Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces Win 2022 LIV Golf Team Championship, Earn $16M Prize
Oct 30, 2022
DORAL, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 30: Team Captain Cameron Smith of Punch GC and team Captain Dustin Johnson of 4 Aces GC are seen on the sixth green during the team championship stroke-play round of the LIV Golf Invitational - Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 30, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
The inaugural season for the LIV Golf Invitational Series reached a dramatic denouement Sunday at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.
Captained by Dustin Johnson, 4 Aces held off Cameron Smith and Punch GC to win the team competition and collect the $16 million prize for first place.
Johnson and Pat Perez both stepped up down the stretch. Perez sank a long birdie putt on No. 9 to give 4 Aces GC a two-shot cushion, and Johnson followed up with a birdie on No. 15 to widen the gap on Punch GC to three shots.
Another pair of rapid-fire birdies from Perez and Johnson maintained that advantage.
Still, Smith wasn't ready to throw in the towel. The Australian had a chance to put his team into the lead but couldn't overcome a poor tee shot on No. 18. Swinging out of the rough to the right of the fairway, he deposited his approach into the gallery surrounding the green.
As that was happening, Patrick Reed birdied No. 2 to restore 4 Aces GC's one-shot edge. Smith nailed a par putt to put the pressure squarely on Johnson. The two-time major champion is no stranger to big moments, and he was money with the tournament hanging in the balance.
Johnson, Reed and Perez were all two under for the day, with Talor Gooch doing his part by ending at one under.
The beauty of LIV Golf's team format is that collective strength is required to win the title. One or two bad showings can torpedo a squad's hopes of finishing on top.
For Stinger GC, the quest for the title was effectively over before the halfway mark after Branden Grace bogeyed No. 2 and then double-bogeyed No. 4. Double bogeys from Charl Schwartzel and Hennie du Plessis on the front nine didn't help, either.
It was largely the same story for Punch GC. Marc Leishman was sitting at three over through two holes and added another bogey on No. 6. He finished at two over, which was enough to stymie the best efforts of teammates Smith, Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby.
Smith did his best to almost single-handedly lift Punch GC to the title. He birdied the 12th hole to bring his team into a tie for the overall lead with seven holes to play.
The 2022 Open Championship winner had the lowest individual score of the round, finishing at seven under.
Early on, it looked like Sunday's final would be a two-horse race between 4 Aces and Smash GC, with the two teams creating some distance on the competition. As 4 Aces maintained a position atop the leaderboard, though, Smash GC wilted on the back nine.
Chase Koepka double-bogeyed Nos. 3 and 7. Brooks Koepka, who started the round on the 10th tee, bogeyed the ninth hole and lost three more shots on his next five holes after making the turn.
LIV Golf isn't going anywhere with its first year now in the books. The series laid out its plans for a 12-team, 14-event 2023 season, and it almost certainly isn't through attempting to poach more stars from the PGA Tour.
LIV Golf Invitational Series 2022 Miami: Tee Times, Prize Money and Predictions
Oct 26, 2022
DORAL, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 25: Captain of the 4 Aces GC Dustin Johnson practices on the driving range during a practice round prior to the LIV Golf Invitational - Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 25, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf/via Getty Images)
The inaugural LIV Golf season is coming to a close, and an individual champion has already been crowned. Dustin Johnson finished atop the standings and earned the $18 million prize that came with the title. But the 38-year-old now has his sights set on more.
Throughout the LIV Golf season, golfers have also been competing in teams to earn points and money. And the final tournament of the year, which is set for Friday through Sunday at Trump National Doral in Miami, will be the team championship.
This will be a 54-hole event, just like the first seven tournaments of the season. It will also feature a shotgun start, beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET on each of the three days.
The purse for the event is $50 million, with the winning team splitting $16 million among its four golfers. Each of the 12 teams will receive some prize money.
Johnson's team, 4 Aces GC, is first in the team standings with 152 points, 56 ahead of the next closest team. Johnson, the captain, is joined by Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Pat Perez.
Here's everything else you need to know heading into the LIV Golf team championship set to take place in Miami.
Preview, Predictions
It's not a surprise that 4 Aces GC has built such a commanding lead in the LIV Golf team standings through the first seven tournaments of the season. The Dustin Johnson-captained squad won four straight events at one point in the year and hasn't finished worse than sixth in any of the other three.
But this weekend's event in Miami will be a bit different. That's because the format is changing with it being the team championship.
Unlike the first seven tournaments, golfers won't be competing in stroke play. Instead, there will be match play taking place over the three days, and here's how it's going to work.
The top four teams automatically advance to Saturday. In addition to 4 Aces GC, that will include Crushers GC (captained by Bryson DeChambeau), Fireballs GC (captained by Sergio Garcia) and Stinger GC (captained by Louis Oosthuizen).
The Nos. 5-12 seeds will face off in head-to-head matchups on Friday, with the four winners moving on. On Saturday, those four teams will face the top four seeds in the same match play format.
That will leave four teams remaining on Sunday, when the 16 golfers will play in pairs. Every competitor's score will go to his team, and the team with the lowest score among the four squads will be crowned the LIV Golf team champion.
So even though 4 Aces GC built such a big advantage in the standings this season, anything can happen this weekend. If their foursome has a bad day on Saturday, they could get eliminated and not make it to Sunday's action.
Don't expect that to happen, though, despite 4 Aces GC not finishing better than fourth over the past two LIV Golf events. The stakes will be higher in Miami, and Johnson and his teammates should get back on track.
But will it be enough for 4 Aces GC to win the inaugural LIV Golf team title?
The prediction here is that Johnson and his teammates will fall just short on Sunday, finishing second. Instead, it will be Crushers GC winning the title, even though they didn't win any of the previous seven tournaments.
Crushers GC is poised to break through in Miami after finishing second or third in four of the seven events so far, including in three of the past four. The quartet of DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri have been playing good golf of late, and they'll translate that momentum into success in the match play format this weekend.
Prediction: DeChambeau leads Crushers GC to team championship
LIV Golf Invitational Series 2022 Jeddah: Tee Times, Prize Money and Predictions
Oct 13, 2022
Dustin Johnson looks at the trees he hit his tee shot over on the 12 hole during the first round off the LIV Golf Invitational-Chicago tournament Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in Sugar Grove, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
There has yet to be a repeat winner during the inaugural LIV Golf season. A different golfer has been victorious in each of the series' first six invitationals, which included Eugenio Chacarra winning last weekend in Bangkok.
Will that streak continue this weekend in Jeddah? LIV Golf is set to host its first event in Saudi Arabia from Friday-Sunday, as a field of talented golfers will compete in another 54-hole invitational, the penultimate tournament on the 2022 schedule.
The other winners of LIV Golf events this year were Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith. Perhaps one of them (or Chacarra) could become the first two-time winner on Sunday.
LIV Golf features a shotgun start, meaning all golfers begin at the same time on different holes. They'll begin at 5 a.m. ET on each of the three days of the Jeddah event at Royal Greens Golf Club.
The winning golfer will receive $4 million of a $25 million purse, which has been the case for every LIV Golf tournament thus far. Members of the winning team will split $3 million.
Here's everything else you need to know about this week's LIV tournament taking place in Jeddah.
Preview, Predictions
Dustin Johnson has been racking up the money since joining LIV Golf earlier this year. And the 38-year-old could add another large sum to his total winnings this weekend in Jeddah.
Because of his performances in the first six events of the 2022 LIV Golf season, Johnson has already clinched the individual championship for the series. That earned him an $18 million bonus to go with the $12,758,600 he's earned in winnings at those events.
“Locking up the individual competition is big," Johnson said via a release, per Adam Woodard of Golfweek. "It’s an honor to be LIV’s first individual season champion.”
Johnson finished in the top eight at each of the first five LIV Golf tournaments, which included winning the event in Boston from Sept. 2-4. Last week, he had his worst showing of the season in Bangkok, although he still tied for 15th.
But Johnson is still playing great golf. He's finished at nine under par or better in each of the past five tournaments, and he's likely to be among the front-runners this weekend in Jeddah.
Another golfer who has the potential to become LIV Golf's first two-time winner is Cameron Smith. The 29-year-old got off to an impressive start when he joined the tour, tying for fourth in Boston and winning the event in Chicago on Sept. 16-18.
However, Smith had a down showing last week in Bangkok, finishing tied for 41st. He didn't shoot better than a 70 in any of the three rounds, and he ended up at four under par.
Smith should get back on track this week, and he'll likely be in contention for the win heading into Sunday.
If LIV Golf's streak of first-time winners continues in Jeddah, it could be because of Patrick Reed. He has three top-five finishes over his first five LIV Golf events, and the 32-year-old has shot a 69 or better in five straight rounds.
Last week, Reed had his best LIV Golf showing yet, as he finished second in Bangkok at 16 under par, three strokes back of winner Eugenio Chacarra.
While Smith and Reed should each fare well in Jeddah, the prediction here is that Johnson will take a victory lap to his championship-winning season and put together a complete performance in the three-round tournament.
Johnson's consistency has been impressive, and he's always capable of winning if he's within striking distance of the lead on Sunday. It will only be fitting that LIV Golf's first individual champion will also be the first golfer to win two tournaments on the tour.
Prediction: Dustin Johnson wins the LIV Golf event in Jeddah
LIV Golf makes its fifth stop on it's inaugural eight-tournament run on Friday at Rich Harvest Farms near Chicago in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The startup golf...
Cameron Smith Wins 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Chicago; 1st Since Leaving PGA Tour
Sep 18, 2022
SUGAR GROVE, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 18: Team Captain Cameron Smith of Punch GC prepares to putt on the seventh green during Day Three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms on September 18, 2022 in Sugar Grove, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Cameron Smith has his first win on the controversial LIV Golf circuit. It only took him two tries.
The star golfer shot a three-under 69 in Sunday's final round to finish 13 under for the tournament, besting Dustin Johnson and Peter Uihlein by three strokes apiece at the LIV Golf Invitational-Chicago.
Johnson's 4 Aces GC won the team event at 24 under, beating Smash GC by just one stroke.
Seeing Smith win so soon in his LIV journey is no surprise, seeing as he won the British Open and is ranked No. 3 in the official World Golf Rankings. He did look a bit shaky at times on Sunday, especially after bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5, though five birdies from there helped solidify his lead for good.
"I think I have to prove to myself, and some other people, that I'm still a great player," Smith said after his victory. "I'm still out here to win golf tournaments. Proud of how I hung in there today, didn't really have my best stuff I think, the first eight or nine holes. But stuck it tough and made a few good putts coming in, it was nice."
One of the critiques against players who defected to the LIV Golf breakaway league is that they were chasing a big payday rather than the trophies, prestige and competition of the PGA Tour, a narrative that Smith seemed to be referencing in his remarks.
A number of PGA Tour players have been outspoken against LIV Golf for a number of reasons, from the accusations of sportswashing aimed at the Saudi-backed league to the fact that the huge sums of money LIV Golf has promised its players has fractured the golf world between competing entities.
"I have always said I play for trophies, not for money," Shane Lowry told reporters last week. "That's why I didn't entertain it, to be honest. The reason I have never even contemplated it is I don't think it is good for the game."
But a number of high-profile players, including Smith, followed the money. And he earned a lot of it Sunday, with his victory worth at least $4 million.
Smith and Johnson are undoubtedly two of the better players in the world. That has the possibility to create an interesting rivalry between the pair, even if they won't have the chance to sharpen their skills against the broader field of talented players the PGA Tour offers.
LIV Golf 2022: Cameron Smith Takes Lead from Dustin Johnson Entering Round 3
Sep 17, 2022
SUGAR GROVE, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 17: Team Captain Cameron Smith of Punch GC plays his shot from the fifth tee during Day Two of the LIV Golf Invitational - Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms on September 17, 2022 in Sugar Grove, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Dustin Johnson's three-stroke lead is no more following a disappointing Round 2 on Saturday in the LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Rich Harvest Farms in the Chicago area.
Following an impressive first round that saw him finish nine under par, Johnson finished the second round one over to bring his two-day total to eight under. A few hiccups from Johnson allowed Cameron Smith to capture the lead entering Sunday's third round.
Smith finished Round 2 four under par for a two-day total of 10 under. He holds a two-stroke lead over Johnson and a three-stroke lead over Peter Uihlein.
After a blazing first round, Johnson had a disappointing performance Saturday. He slipped up on the third hole, carding a bogey, and on the fourth hole, carding a double-bogey.
The 38-year-old carded a birdie on hole No. 8 but otherwise shot for par.
Luckily for Johnson, he's just two strokes off the lead, which is very much still there for the taking.
Smith had one of the best performances of the day, carding three birdies on the front nine and two birdies and a bogey on the back nine to capture the lead.
Smith, who finished tied for fourth in his LIV Golf debut event last weekend in Boston, is searching for his first win since switching to the Saudi-backed league from the PGA Tour.
Uihlein had perhaps the best performance of Round 2. He entered Saturday tied for 21st at one under but finished the second round in third place at seven under after finishing Round 2 six under par.
Uihlein carded two birdies and a bogey on the front nine before a blazing back nine that saw him card five birdies.
The third round at Rich Harvest Farms will take place Sunday.
LIV Golf 2022: Dustin Johnson Leads Cam Smith by 3 Strokes After Round 1 in Chicago
Sep 16, 2022
SUGAR GROVE, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 16: Team Captain Dustin Johnson of 4 Aces GC plays his shot from the eighth tee during Day One of the LIV Golf Invitational - Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms on September 16, 2022 in Sugar Grove, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Dustin Johnson is leading the field after one day of action in the LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Rich Harvest Farms in the Chicago area.
Johnson, who finished Friday's Round 1 nine under par, holds a three-stroke lead over the second-place Cameron Smith, who finished tied for fourth in his LIV Golf debut event last weekend in Boston.
Johnson is aiming for his second straight LIV Golf event victory after winning last weekend in Boston with a playoff eagle.
Smith also had a solid afternoon and is primed to continue putting pressure on Johnson in Round 2 on Saturday. He carded three birdies on the front nine before carding another three on the back nine.
Although Bryson DeChambeau is tied for eighth place at three under, he remains within striking distance of the lead and could make a run on Saturday after carding five birdies and a double-bogey in the first round.
Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson enter Saturday tied for 11th at two under, and Joaquin Niemann and Ian Poulter are tied for 21st at one under par.
With three more rounds to go, this event is anyone's for the taking, and there will be significant pressure on Johnson to continue playing at a high level to hold onto his lead.
LIV Golf 2022: Dustin Johnson Vaults into Contention After Strong 2nd Round in Boston
Sep 3, 2022
BOLTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 03: Team Captain Dustin Johnson of 4 Aces GC acknowledges the gallery after a putt during Day Two of the LIV Golf Invitational - Boston at The Oaks golf course at The International on September 03, 2022 in Bolton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Dustin Johnson is making moves.
The veteran golfer moved into third place in second-round play at LIV Golf Boston on Saturday, shooting a seven-under 63.
That moved him just two strokes behind the leader, Talor Gooch, and one stroke behind Joaquin Niemann. Anirban Lahiri (-9) and the trio of Jason Kokrak, Bernd Wiesberger and Matthew Wolff (-8 each) rounded out the top five.
Cam Smith, who officially made the move to LIV Golf this past week, found himself in a tie for eighth at seven under. But while Johnson took a step back Saturday, shooting a 69 after Friday's 64, he surged up the leaderboard.
Johnson even surged to the lead late in the round, though Gooch overtook him.
The breakaway and Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf remains one of the most controversial endeavors in sports and a regular focal point of the golfing world. Detractors of the tournament have criticized it for being a sportswashing effort by the Saudi government to detract from its human-rights violations.
Within the golfing world, meanwhile, LIV participants have been banned from PGA Tour events and the FedEx Cup playoffs. While a number of players have sued the PGA Tour over those bans, United States District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman ruled earlier in August that the PGA Tour was within its rights to ban Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford from the FedEx Cup playoffs while that lawsuit remained in the courts.
Henrik Stenson Wins 2022 LIV Bedminster; Phil Mickelson Finishes 35th
Jul 31, 2022
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY - JULY 31: Henrik Stenson of Majesticks GC fist bumps a young fan on his way to the 11th tee during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 31, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Henrik Stenson cruised to victory in the LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster, shooting a two-under 69 in Sunday's final round to finish the three-day tournament at 11 under.
Playing in his first LIV Golf event, Stenson took home $4 million for the win and earned another $375,000 after his team's second-place finish.
Stenson entered the day holding a three-stroke lead for first place and didn't face any danger of being overtaken atop the leaderboard.
Matthew Wolff made a charge with a seven-under 64 in the final round, but he finished tied for second with Dustin Johnson with an overall score of nine under. Carlos Ortiz placed fourth at eight under, followed by Patrick Reed in fifth at seven under.
Phil Mickelson had his best round of the tournament with an even-par 71, but he finished at six over to place 35th.
Stenson set the tone from the very first hole Sunday by sinking a birdie to extend his lead. He avoided any early mistakes, recording birdies on the fifth and 14th holes. His clean round came to an end with a bogey on the 15th hole, but he made par on his final three holes to secure the win.
Stenson last tasted victory on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship in 2017, so Sunday's win was a long time coming for the 46-year-old. He didn't receive as much fanfare as the other golfers who jumped from the PGA Tour to join LIV, but he will surely garner more attention going forward after a dominant performance at Bedminster.
After entering Sunday outside of the top 10, Wolff enjoyed the best round of the day, which was highlighted by an eagle on the 10th hole. He also recorded five birdies with no bogeys to move into the top three.
Johnson had a strong day, but he opened the round with a bogey on the first hole. He recovered by notching four birdies, including one on the 18th hole to move into a tie for second.
Mickelson's round was defined by inconsistency. He also recorded a bogey on the first hole, but he appeared to bounce back with birdies on the fourth, eighth and 11th holes. However, he reverted back to his lackluster play with bogeys on holes 14 and 17.
In three LIV Golf events, Mickelson has not finished inside the top 30. He is the highest-earning golfer of 2022, but his play has not lived up to his pay so far.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series will return to action Sept. 2 from The Oaks Course at The International in Boston.
