Trump National Bedminster Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

LIV Golf Invitational Series update: First three events bring a party atmosphere to England and US

Matt Smith — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 05:17:23 +0000

By Matt Smith
On Thursday June 9, 2022, history was made as the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter teed it up for the inaugural Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series event — the first of eight tournaments this year offering a total purse of $250 million and dangling a $4 million carrot to each individual winner.

It all got under way at Centurion Club, just outside London, with a 2.15pm shotgun start in leafy St Albans.

LIV Golf Invitational Series at Centurion Club

This was a tournament more akin to an F1 afternoon in Abu Dhabi rather than a normal PGA or DP World Tour event.

The shotgun start, festival park and full-on access to the players gave fans an unprecedented experience. There were airshows, competitions, activations, golf sims and DJs. There were after-game concerts each night with some big names such as James Morrison, James Bay Jessie J and Craig David rocking the summer sunsets.

Charl Schwartzel was the toast of London as he went home with a collective $4.75 million in his pocket and it was a bit of a South African party in England as the Louis Oosthuizen Stingers team block-booked the podium.

Schwartzel took top spot, holding off the unheralded Hennie du Plessis by a stroke on seven-under. Fellow Stinger and South African Branden Grace took third spot.

Oosthuizen, who himself finished a tidy T10, joked on the podium: “This is why a captain is so important. None of them would be here if it wasn’t for me.”

LIV Golf was well and truly rolling and from London, the series made its first foray into the United States at the beginning of July with its second event staged at Pumpkin Ridge, Portland, in Oregon.

Branden Grace with the LIV Golf Portland trophy

Again it was a South African celebration in the festival-style atmosphere as Grace shot 65 in the final round for the biggest pay day of his 15-year professional career — and the individual title. His 13-under total for the 54-hole event was two strokes better than Carlos Ortiz, with Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson finishing another two strokes back.

Johnson’s 4 Aces GC claimed the team title at 23-under, seven strokes ahead of Stinger.

In winning, Grace claimed the $4 million individual prize, as well as a quarter-share of the $1.5 million second-place prize won by Stinger, making his total payout Saturday at $4.375 million. For the two LIV Golf events, he’s now won $6.4 million.

“I played with DJ at London as well on the Sunday and played really nicely, and just kind of found a groove,” said Grace after winning for the 15th time as a pro. “I’ve been feeling really comfortable. I’ve been hitting the shots that I see and things like that, and that’s really important and gives you the confidence.”

Although Johnson didn’t make the individual podium – he lost the third-place tiebreaker to Reed – he was happy to see his 4 Aces romp to the team title. The other two members are Talor Gooch and Pat Perez and, like all 48 players, they loved the atmosphere at this revolutionary event.

“The fans were electric from start to finish,” Johnson said. “I mean, there was a ton of energy out there. Branden played unbelievable and deserved everything with the way he played. But I thought the fans and the crowd were absolutely amazing.”

Henrik Stenson

The drama certainly did not let up as we arrived at Bedminster, New Jersey, where Henrik Stenson capped a brilliant weekend with victory on his debut — a matter of days after he was stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy.

The Swede claimed a two-stroke victory over Matthew Wolff, while DJ’s 4 Aces were strong enough for back-to-back wins in the team event.

“I’m super-proud of the focus I managed to have this week,” said Stenson after his famous win. “I’ve been working really hard to get my game back in shape, and it’s certainly going in the right direction as we know now.”

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LIV Golf Invitational Series Bedminster — full breakdown of each player’s prize money

Matt Smith — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 08:32:02 +0000

By Matt Smith
Henrik Stenson topped the leaderboard and the earnings list at Bedminster, New Jersey, for LIV Golf’s third event.

The Swede’s 11-under score over three days meant he took home the trophy and earned $4 million individually — with another $375,000 coming thanks to his quarter share of the team prize money.

His Majesticks team finished second behind Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces, eight strokes back. DJ, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Pat Perez finished on a collective 25-under and added $750,000 each to their earnings.

WATCH: LIV Golf highlights

Here is the final prize money from Bedminster

Individual event

1 Henrik Stenson, -11, $4,000,000
T2 Matthew Wolff, -9, $1,812,500
T2 Dustin Johnson, -9, $1,812,500
4 Carlos Ortiz, -8, $1,050,000
5 Patrick Reed, -7, $975,000
T6 Paul Casey, -4, $648,000
T6 Sergio Garcia, -4, $648,000
T6 Turk Pettit, -4, $648,000
T6 Lee Westwood, -4, $648,000
T6 Talor Gooch, -4, $648,000
T11 Brooks Koepka, -3, $495,000
T11 Martin Kaymer, -3, $495,000
T13 Branden Grace, -2, $293,333
T13 Ian Poulter, -2, $293,333
T13 Phachara Khongwatmai, -2, $293,333
16 Sam Horsfield, -1, $240,000
T17 Chase Koepka, E, $229,000
T17 Charl Schwartzel, E, $229,000
T19 Matt Jones, +1, $200,000
T19 Louis Oosthuizen, +1, $200,000
T19 Justin Harding, +1, $200,000
22 Travis Smyth, +2, $172,000
T23 Shaun Norris, +3, $168,000
T23 Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, +3, $168,000
T23 Peter Uihlein, +3, $168,000
T26 Laurie Canter, +4, $160,000
T26 James Piot, +4, $160,000
T26 Jinichiro Kozuma, +4, $160,000
T26 Jason Kokrak, +4, $160,000
T26 Charles Howell III, +4, $160,000
T31 Hudson Swafford, +5, $151,000
T31 Pat Perez, +5, $151,000
T31 Bernd Wiesberger, +5, $151,000
T31 Bryson DeChambeau, +5, $151,000
35 Phil Mickelson, +6, $146,000
T36 Sadom Kaewkanjana, +7, $141,000
T36 Graeme McDowell, +7, $141,000
T36 Ryosuke Kinoshita, +7, $141,000
T36 Kevin Na, +7, $141,000
T40 Abraham Ancer, +8, $135,000
T40 Richard Bland, +8, $135,000
T42 David Puig, +9, $131,000
T42 Scott Vincent, +9, $131,000
T44 Hennie Du Plessis, +10, $127,000
T44 Yuki Inamori, +10, $127,000
46 Wade Ormsby, +11, $124,000
47 Hideto Tanihara, +12, $122,000
48 Jediah Morgan, +16, $120,000

Team event

1. 4 Aces -25, $3,000,000
2. Majesticks -17, $1,500,000
3. Fireballs -12, $500,000
4. Hy Flyers -9
5. Stinger -8
6. Crushers -4
7. Niblicks -4
8. Smash -2
9. Cleeks E
10. Iron Heads +3
11. Punch +7
12. Torque +10

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LIV Golf Bedminster takeaways as Stenson surges, Wolff swing shift and Westwood’s revival

Matt Smith — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 07:01:52 +0000

By Matt Smith
While Henrik Stenson was surging to a LIV Golf debut title at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey, there were plenty of other talking points out on the course. Here is a little run-through:

Wolff in the swing

Matthew Wolff started the day seven strokes off the pace but was the only player who mounted a significant charge in the final round. His bogey-free seven-under 64 left him at nine-under, two strokes behind winner Stenson.
Thanks to the tiebreaker rule, Wolff was awarded second place on the podium ahead of Dustin Johnson.
Wolff, who made his LIV Golf debut in Portland and plays for Phil Mickelson’s Hy Flyers team, credited a recent swing tweak as the difference-maker. He said it involved leaving his hands at the top a little longer so that he doesn’t get too quick and hit it left.
“Kind of got a swing thought earlier this week that I was feeling really good with, so just kind of stuck with it,” Wolff said on Sunday. “Feel like I hit it good all week, even the first two days. Just putts didn’t drop, and I got a couple of bad breaks. Today, it came together.”
Thanks to Wolff’s play, Hy Flyers were able to make a push in the team standings. They fell just short of the podium, behind Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces, Stenson’s Majesticks and Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs.

WATCH: LIV Golf highlights

Westwood rolls back the years

Majesticks skipper Lee Westwood was excellent all weekend from tee-to-green at Bedminster, as he led the field in fairways hit (88 per ent) and greens in regulation (78 per cent).
So impressive was his play that one of his playing partners, Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer — who had been in the same group as Westwood for two of the three rounds — turned to the veteran Englishman on Sunday and said, “That was a joy to watch.”
Westwood responded. “That was nice of him to say. So yeah, I’m playing well. Look forward to the rest of the year.”
Westwood finished at four-under and a tie for sixth. While pleased with his ball-striking, he knows one part of his game prevented him from getting in the mix Sunday.
“I could not buy a putt,” Westwood said with a wry smile.

Carlos Ortiz. LIV Golf

Ortiz firing once again

Carlos Ortiz made his LIV Golf debut in Portland and finished second. At Bedminster, he finished solo fourth. And in both events, his Fireballs team finished third.
Suffice to say it’s been a productive couple of starts for the Mexico native, who provided the dramatic clinching putt for Fireballs on the final hole in Portland.
“I’ve never had this much fun in a golf tournament,” Ortiz said after his three-under 68 on Sunday. “It’s unbelievable.”
Too far behind Stenson to push for the individual trophy, Ortiz knew he needed to stay sharp since Fireballs were trying to hold off a late charge from Hy Flyers in the team event.
“I had no chance with the way Henrik was playing but I knew it was close for third place,” Ortiz said. “That really pushed me.”

What they said

Henrik Stenson: “I think there might have been a little bit of extra motivation in there this week. When we as players have that, I think we can bring out the good stuff. Yeah, I certainly did that this week. I guess that’s been a bit of a theme over the course of my career, I think, when I really want something I manage to dig a little bit deeper, and a lot of times we manage to make it happen.
Lee Westwood (on Stenson): “Not a bad way to start your LIV Golf career, is it? Think he’s been playing quite well recently but not getting the results. It was a good time for him to play well again.”

Round 3 stats

Driving distance -– Paul Casey, 338.8 yards average
Longest drive – Paul Casey, 360 yards
Driving accuracy – Louis Oosthuizen, 93 per cent (13 of 14 fairways)
Greens in regulation – Lee Westwood, 94 per cent (17 of 18 greens)
Scrambling – Matthew Wolff, 100 per cent (4 of 4)
Fewest putts – Sergio Garcia, 23
Putts in GIR – Matt Jones, 1.42
Eagles made – Matthew Wolff (10th hole), Brooks Koepka (10th), Justin Harding (15th hole)
Bogey-free round – Matthew Wolff (64)
Easiest hole – 590-yard par-5 8th, which played to a stroke average of 4.500.
Hardest hole – 185-yard par-3 7th, which played to a stroke average of 3.354.

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WATCH: All the drama from LIV Golf Invitational at Bedmister as Stenson claims debut win

Matt Smith — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 05:26:11 +0000

By Matt Smith
Catch up with all the drama in New Jersey as Henrik Stenson stormed to a LIV Golf debut title at Trump National Bedminster.

[parone_video_player campaign=”368″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”51-all-videos”/]

Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces won their second team event in as many tournaments.

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LIV Golf: Henrik Stenson shines with wire-to-wire Bedminster victory, $4.375 million richer

Matt Smith — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 05:15:06 +0000

By Matt Smith
If Henrik Stenson was wanting to make a statement after a roller-coaster couple of weeks, he could not have asked for a better script as he surged to his first title in five years at LIV Golf Bedminster in New Jersey — only a matter of days after he was stripped of the Team Europe Ryder Cup captaincy.

With emotions riding high, the Swede, who last won at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina, was beaming as he stood on top of the podium on Sunday in New Jersey, with his hands on some siverware once again.

WATCH: LIV Golf highlights

After the tumult of his Ryder Cup removal — just before he announced he would make his LIV Golf debut at Donald Trump’s course in Bedminster — the 46-year-old was all smiles on the last day of July in the New Jersey evening sunshine as he claimed his 22nd career victory.

At the third LIV Golf event of the season in a party atmosphere and music playing, Stenson shot a two-under 69 to take him to 11-under in the three-day competition, two shots clear of Matthew Wolff and Dustin Johnson. His reward was the trophy, the first-place cheque of $4 million, and a confirmation that he remains one of the world’s top players.

“I’m super-proud of the focus I managed to have this week,” said Stenson. “I’ve been working really hard to get my game back in shape, and it’s certainly going in the right direction as we know now.”

THE ICE MAN ?
OUR CHAMPION ?@henrikstenson #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/WtJJUyZUlM

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) July 31, 2022

In the team competition, Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces are also going in the right direction. The foursome, captained by DJ and including Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Pat Perez, won the team title for the second consecutive LIV event. In Portland, they won by seven strokes but rarely seemed threatened. In Bedminster, they won by eight strokes but the issue was in doubt midway in the round.

At one point, Stenson and his Majesticks team — captained by Lee Westwood — briefly held the team lead. At other times, the two teams were tied. But 4 Aces pulled away in the final few holes to take the $3 million first-place prize at 25-under. Majesticks GC finished at 17-under, earning Stenson an additional quarter share of $1.5 million, while the all-Spanish speaking Fireballs finished at 12-under and in third place for the second consecutive event.

“Through 10 or 11 holes, I think we were tied, so it was a lot different,” said Johnson, who was in the final group with Stenson and Reed. “Obviously, I was playing with Pat and we’re all watching the leaderboard and especially watching the team score.

“Today, we knew we needed to play some good golf to finish if we wanted to win this tournament as a team, and also we were both right in the mix trying to chase down Henrik.”

Chasing Stenson, however, proved to be too difficult. He started the day with a three-shot lead over Johnson, and by the first hole, the lead was five, thanks to a Stenson birdie and a Johnson bogey after an errant drive forced the 4 Aces captain to chip back onto the fairway.

Neither Johnson nor Reed could get the putter going, and Stenson never opened the door. His only bogey of the day came at the par-5 15th, and he still walked off with a two-stroke lead.

Credit his 3-wood, a club that he’s leaned on plenty of times during his career and certainly at Bedminster this week in order to avoid the rough and other trouble areas. After one particularly shot in round two, he even kissed the club in a show of appreciation.

“It’s been an important club most of my career I’d say, and yeah, I certainly hit some good ones this week,” Stenson said. “I think the golf course obviously set up nicely for me. It’s a lot of positional play off the tee, and we surely found a big number of fairways this week.

“First day in particular I played really, really solid. Yesterday was a little bit more of a grind, and then today we played pretty good for the most round. It was a little bit wobbly coming home, but we’ll take it in the end, and yeah, the 3-wood didn’t do me any harm.”

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WATCH: Day 2 highlights from LIV Golf Bedminster

Matt Smith — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 08:09:53 +0000

By Matt Smith
Catch up with the latest from Bedminster as Henrik Stenson leads the way at the LIV Golf Series event.

[parone_video_player campaign=”358″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”51-all-videos”/]

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LIV Golf: Henrik Stenson stretches lead at the top in Bedminster

Matt Smith — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 07:54:04 +0000

By Matt Smith
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson is certainly enjoying live at LIV Golf, following the furore that saw him stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy days before his LIV Golf debut at Bedminster.

Amid a sea of red shirts and ‘MAGA’ hats at the Donald Trump course in New Jersey, Stenson did his best to steal the limelight from the former US President and host for the week.

“That is the best I have played all year,” the 46-year-old said and he followed up his opening 64 with a Saturday 69 and take a three-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round, ahead of Dustin Johnson. The American is one ahead of 4 Aces teammates Patrick Reed and Talor Gooch, who are on five-under along with Fireballs Carlos Ortiz.

But it was the majestic Majesticks man who was the talk of the town.

“It’s certainly been a busy and emotional week, no question,” Stenson said. “I’m pleased with the way I’ve kept my head down and focused on business.”

On the team side of things, DJ and co lead the way on 20-under, with Stenson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sam Horsfield six back on 14-under for the Majesticks.

The Spanish Fireballs, led by Sergio Garciam are a distant third on seven-under.

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LIV Golf: Whirlwind start as Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson set the pace at Bedminster

Matt Smith — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 08:02:51 +0000

By Matt Smith
Welcome to LIV Golf, Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson. The major winners have brought headlines and fanfare ahead of the third LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Bedminster, New Jersey.

And they definitely were the talk of the town after day 1 after

matching 7-under 64s to share the first-round lead at LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster.

Meanwhile, with Reed and captain Dustin Johnson leading the way, reigning team champs 4 Aces GC, winners in Portland, grabbed a one-stroke lead over Stenson’s Majesticks GC in the team competition.

Reed and Stenson are two shots ahead of Phachara Khongwatmai (Iron Heads GC) at five-under. Johnson and Carlos Ortiz (Fireballs GC) are another stroke back on a day in which exactly half of the 48-man field at the par-71 Trump National Golf Club Bedminster broke par.

After making his lone bogey of the day, Reed reeled off six birdies during a seven-hole stretch, then finished his round with a birdie on his last hole. It was a continuation of his play in his LIV Golf debut at Portland, where he tied for third after a sizzling final round.

“Just kind of felt like I was putting the ball in the right place,” said Reed, who led the field in fewest putts with 25. “Around a golf course like this, even though the greens are relatively large, you’ve got to put the ball in the right spots.

“I felt like I left myself below the hole most of the day, so I was able to be aggressive with the putter. With how pure these greens are, once one goes in, it kind of felt like I was able to get on that run.”

It was a whirlwind welcome for Stenson, who was stripped of the Ryder Cup Team Europe captaincy ahead of his LIV Golf debut. He had missed the cut in four of his last six worldwide starts but found a huge following in the States, as he turned in a round that saw him hit 13 of 14 fairways, and 17 of 18 greens in regulation. He ran off a string of three consecutive birdies early in his round, and then finished it with two more.

Calling it “the best I’ve played all year,” Stenson said he was pleased with his focus.

“Unlike Patrick, I did end up on the high side a couple of times, and even though I had really short birdie putts, had to be very cautious,” Stenson said. “The greens are running really quickly. They’re pure and quick, and then you’ve got the slope on top of that.”

Stenson is one of four players making their LIV Golf debuts this week. Another one is Charles Howell III, who shot an opening three-under 68 to give his Crushers GC its best round.

While the vibe was different than the 600-plus other tournaments he’s played as a professional, Howell said he went into competitive mode once play began.

“It was fun, the music playing. I really liked that,” Howell said. “I play a lot of professional events. Never played with that. It was actually really fun.

“It was relaxed, but the golf course is challenging and tough. … Once we started, it was a golf tournament again on a hard golf course.”

Tied at the Top #LivGolf pic.twitter.com/oli49JTHKt

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) July 30, 2022

TEAM LEADERBOARD

In addition to the individual stroke-play competition, players are also competing as four-man teams during LIV Golf events. The best two scores in Round 1, the best two scores in Round 2, and the best three scores in Round 3 will combine to produce the team score.

The total team prize money for each event is $5 million, with the winning team dividing $3 million, second place dividing $1.5 million and third place dividing $500,000 among its four team members.

Here is the leaderboard and Friday’s counting scores in the first round at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster:
1. 4 Aces GC (-11)
Patrick Reed 64
Dustin Johnson 67
2. Majesticks GC (-10)
Henrik Stenson 64
Ian Poulter 68
3. Iron Heads GC (-6)
Phachara Khongwatmai 66
Scott Vincent 70
T-4. Smash GC (-5)
Brooks Koepka 68
Chase Koepka 69
T-4. Fireballs GC (-5)
Carlos Ortiz 67
Sergio Garcia 70

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LIV Golf teams revealed as Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces look to defend title in Bedminster

Matt Smith — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:26:55 +0000

By Matt Smith
The 12 teams set to compete at the third LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Bedminster, New Jersey are now set.

Dustin Johnson’s all-American 4 Aces took the glory at Portland last time out and the former world No. 1 will once again team up with Talor Gooch, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed to defend their title.

Among the 48 LIV Golf players are debutants Paul Casey, Jason Kokrak, Charles Howell III and former Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson.

LIV Golf’s third event of the season is taking place July 29-31 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey — the new series’ second event in the US following the inaugural tournament at Centurion just outside London, and the second competition at Pumpkin Ridge, Oregon.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series features teams of four where players compete as individuals and teams for both points and prize money. Captains and teams are finalised the week of each event, as each tournament in LIV Golf’s first season may showcase a different field.

At Centurion Club, the South African ensemble at Stinger — captain Louis Oosthuizen and fellow South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Hennie du Plessis and Branden Grace, took first place with a total score of 20-under, and Schwartzel claimed the individual glory. While Johnson’s 4 Aces triumphed in Portland, it was another Stinger, Grace, who came out on top in the individual event and took home the $4 million top prize.

MORE: LIV Golf Bedminster: Ready for Round 3
Stenson defends LIV Golf decision
Top agents still calling me: LIV Golf’s Greg Norman

LIV Golf layout for Bedminster

MEET THE TEAMS

4 ACES
The all-American team captained by Dustin Johnson won by seven strokes in Portland after a line-up revision. Newcomers Patrick Reed and Pat Perez were added to the team for Portland while Talor Gooch moved over from Torque. Reed and Johnson tied for third individually, with Reed claiming the podium spot via tiebreaker. Johnson (T6), Gooch (T34) and Reed (T47) all made the cut at the recent 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.

CLEEKS
Captain Martin Kaymer has three new teammates, including former Niblicks captain Graeme McDowell, for his all-European team. Kaymer (Germany) and McDowell (Northern Ireland) have each won a US Open and also have delivered the clinching putts for Europe in the Ryder Cup (McDowell in 2010, Kaymer in 2012). Englishman Laurie Canter joins the team after playing for Majesticks in the first two events. Spain’s David Puig, ranked ninth in the world amateur rankings, played for Fireballs in London.

Paul Casey. David Cannon

CRUSHERS
Paul Casey and Charles Howell III make their LIV Golf debuts in Bedminster by joining captain Bryson DeChambeau’s team. Casey and Howell add plenty of experience, combining for 1,100-plus worldwide starts in their professional careers. DeChambeau and Shaun Norris are the two carryovers from Portland, where DeChambeau made his LIV Golf debut and assumed captain’s duties, finishing solo 10th.

FIREBALLS
The all-Spanish speaking team captained by Sergio Garcia remains intact for Bedminster. Thanks to a birdie by Carlos Ortiz on the final hole, Fireballs broke a tie with Torque to claim the $500,000 team prize for third place in Portland. Ortiz and Abraham Ancer played for Mexico in the Tokyo Olympics, while Garcia played for Spain at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Former amateur star Eugenio Chacarra of Spain made his pro debut in Portland, finishing T-27. Ancer (T-11) and Garcia (T-68) made the cut at the Open Championship.

HY FLYERS
Justin Harding, one of the most consistent performers in the first two LIV Golf events, returns to captain Phil Mickelson’s team. Harding tied for 10th in London while playing for Hy Flyers, then tied for eighth in Portland with Crushers. Matthew Wolff and Bernd Wiesberger remain on the team. Wolff tied for eighth in his LIV Golf debut in Portland.

IRON HEADS
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent will join his third different team after playing for Smashers in London and Cleeks in Portland. Captain Kevin Na and Sadom Kaewkanjana have been the constants for Iron Heads in all three events, with Phachara Khongwatmai joining the team in Portland. Kaewkanjana comes in with momentum after finishing T-11 at the Open Championship — the best finish ever by a Thai player in that major.

Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia. LIV Golf

MAJESTICKS
Major winner and Olympic medallist Henrik Stenson makes his LIV Golf debut in Bedminster by joining captain Lee Westwood’s team. Stenson becomes the team’s first non-English golfer, replacing Laurie Canter, now with Cleeks. Stenson, Westwood and teammate Ian Poulter have combined to make nearly 1,900 worldwide starts in their careers. Majesticks took third place in London and eighth in Portland.

NIBLICKS
Hudson Swafford becomes captain of the new all-American team. Swafford, who played for Torque in London before joining Niblicks in Portland, takes over for Graeme McDowell (now with Cleeks). Peter Uihlein, formerly of Crushers, joins the team, while Turk Pettit returns to the team after playing for Cleeks in Portland. Uihlein joins teammate James Piot as past winners of the US Amateur.

PUNCH
Travis Smyth joins the all-Australian team captained by Wade Ormsby. Smyth will appear on his third different team, having played for Crushers in London and Niblicks in Portland. Smyth, from New South Wales, replaces fellow Aussie Blake Windred. Matt Jones (T16) was the team’s top performer in Portland.

SMASH
New LIV Golf member Jason Kokrak joins the team captained by Brooks Koepka. The big-hitting Kokrak has won three tournaments since October 2020 and will add a powerful presence off the tee. Smash finished sixth in Koepka’s debut in Portland, with all four players finishing inside the top 30. Chase Koepka played for Hy Flyers in London before joining his brother in Portland.

The Stinger team and their families in London. LIV Golf

STINGER
The all-South African team captained by Louis Oosthuizen has been the most successful in the first two LIV Golf events, winning by 14 strokes in London and finishing second in Portland. Stinger players also have won each of the first two individual trophies with Charl Schwartzel (London) and Branden Grace (Portland). Each of the four members has finished inside the top five in at least one of the first two events.

TORQUE
The all-Japanese team captained by Hideto Tanihara finished fourth in Portland, just one stroke off the podium. Jinichiro Kozuma was the team’s top performer, placing solo sixth in the individual standings and ranking as the second-best putter among all 48 players in the field. Yuki Inamori, making his LIV Golf debut in Portland, tied for 10th, while Tanihara and Ryosuke Kinoshita also finished inside the top 24.

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LIV Golf: Abraham Ancer impressed with rising Thailand star Sadom Kaewkanjana

Matt Smith — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:25:25 +0000

Sadom Kaewkanjana. LIV Golf

By Matt Smith
When Abraham Ancer signed for a seven-under 65 on the final day of the 150th Open Championship two weeks ago, you may think that he would be talking about his own exploits to the media. However, LIV Golf’s world No. 22 preferred to heap the praise his playing partner over the Old Course that Sunday.

The Mexican was paired with Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, who is one of the rising stars on the Asian Tour. Not to be outdone, Sadom also shot a 65 in the final round of the Open, bettered only by champion Cameron Smith’s 64.

Ahead of the third LIV Golf event at Bedminster this week, both Ancer and Sadom are in fine fettle, finishing tied 11th at 11-under in St Andrews. The 24-year-old’s feat was the highest-placed finish by a Thai golfer in the oldest major, edging out Thongchai Jaidee’s T13 in 2009. Sadom will now look to keep up his good form in New Jersey this weekend as part of Kevin Na’s Iron Heads team alongside compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai and Zimbabwe star Scott Vincent.

Abraham Ancer. Asian Tour

Following their exploits in St Andrews, Ancer told AsianTour.com: “It always helps when you are playing in the same group with someone who is playing good golf. It somehow makes you play better. Today, Sadom played exceptionally well.

“I was very impressed with what I saw. I have never played with him before, but from what I saw today… he’s definitely an extremely talented player. He’s very good at this game and I think we are going to see a lot of him in the future. His putting definitely stood out. He just rolled the ball beautifully. The putts that didn’t go in, they all had a really good chance to go in.

“It was also that he was not overawed by the occasion. I think it must have been the most important round of his career so far, in a Major on a Sunday, and he was very calm and composed.”

Ancer is also delighted that young stars such as Sadom get to display their talents to a worldwide audience on the LIV Golf stage. “I feel like when we bring in talent from all over the world and showcase it in big events, I think it’s great for golf,” he added.

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