The LIV Golf Invitational Chicago, the fifth competition of the inaugural season, starts this week. Captain Dustin Johnson and his 4 Aces GC are in full command.
Johnson made a long eagle putt on the first playoff hole to win his first solo title at the prior LIV Golf competition in Boston. His all-American squad, meanwhile, wins for the third game in a row while remaining unbeaten on American territory, but with a narrower margin than their previous two victories in Portland and Bedminster.
Predicting Johnson and the 4 Aces to win again would be simple given their current performance. Johnson is undoubtedly the favorite in the individual betting at Rich Harvest Farms, a 7,408-yard par-72 course with two par 5s over 600 yards and three par 4s under 400 yards. Johnson has been the most reliable LIV Golf player this season.
4 Aces GC will continue to lead the Power Rankings until they suffer a loss, although DJ will have a harder time winning two straight.
CHICAGO’S TOP FIVE PLAYERS
1. CAMERON SMITH – In his LIV Golf debut, fell one shot short of making the playoff in Boston. His two double bogeys at The International were a setback. On a track that may not be as harsh for bad shots, anticipate him to finish them.
2. DUSTIN JOHNSON – Right now, what is there to dislike about his game? He has a score of 33 under in his past nine rounds and seems to be having fun at LIV Golf Chicago while leading the 4 Aces in a carefree (and effective) manner. His scores demonstrate that he is in his element.
3. TALOR GOOCH – It was tempting to choose Johnson’s 4 Aces partner as the favorite this week given his current form and stellar performance at last week’s BMW PGA Championship (solo fourth, 15 under). He’s been a touch less consistent than DJ, however, and he’s also performing for the third week in a row after sandwiching the international event between LIV Chicago starts.
4. JOAQUIN NIEMANN – was a member of the three-man playoff during his LIV Golf debut, and he is presently riding a streak of three top-10 finishes in events throughout the globe. He had the most greens in regulation, second-most birdies, and fourth-shortest driving distance in Boston.
5. BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU – With 450 extra yards to deal with, he should prefer Rich Harvest Farms over The International. And he seemed to find something out with his putting stroke in Boston, finishing sixth in the field.
OTHERS TO THINK ABOUT: In Boston, LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN was in the top six in terms of fairways hit, GIR, and total putts. It’s difficult to overlook such well-rounded performance data… MATTHEW WOLFF struggled with his putter in the last round two weeks ago, but he should fare better this week… LEE WESTWOOD’S ball-striking has recently been superb (as evidenced by his LIV record-62). A top-ten finish seems to be a certain conclusion… In Boston, ANIRBAN LAHIRI came so close to victory in regulation. He’ll have to keep relying heavily on his putter.
CHICAGO’S TOP FOUR TEAMS
1. 4 ACES GC – With an all-American squad vying for a fourth title at Rich Harvest Farms, there can’t be any other team at the top. DJ is capable of three counting rounds, Gooch and Patrick Reed are both capable of at least one low round, and Pat Perez is coming off his greatest performance since joining LIV.
2. MAJESTICKS GC – Three times in the money in four tournaments, and it still seems like we haven’t seen their greatest work (though Westwood is obviously in top form). Henrik Stenson, the Bedminster champion, comes back after a late WD due to vertigo, but his absence did not prevent Majesticks from finishing third in Boston.
3. PUNCH GC – Each of the individual champions has been a member of a winning team. Given that I have skipper Cameron Smith winning this week, I’ll continue the pattern and place the all-Australian team third. It’s not without reservations, but I suppose Marc Leishman and Matt Jones prefer Rich Harvest Farms to the International.
OTHERS TO THINK ABOUT: It’s difficult to overlook CRUSHERS GC, particularly if DeChambeau has a big week. The International may have been the ideal venue for Lahiri, Casey, and Howell, so it will be intriguing to see whether they can replicate their efforts in Chicago. FIREBALLS GC will fight for the money again if Carlos Ortiz can rediscover the form he displayed in his first two rounds. Expect Phil Mickelson to have his most productive week as a LIV member this week. As a result, his HY FLYERS GC should make a splash.
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