeau’s powerful yet often erratic drives did not suit Royal Troon’s layout which requires elite accuracy off the tee.
DeChambeau will have a chance to shine once more before season’s end as he returns to Greenbrier in August where he shot a 58 last year.
Name: David Puig (Fireballs GC)
Final Score: +13
Quick Recap: Puig tied Cam Smith for the dubious honour of having the worst opening round of any of the LIV golfers, shooting 9-over par to start the tournament. Puig’s decent Friday wasn’t enough to overcome his huge deficit.
Name: Louis Oosthuizen (Stinger GC)
Final Score: +8
Quick Recap: Louis has been in superb form this year, but Royal Liverpool wasn’t kind to the South African, posting a 7-over on Thursday and 1-over Friday morning.
Oosthuizen’s teammate and fellow countryman Dean Burmester had one of the best pre-cut showings of anyone from the field.
Name: Tyrrell Hatton (Legion XIII)
Final Score: +8
Quick Recap: Hatton was my underdog pick to win the 152nd Open due to his stellar form and recent success.
A couple of double bogeys and failing to score after the 8th hole on Friday sealed his fate in what was a forgettable finish and tournament.
Name: Sam Horsfield (Majesticks GC)
Final Score: +8
Quick Recap: Horsfield’s four birdies were completely overshadowed by a number of torrid mistakes.
Name: Henrik Stenson (Majesticks GC)
Final Score: +8
Quick Recap: The last man to win The Open at Royal Liverpool, Stenson could not recapture his former magic and was one of the first to exit Friday morning.
Made The Cut, Had a Rough Weekend
Name: Brooks Koepka (Smash GC)
Final Score: +8
Quick Recap: Koepka started the weekend at 1-over paired up with fellow LIV Golfer Dustin Johnson.
What could have made for an interesting finish for the duo ended in disaster for Koepka, shooting 7-over on Saturday, taking himself out of contention for championship Sunday.
Name: Andy Ogletree (HyFlyers GC)
Final Score: +19
Quick Recap: Ogletree was perhaps the longest shot of any LIV golfers to make the cut, so accomplishing that feat was a win for Ogletree.
Ogletree proceeded to squander decent conditions Saturday morning before the afternoon showers and shot an 8-over, and followed up with a Sunday where he failed to birdie once.
Name: Abraham Ancer (Fireballs GC)
Final Score: +10
Quick Recap: After the majority of the field faltered down the stretch, Ancer who sat at 6-over was given a lifeline as the predicted cut increased from +5 to +6.
His 1-under par Saturday was a nice rebound, but not nearly enough to make any kind of difference.
Name: Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC)
Final Score: +11
Quick Recap: Phil had a respectable four rounds by Royal Troon’s standards but was never really in the mix.
Name: Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC)
Final Score: +10
Quick Recap: After shooting even par on the opening round, Niemann’s tournament almost came unravelled by taking eight shots on the Par 3 8th, or ‘The Postage Stamp’ as it is known.
The Postage Stamp is known to give players fits but picking up an extra five strokes over par is inexcusable for a professional.
Niemann, in a triumph of will, worked his way back to even par before the cut. It was without a doubt one of the most amazing comebacks of The Open before the weekend.
All this however was for naught as Niemann committed a similar atrocity on Saturday, taking nine shots on the Par 4 11th.
Niemann was in prime condition to contend not once, but twice, but unfortunately, the two costly holes were insurmountable by Sunday morning. Niemann’s tournament is described in one word: rollercoaster.
Name: Adrian Meronk (Cleeks GC)
Final Score: +9
Quick Recap: Meronk never suffered a horrible day like Koepka or Ogletree, but never had a good day either.
Based on the end results of the field and Meronk himself being a longshot to win, the Polish standout had a decent tournament despite the final score.
Made The Cut, Had a Nice Weekend
Name: Dustin Johnson (4 Aces GC)
Final Score: +6
Quick Recap: DJ came into Sunday 1-over par and a longshot to win before, but double bogeys on the 13th and 15th ended any chance for a Cinderella finish.
As a whole body of work, DJ had a great bounce-back tournament and briefly reminded viewers that he is still one of the best in the world.
Name: John Catlin (Crushers GC)
Final Score: +2
Quick Recap: Catlin’s even par Friday kept him in the mix for the weekend. The Crushers GCalternate had a huge Saturday, shooting 2-under, propelling him into T15 before championship Sunday.
Once again, Catlin showed himself to be capable of hanging with the best. At this point, it would surprise no one to see him secure an invite to secure a permanent spot on the LIV tour.
Could Have Had It
Name: Jon Rahm (Legion XIII)
Final Score: -1
Quick Recap: The only LIV Golfer to finish The Open under par, Rahm started Sunday in great fashion getting out from under a 2-over start.
Unfortunately, the comeback attempt was not enough to secure a Top 5 finish which the Legion XIII captain desperately needed.
While it may be unfair, the criticisms of Rahm will likely continue throughout the offseason as Rahm was unable to capture a return to form from his dominant 2023 season.
Name: Dean Burmester (Stinger GC)
Final Score: +3
Quick Recap: Burmester was the only LIV Golfer to open the weekend in the top five with a 2-under par and at one point was 3-under before a disastrous Saturday, carding 5-over.
Despite the favourable conditions on Sunday, Burmester was unable to recapture the form he displayed on Friday.
