I can’t believe I am about to say this but LIV Golf is hosting their first ever tournament tomorrow morning. This has essentially been a Netflix drama show from the start and after nearly a year of wondering whether anything would actually happen, we have arrived. The stage is set, the field is full, the teams have been drafted (yes, you read that right) and we have a new golf league on our hands.
As I have said in a few other blogs, I really do support this league and the competition it brings from a golf perspective. I worry about what the aftermath could be for some players and the Tour itself but overall as a big golf fan, I support it. The tour needed a kick in the ass and who would have thought Dustin Johnson would have been the one to give it to them. I think there are definitely negatives that will come from this but if the PGA plays this how they should, we will end up with more positives and the game can advance. I’ll talk more about what I think the future of the league and the players holds another day but for now will just focus on the betting guide. Let’s start breaking down the tournament:
Format
This is where things get interesting and I am still trying to figure it out. There is essentially two tournaments within one as it is both individual and team based. For starters, the tournament will be a 54 hole event with no cut lines and a shotgun start which should actually make the viewing experience pretty cool with tons of action off the bat. I think they also do a shotgun start on Saturday which seems pretty fucking dumb but guess it’s their thing. The individual winner will be like any other tournament where the lowest score wins. The team structure will be based on the 12 teams we saw selected on Tuesday.
Coverage
The tournament will begin tomorrow at 9am EST and finish on Saturday. It will be available to watch on LIV Golf’s website as well as YouTube. The commentating will be led by Premier League commentating legend, Arlo White, which should be solid since everyone knows all sports are better with British commentators. I honestly am not sure how long they expect the round to last but I’m thinking it’ll be over by 3pm EST latest?
Field
The field will consist of 48 players and 12 teams. Below are the draft results and all players:
Can’t forget the team logos:
The Course
The inaugural event will be played at The Centurion Club in London. The course is nearly 7,500 yards but hasn’t been somewhere we have seen as far as big tournaments. I suspect that in order to ensure that they portray high competition, the pins will be extremely gettable throughout the weekend.
Odds for the Week
So it seems like only certain sportsbooks are offering odds and they are also only doing it in certain states. The best way to bet this would be through an offshore book but these were provided by Draftkings.
Some things I’m looking at:
- DJ is the clear and obvious favorite but he has been playing very below average for over a year now
- Gooch probably has the most potential for any player on this tour and is decent value at +1000
- Bernd Weidberger was the first overall pick and definitely has some strong value at +2000
- We need to remember these guys are still playing for $4 MILLION and that is a lot of pressure. I’m not sure how the shotgun start will effect this pressure but they will still feel it
THE PICKS
Winner – Taylor Gooch +1000
I just find it difficult not to take Gooch here. He is an up and coming star and this is an opportunity for him to make so much money so fast. He came here with a vision and he is by far in the best form of the well known guys playing. I think if he gets ahead early he could run away with this and we would feel way too stupid not having this as our pick.
Longshot – Branden Grace +5000
Grace has won tournaments and been in contention for multiple majors. He knows the pressure of playing for millions of dollars and he knows what it takes to close out a tournament. The competition won’t be too strong so he has a chance to get hot and steal this thing. Let’s see if he can cash his bag in the first tourney.
Team Win – Fireballs GC
I don’t have odds on this but I’m just gonna use this to declare my fandom to the Fireballs. Sergio is the captain, the team name is hilarious and the logo is incredible. It really does feel like a joke that a team named the Fireballs is a pro golf team playing for $50 Million but whatever, I’m here for it.
*Note* Found the odds: +2000. Let’s eat.
Mortal Lock – Kevin Na Top 5 +200
Na has been in pretty solid form over the last couple months and I think is the biggest competition to Gooch. He has made sure to bring a lot of attention to himself which I think he’s all about and hopefully he can use that to excel in the tournament. He definitely has a strong chance to win so I think getting him top 5 won’t be too difficult.
Three Putt Bogeys 