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Fox Sports
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
LIV Golf players competing in the 2025 PGA Championship
A total of 15 full-time LIV Golf players along with one reserve player are set to compete in this week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Here's a quick look at each player. RICHARD BLAND, Cleeks GC PGA NOTES Won the 2024 Senior PGA Championship in his first senior start to earn exemption into 2025 PGA Making his 10th career start in a major Has 4 top-15 finishes in 7 LIV Golf starts in 2025 PGA HISTORY Starts: 1 Best Finish: MC (2022) Top 10s: 0 Cuts Made: 0 Rounds Played: 2 Low Round: 74 Scoring Average: 75.00 DEAN BURMESTER, Stinger GC PGA NOTES Finished T12 in last year's PGA to earn exemption into this year Making his 11th career start in a major Best major result is a T11 at 2022 Open PGA HISTORY Starts: 4 Best Finish: T12 (2024) Top 10s: 0 Cuts Made: 3 Rounds Played: 14 Low Round: 65 Scoring Average: 71.57 BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, Crushers GC Captain PGA NOTES Shot PGA Championship-career best 64 in final round last year at Valhalla to finish at 20 under and runner-up to Xander Schauffele Seeking to become first reigning U.S. Open champion to win PGA Championship since Brooks Koepka in 2019 PGA HISTORY Starts: 7 Best Finish: 2 (2024) Top 10s: 3 Cuts Made: 5 Rounds Played: 24 Low Round: 64 Scoring Average: 69.83 SERGIO GARCIA, Fireballs GC Captain PGA NOTES Making his 101st career start in a major Made his PGA debut in 1999, finishing solo 2nd Won LIV Golf Hong Kong this year for his second LIV Golf win and 38th career professional win PGA HISTORY Starts: 24 Best Finish: 2 (1999); T2 (2008) Top 10s: 4 Cuts Made: 12 Rounds Played: 68 Low Round: 66 Scoring Average: 71.76 TYRRELL HATTON, Legion XIII PGA NOTES Making his 35th consecutive start in a major Finished T3 in his most recent start at Quail Hollow in 2023 pro event Has two top-6 finishes in his first seven LIV Golf starts in 2025 PGA HISTORY Starts: 10 Best Finish: T10 (2016, 2018) Top 10s: 2 Cuts Made: 8 Rounds Played: 36 Low Round: 64 Scoring Average: 70.56 DUSTIN JOHNSON, 4Aces GC Captain PGA NOTES Making his 63rd major start and has not missed a major start since 2017 Masters Has won a LIV Golf tournament in each of the first three years and claimed the season-long Individual Championship in the inaugural 2022 season PGA HISTORY Starts: 15 Best Finish: 2 (2019); T2 (2020) Top 10s: 6 Cuts Made: 11 Rounds Played: 52 Low Round: 65 Scoring Average: 70.63 MARTIN KAYMER, Cleeks GC Captain PGA NOTES Defeated Bubba Watson in a three-hole playoff at Whistling Straits to win the 2010 PGA, the first of his two major victories 2010 victory was the first of his streak of three consecutive wins that year Making his 56th career start in a major PGA HISTORY Starts: 15 Best Finish: 1 (2010) Top 10s: 3 Cuts Made: 8 Rounds Played: 44 Low Round: 65 Scoring Average: 71.75 BROOKS KOEPKA, Smash GC Captain PGA NOTES One of just six players to win three PGA Championships; a fourth win would tie him with Tiger Woods Back-to-back PGA wins in 2018-19 is last time any male golfer has successfully defended a major Five career LIV Golf wins ties for most in league history PGA HISTORY Starts: 12 Best Finish: 1 (2018, 2019, 2023) Top 10s: 6 Cuts Made: 12 Rounds Played: 48 Low Round: 63 Scoring Average: 69.31 TOM McKIBBIN, Legion XIII PGA NOTES Making his first start in the PGA and his third career start in a major Made the cut in both of his previous major starts in 2024 (T41 in U.S. Open, T66 in The Open) PGA HISTORY Starts: 0 Best Finish: 0 Top 10s: 0 Cuts Made: 0 Rounds Played: 0 Low Round: 0 Scoring Average: 0 PHIL MICKELSON, HyFlyers GC Captain PGA NOTES Won the 2021 PGA Championship at age 50 to become oldest major winner Making his 126th start in a major Has played 17 pro tournaments at Quail Hollow with a total of 64 rounds played PGA HISTORY Starts: 31 Best Finish: 1 (2005, 2021) Top 10s: 10 Cuts Made: 28 Rounds Played: 116 Low Round: 65 Scoring Average: 71.09 JOAQUIN NIEMANN, Torque GC Captain PGA NOTES Playing in his 24th major; has missed just one major since the 2020 PGA Leads the season-long LIV Golf Individual Championship race after winning three times during the first half of the 2025 season Is set to play in all four majors this season after claiming the LIV Golf exemption into the U.S. Open PGA HISTORY Starts: 7 Best Finish: T23 (2022) Top 10s: 0 Cuts Made: 5 Rounds Played: 22 Low Round: 67 Scoring Average: 71.32 DAVID PUIG, Fireballs GC PGA NOTES Making his second start in the PGA and his fifth career start in a major Best major result is a T39 at the 2023 U.S. Open Has finished top 20 in each of the first seven LIV Golf tournaments in 2025, including three top 6 finishes PGA HISTORY Starts: 1 Best Finish: MC (2024) Top 10s: 0 Cuts Made: 0 Rounds Played: 2 Low Round: 72 Scoring Average: 72.50 JON RAHM, Legion XIII Captain PGA NOTES Making his 34th career major start, with two wins and 13 top 10s entering Quail Hollow Won the 2024 LIV Golf Individual Championship in his league debut season Has finished inside the top 10 in all 19 LIV Golf regular season tournaments that he's completed PGA HISTORY Starts: 8 Best Finish: T4 (2018) Top 10s: 2 Cuts Made: 7 Rounds Played: 28 Low Round: 66 Scoring Average: 70.71 PATRICK REED, 4Aces GC PGA NOTES Making his 43rd career major start and comes off a solo third at the Masters Tie for 2nd at the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow is his best result in the event PGA HISTORY Starts: 11 Best Finish: T2 (2017) Top 10s: 1 Cuts Made: 9 Rounds Played: 40 Low Round: 65 Scoring Average: 70.38 CAMERON SMITH, Ripper GC Captain PGA NOTES Making his 31st consecutive start in a major Has three top 10s in majors since winning The Open Championship in 2022, with nine top 10s overall Only Australian player to win a major since 2016 PGA HISTORY Starts: 9 Best Finish: T9 (2023) Top 10s: 1 Cuts Made: 8 Rounds Played: 34 Low Round: 65 Scoring Average: 71.32 JOHN CATLIN, reserve PGA NOTES Exempt through his status on the International Federation ranking Has competed as a LIV Golf reserve player during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with three appearances this season Making his fifth major start and second PGA start PGA HISTORY Starts: 1 Best Finish: MC Top 10s: 0 Cuts Made: 0 Rounds Played: 2 Low Round: 75 Scoring Average: 77.00 This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily . recommended Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Fox Sports
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
LIV Golf Korea: Bryson DeChambeau in solo lead, Smash GC on top after Round 2
INCHEON, South Korea – Bryson DeChambeau is the solo leader after 36 holes for a record-setting third consecutive LIV Golf tournament. The drama on Sunday now focuses on whether he will convert his latest opportunity into a victory. The Crushers GC captain shot his second consecutive bogey-free round at LIV Golf Korea presented by Coupang Play, carding a second-round 6-under 66 for a 13-under total and a four-shot lead over Cleeks GC's Richard Bland. [MORE: What is LIV Golf? Format, everything to know about the 2025 season ] It's the fifth 36-hole lead that DeChambeau has held since joining LIV Golf and is also his largest advantage. But DeChambeau has yet to capitalize on any of those leads, including the two previous LIV Golf tournaments. Last month in Miami, he led by two shots entering the final round but was overtaken by Ripper GC's Marc Leishman . Last week in Mexico City, he led by one before Joaquin Niemann rallied on Sunday. DeChambeau's two LIV Golf wins in 2023 came when having to play catch-up to start the final round. Asked what he must do Sunday at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea to close out a tournament that's clearly within his grasp, DeChambeau replied: "Just be a kid out there. Have a lot of fun. Go back to my roots. Just get it done." Smash GC would also like to get it done on Sunday for their first team win of the season. Although 18-hole co-leader Talor Gooch fell back after a 71 on Saturday, his teammates picked him up. Jason Kokrak joined Gooch in a tie for third after shooting a 67, while Graeme McDowell shot 69 and captain Brooks Koepka shot 70. [MORE: LIV Golf Korea preview: Can Brooks Koepka get his first win of the season?] The team's 11-under total moved them to 21 under for the first two rounds, six shots clear of the three teams tied for second — Torque GC, RangeGoats GC and DeChambeau's Crushers. "Along with myself, I don't think BK, Graeme or Gooch have gotten off to a very good start [to the 2025 season] at all team-wise, individual-wise, kind of collectively," Kokrak said. "So, looking to turn that around tomorrow." DeChambeau has been flawless the first two days in Korea, particularly off the tee with an impressive combination of power and accuracy. He leads the field with a 342.2-yard driving distance average and is tied for fourth in driving accuracy, hitting 25 of 28 fairways. Among his playing partners Sunday is the 52-year-old Bland, creating a unique final group that includes the reigning U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open champions. Bland can't match DeChambeau's length and knows that a four-shot deficit will be difficult to overcome. "This kind of course is tailor-made for him," Bland said of DeChambeau. "I've probably got to shoot something in double digits to get anywhere near him." Stinger GC's Dean Burmester is among those tied for third, four shots behind DeChambeau. Burmester has an ace and three other hole-outs this week but was disappointed that a late bogey cost him a chance to be in the final group. Asked what it would take to catch DeChambeau, Burmester replied: "Drive it past him, see if I can get into his head." Then he added: "Just kidding." It's now down to serious business in Korea, particularly for DeChambeau. Besides his recent LIV Golf near-misses, he also led last month's Masters with 16 holes to play before falling back. That recent string gives him plenty of motivation to hoist a trophy – or two with his team – on Sunday. "Given that we're a global team, it would be awesome to win here in Korea," DeChambeau said. "The fans are great. I think the Korean fans like the Crushers. I know they like the Iron Heads a little bit more. "Hopefully we're a close second, and hopefully we can give them some fun for tomorrow." TEAM SCORES LIV Golf's new scoring format this season now involves all four scores now counting in every round in the team competition. Here are the results and scores for each team after Saturday's Round 2 of LIV Golf Korea. 1. SMASH GC -21 (Kokrak 67, McDowell 69, Koepka 70, Gooch 71; Rd. 2 score: -11) T2. TORQUE GC -15 (Ortiz 66, Muñoz 67, Niemann 71, Pereira 71; Rd. 2 score: -13) T2. RANGEGOATS GC -15 (Watson 69, Wolff 69, Uihlein 71, M. Kim 72; Rd. 2 score: -7) T2. CRUSHERS GC -15 (DeChambeau 66, Howell III 66, Casey 71, Lahiri 79; Rd. 2 score: -6) 5. STINGER GC -13 (Burmester 68, Schwartzel 68, Oosthuizen 71, Catlin 75; Rd. 2 score: -6) 6. LEGION XIII -10 (Rahm 66, Surratt 68, Hatton 70, McKibbin 74; Rd. 2 score: -10) 7. MAJESTICKS GC -6 (Horsfield 70, Westwood 70, Poulter 73, Stenson 73; Rd. 2 score: -2) T8. 4ACES GC -5 (Pieters 67, Johnson 69, Reed 70, Varner III 74; Rd. 2 score: -8) T8. RIPPER GC -5 (Smith 66, Herbert 67, Jones 74, Leishman 75; Rd. 2 score: -6) 10. CLEEKS GC -2 (Bland 69, Meronk 72, Kjettrup 74, Kaymer 77; Rd. 2 score: +4) T11. HYFLYERS GC -1 (Steele 68, Tringale 69, Mickelson 70, Ogletree 72; Rd. 2 score: -9) T11. IRON HEADS GC -1 (Kozuma 70, Na 70, Jang 71, Lee 77; Rd. 2 score: E) 13. FIREBALLS GC +1 (Puig 68, Masaveu 70, Garcia 72, Ancer 74; Rd. 2 score: -4) Wild Cards: C. Lee 71. A. Kim 74 This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily . FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience LIV Golf recommended Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Perth Now
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
LIV leader DeChambeau faces another final-round test
Bryson DeChambeau will win his first LIV Golf event of the year if he can avoid another final-day capitulation, having taken a four-stroke lead after two rounds in South Korea. Crushers GC's Bryson DeChambeau and Taylor Gooch of Smash GC shared the lead after shooting seven-under 65s on Friday. But as Gooch battled to a second round of one-under 71 on Saturday, DeChambeau maintained his hot start while producing six birdies to card a six-under 66. "Just giving myself plenty of chances, and if I continue to do the same, it will be a great Sunday," he said. "So got to focus on having fun and playing like a kid." The two-time major winner is sitting pretty at 13 under, with Cleeks GC's Richard Bland (nine under) his closest rival at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon. DeChambeau seemingly enjoyed the course more than the previous LIV tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec, where cameras captured him complaining about the "worst f***ing bunkers ever". The American led at the start of the third and final day in Mexico, only to collapse with an even-par 71 to finish three strokes behind winner Joaquin Niemann. That stumble was his first outing since this year's memorable Masters meltdown. DeChambeau took the lead early in the final round at Augusta before unravelling to finish three-over 75, four strokes behind Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose. Australian Lucas Herbert is tied ninth in South Korea at six under, having squandered a chance to rise further up the leaderboard on Saturday with bogeys on the 12th and 16th holes in a five-under round of 67. Herbert's Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith finished Friday one-over 73 but enjoyed a much better second day out, carding six-under 66.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Laurie Canter's journey from LIV Golf to The Players Championship
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Laurie Canter is a soft-spoken 36-year-old father of two from Bath, England, who is quick to shrug off even the slightest suggestion of pretense. On a bright morning at The Players Championship — the PGA Tour's crown jewel which is played in the shadow of the circuit's new global home — Canter was asked if he felt like a 'trailblazer?' Advertisement 'No, no, I don't feel like a trailblazer, no,' he insisted. 'I feel lucky that I wasn't a member of the PGA Tour. If I had been, I couldn't be here. So, it's the fact I didn't have my PGA Tour card and it's the position I was in. So, I'm not — no, definitely not.' Canter's journey from LIV Golf to the Tour's flagship event is worth exploring, but first the administrative minutiae. In 2022, he joined the start-up LIV Golf league as a member of the Cleeks GC. At the time, the move was a career imperative, not a political statement. 'The financial opportunity to go and, I mean, from where I lived [in England], the first event was like 25 miles north, so I didn't really think much more than just playing an event with some players for a lot of money,' he said. 'To be honest, that was it.' Canter played the '23 LIV season as a reserve and last year he began with the same status but played only the first two events. That's relevant because had he added a few more starts on the Saudi-backed league he wouldn't have been able to play this week's Players Championship. Advertisement As a non-member, Canter was subject to a one-year suspension from Tour events for playing what the Tour deems an 'unauthorized tournament,' which means he was eligible to play on Tour after the Genesis Invitational in February. For former Tour members who joined LIV, the Tour has not clarified any possible suspensions or fines for violating the circuit's media-release policy. Canter earned his spot at TPC Sawgrass via his position inside the top 50 in the world ranking, jumping from 53rd to 42nd following his runner-up finish in the South African Open earlier this month. He is the first former LIV player to participate in a full-field Tour event that isn't either a major or a co-sanctioned tournament, like the Scottish Open. The pathway back for LIV players on the DP World Tour has been clearer with players needing only to pay fines, which has resulted in a healthy amount of crossover between the two circuits. 'I feel like on the DP World Tour, where I'm a member, it's enhanced some events. I think a couple of those guys come and play,' Canter said. 'If that was something that the PGA Tour looked at — if they, for example, looked at Dubai or potentially Spanish Open, that kind of thing, and see the effect it has, that might be something [the PGA Tour] would think about. Advertisement 'But I can't speak for the PGA Tour because, yeah, I'm not even a [Tour] member. I feel, like I said, grateful to have the opportunity I have.' Canter wants to be a Tour member and missed that opportunity last year, finishing 24th on the year-ending Race to Dubai rankings with the top 10 earning PGA Tour cards. He's now first on that list following his runner-up showing in South Africa and a victory at the Bahrain Championship in January. 'I think anyone who plays golf would [want to be a PGA Tour member],' he said. 'You look at this week, the event last week I watched, to play those signature events, where they're going. If you could engineer [a schedule], play well enough to get your world ranking, then you've got those signature events and majors, what a year that is as a golfer to play those venues with those players for that amount of money, it's incredible to me.' Canter admitted his first year on LIV, when the professional game was fractured and divided, he felt like a 'naughty school boy,' which makes his journey to his first Players Championship that much more rewarding, if not overshadowed by the elephant in the room. Advertisement 'I have had like the odd bit of needle ... someone was talking about how good the players' lounge, this week is incredible, and they were just saying, 'You wouldn't get any of this on LIV,'' Canter laughed. 'It's been a bit more tongue in cheek.' His reluctance to embrace the role of trailblazer aside, Canter acknowledged his unique position at TPC Sawgrass, particularly after being approached by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan early Wednesday with a gift for participating in his first Players Championship. 'Probably like not exactly like this, but, yeah, I mean, it's how it's evolved,' he said when asked if he could have envisioned meeting Monahan during those contentious early days on LIV. 'He just gave me a sort of Tiffany box here, so that's very nice. So, yeah, it's great to have the chance to do that and play on this Tour.'
NBC Sports
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
Laurie Canter's journey from LIV to The Players
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Laurie Canter is a soft-spoken 36-year-old father of two from Bath, England, who is quick to shrug off even the slightest suggestion of pretense. On a bright morning at The Players Championship – the PGA Tour's crown jewel which is played in the shadow of the circuit's new global home – Canter was asked if he felt like a 'trailblazer?' 'No, no, I don't feel like a trail blazer, no,' he insisted. 'I feel lucky that I wasn't a member of the PGA Tour. If I had been, I couldn't be here. So, it's the fact I didn't have my PGA Tour card and it's the position I was in. So, I'm not – no, definitely not.' Canter's journey from LIV Golf to the Tour's flagship event is worth exploring, but first the administrative minutiae. In 2022 he joined the start-up LIV Golf league as a member of the Cleeks GC. At the time the move was a career imperative, not a political statement. 'The financial opportunity to go and, I mean, from where I lived [in England], the first event was like 25 miles north, so I didn't really think much more than just playing an event with some players for a lot of money,' he said. 'To be honest that was it.' Canter played the '23 LIV season as a reserve and last year he began with the same status but played only the first two events. That's relevant because had he added a few more starts on the Saudi-backed league he wouldn't have been able to play this week's Players Championship. As a non-member, Canter was subject to a one-year suspension from any Tour events for playing what the Tour deems an 'unauthorized tournament,' which means he was eligible to play on Tour after the Genesis Invitational in February. For former Tour members who joined LIV the Tour has not clarified any possible suspensions or fines for violating the circuit's media-release policy. Canter earned his spot at TPC Sawgrass via his position inside the top 50 in the world ranking, jumping from 53rd to 42nd following his runner-up finish in the South African Open earlier this month. He is the first former LIV player to participate in a Tour event that isn't either a major or a co-sanctioned tournament, like the Scottish Open. The pathway back for LIV players on the DP World Tour has been clearer with players needing only to pay fines that has resulted in a healthy amount of crossover between the two circuits. 'I feel like on the DP World Tour where I'm a member it's enhanced some events. I think a couple of those guys come and play,' Canter said. 'If that was something that the PGA Tour looked at, if they, for example, looked at Dubai or potentially Spanish Open, that kind of thing, and see the effect it has, that might be something [the PGA Tour] would think about. 'But I can't speak for the PGA Tour because yeah, I'm not even a [Tour] member. I feel, like I said, grateful to have the opportunity I have.' Canter wants to be a Tour member and narrowly missed that opportunity last year, finishing 24th on the year-ending Race to Dubai rankings with the top 10 earning PGA Tour cards. He's now first on that list following his runner-up showing in South Africa and a victory at the Bahrain Championship in January. 'I think anyone who plays golf would [want to be a PGA Tour member],' he said. 'You look at this week, the event last week I watched, to play those signature events, where they're going. If you could engineer, play well enough to get your world ranking, then you've got those signature events and majors, what a year that is as a golfer to play those venues with those players for that amount of money, it's incredible to me.' Canter admitted his first year on LIV when the professional game was fractured and divided he felt like a 'naughty school boy,' which makes his journey to his first Players Championship that much more rewarding, if not overshadowed by the elephant in the room. 'I have had like the odd bit of needle about someone was talking about how good the players' lounge, this week is incredible, and they were just saying, 'You wouldn't get any of this on LIV,'' Canter laughed. 'It's been a bit more tongue in cheek.' His reluctance to embrace the role of trailblazer aside, Canter acknowledged his unique position at TPC Sawgrass, particularly after being approached by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan early Wednesday with a gift for participating in his first Players Championship. 'Probably like not exactly like this, but, yeah, I mean, it's how it's evolved,' he said when asked if he could have envisioned meeting Monahan during those contentious early days on LIV. 'He just gave me a sort of Tiffany box here, so that's very nice. So, yeah, it's great to have the chance to do that and play on this Tour.'
