The Road to the Finale: Let’s look at how 14 events shaped this season’s top teams – Legion XIII, Ripper GC, 4Aces GC (10th seed) and Iron Heads GC
By Nick Tarratt, Khaleej Times Guest Golf Writer
Today marks the thrilling conclusion of the LIV Golf Team Championship at Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas, Texas where four teams are vying for the prestigious title and a massive $14 million prize for first place, part of the $50 million total purse.
The competition has narrowed down to four contenders: Legion XIII (2nd seed), Ripper GC (3rd seed), 4Aces GC (10th seed), and Iron Heads GC (13th seed).
With each team eager to claim the championship and the top prize, the stakes have never been higher, setting the stage for a dramatic finale to the LIV Golf season.
How have they all got here?
There have been 14 LIV Golf events this year, starting in Mexico in February. Thirteen teams have competed in LIV Golf this season with points allocated to both the Individual Event and the Team Event at each edition.
The Individual Event was decided last week in Chicago, where Jon Rahm (Legion XIII) won the individual crown from Joaquim Niemann (Torque Golf Club).
During the first two days of each of the 13 events, only the top three players’ scores count towards their team score. Then on Day 3, all four players’ scores counted.
The top eight teams earn points in the season-long Team Standings at each tournament.
This week, the top three seeds of the season—Crushers GC, Legion XIII, and Ripper GC—received byes on Friday, giving them a well-deserved break as they advanced directly to the later stages of the competition. With this advantage, the teams have had extra time to rest and prepare for the crucial rounds ahead, adding further intensity to the race for the LIV Golf Team Championship title.
The other 10 teams played in a matchplay format of two singles matches and one foursomes match – the following teams lost in these Friday Quarter-Finals: Smash GC (4thseed) Torque GC (5th seed), Cleeks GC (8th seed), RangeGoats GC (9th seed) and Majesticks GC (11th seed).
The competition heated up in yesterday’s semifinals, with each match delivering high-stakes drama. Iron Heads GC dominated Crushers GC with a commanding 3-0 victory, while Ripper GC edged past Fireballs GC 2-1. 4Aces GC secured their spot by defeating Stinger GC 2-1, and Legion XIII triumphed over HyFlyers GC, also by 2-1. These results have set the stage for an electrifying conclusion to the championship.
The final day’s format is all 52 players compete over 18 holes in a shotgun start. All four scores count toward the team score. The lowest team score today among the four teams in Tier 1 will be crowned the 2024 LIV Golf League Team Champions.
The other places in Tier 1 are determined by their final day results as is the case in both Tier 2 and Tier 3.
Now that we all understand how it works and how each team has reached this point, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the final day of the 2024 LIV Golf season. With everything on the line, the stage is set for an exciting conclusion to this year’s championship.
It will certainly be worth a watch. Catch the live broadcast at 8 pm UAE time.
In a breaking development, Jon Rahm, captain of Legion XIII, has withdrawn from the team due to the flu and will be replaced by reserve player John Catlin from the US.
On another note, Dubai-based players Anirban Lahiri and Adrian Meronk are set to compete for Crushers GC and Cleeks GC, respectively, adding further interest to the final stages of the competition.
To watch Visit: www.LIVGolf.com
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