The unique team format was used in all 13 tournaments in conjunction with the race for the individual title. And if you weren’t paying attention the entire gist of the competition could’ve sailed right over your head. Not overshadowed by players vying for an individual trophy and $4 million in prize money, the LIV Golf Miami Team Championship takes center stage this weekend to close out the second season. Captained by Dustin Johnson and the defending champs, 4 Aces is positioned atop the odds board as the favorite to repeat. Before we dig into the teams let’s recap how the event works. There is no individual component for the three-day event with only team members taking on the Trump National Doral course. This is the basic setup for the event that has 12 teams of four players battling for a $50 million purse. The team aspect was used during the season to determine final standings with the top four – 4 Aces, Crushers, Torque and RangeGoats – getting a bye into Day 2. That means Nos. 5-12 battle on Friday in the opening of the three-day competition. Higher seeded teams pick their opponent and the squads compete in head-to-head match play to determine a winner. Two singles matches and a foursomes match take place within each match. There are no ties so each match will play until someone wins. The four teams earning two points move on to the semifinal round. The same format is used on Saturday with the top teams selecting their opponent. The four teams earning two points will advance to Sunday’s final round. All 16 players will compete in twosomes on the final day with team captains playing together. All four scores count toward the team score with the lowest scoring team being crowned LIV Golf Miami team champion. There really are no losers, though, with the last place team earning $1 million. Let’s break down the teams below.
LIV Golf Miami Team Championship Odds
4 Aces +350
Crushers +400
RangeGoats +400
Torque +550
Stinger +900
Fire Balls +1100
Ripper +1600
Smash +1600
Cleeks +2500
Majesticks +2500
Hy Flyers +3300
Iron Heads +4000
1: 4 Aces +350
They’re favored but the field is more wide open than a year ago. DJ didn’t have the season he did in 2022 and the Aces won just twice after claiming four team wins last year. Patrick Reed and Peter Uihlein were steady with the Aces needing fourth member Pat Perez to chip in like he did on the final day last year.
2: Crushers +400
Captain Bryson DeChambeau won twice in the last four tournaments and his Crushers are out to avenge a semifinal loss last year. Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri have plenty of match play experience and a chip on their shoulder.
4: RangeGoats +400
The top of the lineup is strong with individual champion and three-time winner Talor Gooch the anchor. Harold Varner also had a win but success falls on Captain Bubba Watson since he’ll play another captain in Saturday’s semifinals. He should be rested, though, after some injury-related down time.
3: Torque +550
It was boom or bust for Captain Joaquin Niemann’s Torque, who won four times and also finished seventh or lower five times. That prevented a higher finish in the season-long team standings. David Puig elevated the squad with his play and four boomers off the tee could easily overpower Trump’s Florida course.
5: Stinger +900
Poor finishes in the last two events cost the South African contingent a first-round bye and could be cause for concern, especially after finishing fourth or better in nine of the first 11 events. The addition of Dean Burmester makes Captain Louis Oosthuizen’s team stronger and he’s needed to get the group through a trying last month.
6: Fire Balls +1100
Do the Fire Balls have enough firepower? Captain Sergio Garcia has plenty of match play experience and his team is hot entering the competition with a runner-up in Chicago followed by a win in Jeddah. The team also won in Tucson earlier with a runner-up in Singapore and holds plenty of value at its price.
7: Ripper +1600
Inconsistency plagued Ripper all season with a win at Bedminster and a runner-up in London highlights. The Aussies also finished in the bottom two five times, but captain Cameron Smith can carry the squad and improved form from Marc Leishman gives hope.
8: Smash +1600
In-fighting will likely be the downfall of Smash despite having one of the top players Brooks Koepka. Brooks’ beef with Matthew Wolff has been well publicized and if the players keep it on the course there’s a chance. Brooks is coming off a win in Jeddah and Jason Kokrak is solid, but enough with the drama.
10: Cleeks +2500
The Cleeks were buoyed by a spirited run last year led by Graeme McDowell and Richard Bland. Captain Martin Kaymer, a two-time major winner and former world No. 1, is back after injury forced him out last year. Still, I don’t think it’s enough since the results haven’t been there all year.
11: Majesticks +2500
The good thing about golf and any sport really is that things can change in an instant. The roster of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Sam Horsfield is formidable, though their best finish is only fifth. I wouldn’t be opposed to dropping a few bucks on the Majesticks to see what happens.
9: Hy Flyers +3300
You can’t underestimate any team, except for maybe Hy Flyers. Their showing this season mirrored that of Captain Phil Mickelson with a few decent results and a number of poor ones.
12: Iron Heads +4000
Somehow Danny Lee rose to the top of the leaderboard in Tucson giving Iron Heads its best finish of the season. And like Lee, Kevin Na’s squad stunk the rest of the year which is why they’re positioned where they are.
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