What a distinction a yr makes (or slightly over a yr).  It could appear the winds of change are upon us, as LIV Golf returns to the venue of its inaugural staging with a completely totally different momentum behind it.

I bear in mind the mockery that accompanied final yr’s occasion (I used to be a part of it).  The shotgun begins and gaudy presentation led many to suppose that the complete enterprise was lifeless within the water.  The truth that the unflashy Charl Schwarztel received the occasion solely added to that general feeling.

However folks in all probability underestimated the affect that any such monetary funding would have (simply have a look at what is going on in soccer proper now).  Brooks Koepka turned the primary lively LIV Golf member to win a Main at Oak Hill (including an actual patina of legitimacy to proceedings).  The US PGA Tour then organized a clandestine merger with LIV and the DP World Tour that left the complete {golfing} world scratching their heads.  Senate testimony awaits however one factor is for sure- LIV Golf isn’t disappearing silently into the ether.

This would be the first time that LIV Golf has returned to a earlier venue.  A comparatively new course, the Centurion Membership continues to be a little bit of a thriller.  It’s fairly a singular venue in that it has 5 par 3’s and 4 par 5’s.  Three of the par 5’s really come on the again 9 (which at all times creates room for drama).

Most stats counsel that driving will likely be of utmost significance this week.  Three of final yr’s high six finishers ended the week inside the highest 5 for Complete Driving.  The fairways are fairly slender and gamers will want a mixture of energy and accuracy.  Eventual champion Charl Schwartzel ranked 5^th in Driving Distance and three^rd in Driving Accuracy final yr.  That’s the kind of ratio you want this week.

Gamers may even have to make a lot of vital putts on what is sort of a formidable structure (Schwartzel completed with a profitable rating of seven-under-par final yr). 

Can Talor Gooch make it 4 wins out of six begins after his last-gasp heroics at Valderrama?  The American holed a 12-foot putt on the final to carry off a rejuvenated Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke.  Within the course of, Gooch turned the primary three-time winner in LIV’s admittedly quick historical past (he additionally picked up titles in Adelaide and Singapore).

Brooks Koepka continued his glorious current type with a 3^rd place end in Andalucia.  You would need to suppose that these three could determine prominently once more.  Dustin Johnson and Cam Smith may even need to make an affect this week because the LIV season begins to strategy its conclusion.

There will likely be six British gamers in motion this week for the large galleries to applaud.  Of them, I’d argue that Paul Casey could provide essentially the most real looking likelihood of house success.  This week additionally offers a number of the premium gamers an opportunity to acclimatize simply two weeks earlier than the yr’s ultimate Main: The Open Championship.