TEAM ROSTERS SET FOR 2023 LIV GOLF LEAGUE SEASON

  

 

12 Teams Debut This Week in Mexico for the Groundbreaking League Launch Featuring 48 of the World’s Best Players Competing in 14-Tournament Global Schedule

 

 

LIV Golf today confirmed the full 12-team, 48-player field set to compete all season in the groundbreaking LIV Golf League, the first truly global golf league featuring 14 tournaments in seven different countries around the world. League play begins February 24-26 at Mayakoba’s El Camaleón Golf Course in Mexico as many of the sport’s biggest names begin pursuit of the LIV Golf League Individual Championship and Team Championship.   “In less than a year, LIV Golf has reinvigorated the professional game and laid the foundation for the sport’s future. In 2023, the LIV Golf League comes to life,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner. “The most popular sports in the world are team sports, and our league format has already begun to build connections with new audiences around the globe. Major champions, current and future Hall of Famers, and up-and-coming stars are all committed to creating this new platform for world-class competition as the sport evolves for the next generation.”     More than a quarter (13) of the league’s star-studded, international field are major champions, with 24 major victories amongst them. The field of 48 represents 16 different nations, includes 18 Olympians, and has made 125 combined appearances in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, with more than half of the league having competed in the biennial team events. In total, LIV Golf League players have amassed 526 worldwide wins across multiple tours, and four players have held the title of World No. 1.

 

 

Players who finished in the top 24 of last year’s LIV Golf Invitational Series Individual Standings (minimum four events played) secured spots in the 2023 LIV Golf League. Additionally, winners of the 2022 Asian Tour Order of Merit and the 2022 Asian Tour International Series Order of Merit qualified for a team roster position in 2023. League exemptions and captains’ selections make up the remainder of team rosters for the league’s first full season. Below are descriptions of the 12 LIV Golf League teams for 2023:   4Aces GC – Dustin Johnson (captain), Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Peter Uihlein Dustin Johnson, the two-time major winner and Individual Champion of the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series, captains 4Aces GC, which also features 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed. Winning last year’s Team Championship and four regular-season events, 4Aces dominated the team competition in LIV Golf’s inaugural Invitational Series. Peter Uihlein joins the all-American roster, which now has three of the top four players from last season’s Individual Champion race in Johnson (1), Uihlein (3), and Reed (4). Johnson produced one of last year’s biggest moments by winning the individual title at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston with a dramatic eagle putt on the first playoff hole.   Cleeks GC – Martin Kaymer (captain), Graeme McDowell, Richard Bland, Bernd Wiesberger Two-time major champion Martin Kaymer captains Cleeks GC, which features 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell among its four veteran European players, each from a different country.  The experienced group boasts three former Ryder Cup participants (Kaymer, McDowell, and new addition Bernd Wiesberger) while Richard Bland, who turned 50 in early February, is playing some of the best golf of his career.   Crushers GC – Bryson DeChambeau (captain), Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri Crushers GC is led by 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, widely considered the most powerful hitter in professional golf. The Crushers finished second in last year’s regular season team standings and include former world No. 3 Paul Casey, India’s top-ranked pro Anirban Lahiri and veteran Charles Howell III, who have nearly 60 years of professional experience among them.   Fireballs GC – Sergio Garcia (captain), Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Chacarra The Spanish-speaking Fireballs GC is led by 2017 Masters champion and Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia. The Fireballs captured the team title at the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok last year, while rookie and former world No. 2 amateur Eugenio Chacarra claimed his first individual trophy in just his fifth pro start. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who already has one victory this year at the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers, and former Tokyo Olympics teammate Carlos Ortiz expect to be fan favorites at the league’s debut event, LIV Golf Mayakoba.   HyFlyers GC – Phil Mickelson (captain), Cameron Tringale, James Piot, Brendan Steele HyFlyers GC is headlined by World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, one of the most decorated golfers of all time. The six-time major winner has amassed 57 career wins, including the 2021 PGA Championship, and continues his pursuit of individual and team championships at age 52 alongside veteran Cameron Tringale, 2021 U.S. Amateur champion James Piot and LIV Golf newcomer and 10-time professional champion Brendan Steele.   Iron Heads GC – Kevin Na (captain), Sihwan Kim, Scott Vincent, Danny Lee Iron Heads GC is captained by veteran Kevin Na, who led the Iron Heads throughout 2022. The squad is bolstered by Scott Vincent, who secured his spot for 2023 as the top performer in the International Series – 10 premier global tournaments on the Asian Tour that deliver pathways into the LIV Golf League. Sihwan Kim, who competed for the Iron Heads in the final seven LIV Golf events last year, also earned his spot for 2023 as winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and as one of the top 24 (24th place) in the final LIV Golf individual standings. The team is rounded out by veteran New Zealander Danny Lee, a three-time winner who is making his LIV Golf debut.   Majesticks GC – Ian Poulter (co-captain), Henrik Stenson (co-captain), Lee Westwood (co-captain), Sam Horsfield Majesticks GC is led by a trio of European captains who have had exceptional careers: former world No. 1 Lee Westwood, Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter and 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson. Their experience in global team competitions includes 23 Ryder Cup appearances among the three of them, and as the most veteran LIV Golf team, they have combined for nearly 1,900 worldwide starts. In Stenson’s first LIV Golf competition, the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster, he joined the Majesticks and made an immediate impact by winning the event’s individual title.     RangeGoats GC – Bubba Watson (captain), Harold Varner III, Talor Gooch, Thomas Pieters Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson captains RangeGoats GC, which debuts an updated team name and roster from last year’s Invitational Series. Watson returns to action after rehabbing from injury and welcomes in Talor Gooch, who played for 4Aces GC and finished just outside the top 10 in last year’s Individual Champion standings. The squad is rounded out by the captivating Harold Varner III and Belgium’s top-ranked pro Thomas Pieters, who makes his first LIV Golf appearance.   Ripper GC – Cameron Smith (captain), Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Jed Morgan Reigning Open champion and 2022 PGA of America Player of the Year Cameron Smith headlines Ripper GC, a new name for the all-Australian team. Smith’s squad finished strong in last year’s Invitational Series, coming just one shot short of winning the Team Championship. Featuring veterans Marc Leishman and Matt Jones along with youngster Jed Morgan, Ripper GC will be a crowd favorite – especially in April when Adelaide hosts the first-ever LIV Golf event in Australia.   Smash GC – Brooks Koepka (captain), Matthew Wolff, Jason Kokrak, Chase Koepka Smash GC is captained by four-time major champion and former world No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who won the individual title in the 2022 regular-season finale in Jeddah while leading Smash to the team title. Koepka, transfer Matthew Wolff and Jason Kokrak each finished in the top five in driving distance during LIV Golf’s invitational season. The captain’s brother, Chase Koepka, provides steady shot-making for the all-American team.   Stinger GC – Louis Oosthuizen (captain), Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen captains the all-South African team, which includes 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel. Stinger comes off a very successful 2022 Invitational Series, having earned LIV Golf’s first-ever team victory at the inaugural event in London. In addition, Schwartzel (London) and Branden Grace (Portland) won the first two individual titles, with the latter finishing second in the season-long Individual Champion race. The 2023 squad now includes Dean Burmester, a nine-time winner on professional tours.   Torque GC – Joaquin Niemann (captain), Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz, David Puig Twenty-four-year-old sensation Joaquin Niemann captains the all-Latin Torque GC, which adds three new players in fellow Chilean Mito Pereira, Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz and Spanish youngster David Puig. Niemann finished seventh in the Individual Champion standings last year despite making just four regular season starts. Munoz and Pereira, members of the 2022 Presidents Cup International Team, make their LIV Golf debuts and should provide a spark as the league’s youngest squad.   The CW, one of America’s five major broadcast networks, will air all 14 global events starting at 1:00 pm/ET, with Friday rounds airing exclusively on The CW App. Saturday and Sunday competition will be broadcast on both The CW Network and The CW App. All eight U.S.-domestic tournaments and six international events will be delivered to 100% of U.S. markets and more than 120 million households across the country. All tournament rounds will air live on The CW App, which has been downloaded over 90 million times and is available on all major platforms. Details on LIV Golf’s event broadcasts in regions outside the U.S. will be unveiled soon.    Information for tickets, hospitality packages and Pro-Am opportunities are available at LIVGolf.com. Fans are encouraged to secure tickets now and register for updates on LIV Golf’s fan-friendly, three-day tournaments that feature shotgun starts, individual and team competitions, live music and fan activities for all ages. LIV Golf is owned and operated by LIV Golf Investments whose vision and mission are centered around making holistic and sustainable investments to enhance the global golf ecosystem and unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential.