In it’s fifth event, LIV Golf takes on Rich Harvest Farms, a championship course just outside of Chicago. This is the first event where no major names have been added the week of. As the field begins to solidify, the competition only gets tougher.
Dustin Johnson has been the best player on the tour so far, but Cam Smith has his eyes set on that status. Will a big star take LIV Chicago or will an unexpected name emerge and get their hands on a trophy come Sunday?
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 15th, 9:00 A.M. (EST)
Dustin Johnson has yet to finish outside the top 10 at a LIV Golf event. Coming off a win in Boston and riding some ‘4 Aces’ momentum, fully anticipate DJ at the top of the leaderboard. He is clearly an elite driver of the ball and has just about every aspect of his game dialed in as of late.
DJ seems like a logical pick to go back-to-back at 5.50 on bet365, and a DJ top 5 at 1.86 feels wildly safe for a top 5 finish bet in the game of golf.
In Boston, Cameron Smith (6.00) and Joaquin Niemann (8.50) both displayed why they were paid copious amounts to join LIV. This week, the two players look to improve upon their finishes and bag the first place, US$4 million prize.
Niemann had a win at the Genesis Invitational this year, but only two PGA Tour top ten finishes after that. In Boston, the Chilean showed that he can get his ball around with accuracy, length off the tee, and a stellar approach game. Watch for Niemann to get hot with the putter and contend come Sunday.
Niemann finished T2 in Boston after losing in a playoff. Niemann to finish top three this week at 3.50 is a pick to consider especially given his ability to dominate a tournament tee to green.
With the condensed LIV Golf roster, to find high value odds, one must go outside of the top four or five favorites. A player in this category who has shown flashes of brilliance and some overall solid play lately is Lee Westwood. bet365 has the 44-time winner from England at 29.00 to win this week.
Westy had a chance in Boston however, he made a bogey on his last hole to miss the playoff. Teeing it up in the BMW PGA last weekend, Westwood had a solid T13 performance. If Lee can ride this form, he will be in contention come Sunday.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 15th, 9:00 A.M. (EST)
Also, this is the first week you can bet on the team market at bet365. The 4 Aces are priced at 2.62 to make it four wins in a row. However, Punch GC with Cam Smith and fellow Aussie March Leishman will look to take their first title at 4.50.
This Week’s Longshots:
- Niblicks to Win at 67.00
- Talor Gooch Wire to Wire Winner at 29.00
- Harold Varner III Lead After 2nd Round and Win at 71.00
Niblicks GC is a team made up of Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford, James Piot and Turk Pettit. Admittedly, Piot and Pettit have not even been close to coming in contention. However, for the first two days of the tournament only the top two scores count, and three on the last. So, if Varner and Swafford can get hot and play great this weekend, Piot or Pettit just need to shoot one good score between the two of them on Sunday to have a chance. Understandably, this is a long-shot, hence the odds.
Talor Gooch has been playing some great golf since joining LIV, and he got some full field competitive play last weekend with a fourth-place finish at the BMW PGA. Gooch gained 2.26 shots in his approach game last week. Gooch could come out hot on Friday and ride the birdie train all the way to a win.
Harold Varner III didn’t have his best stuff at LIV Boston, but that was his first event. He is now settled in and ready to play some better golf. Varner should improve this week and get himself in contention on Sunday. Look for Varner to clean up his putting and driving accuracy in Chicago to give him a chance at claiming victory.
Now that the field has been set, some story lines are starting to form. Will DJ and the 4 Aces continue to dominate or will Cam Smith and Punch GC get a win at Rich Harvest Farms this weekend?
