2022 LIV Golf Series Chicago: Odds, Picks & Predictions
With only three events left in what’s been a hectic (and contentious) first season, 12 teams will compete by a shotgun start on Friday at LIV Golf’s fifth-ever event. A $20 million purse (plus $5 million for the winning team) will be at stake, which is far more than what has previously been the norm on the PGA Tour, as we saw in the first several events.
There won’t be any more signings for LIV Golf this season, it was announced this week, as the new series is now concentrating on event creation and marketing as it gets ready for season No. 2.
The big news this week, however, was David Puig, the top amateur talent out of Arizona State, made waves when he announced that he would make his professional debut in Chicago. With the news, Puig became the first highly touted amateur to choose LIV over the PGA Tour.
With the field and course set, let’s dive into the action.
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How to Watch
As we saw last week in Boston, streaming service DAZN will once again play host to this week’s LIV event. Running from Sept. 16 (Friday) to Sept. 18 (Sunday), LIV Chicago will feature a shotgun start which means every player will tee off at the same time.
Streamed in over 200 countries worldwide, DAZN requires a subscription and can be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Streaming devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecasts and more can also host the action.
Course Preview: Rich Harvest Farms
Rich Harvest Farms, which is only 50 miles from Chicago, has hosted amateur competitions, Arnold Palmer Cups and NCAA Division 1 championship, but never a PGA Tour event. Because of that, there isn’t much course history or metrics to draw on here like there is on the Tour week-to-week.
Jerry Rich hired Greg Martin to design the course initially founded in 1990, inspired by Augusta National. Even for the best golfers in the world, the par-72’s length of approximately 7,700 yards will make this course difficult to navigate. Add in the nearly endless supply of bunkers, water hazards and trees, and I expect these golfers to be in for a real test this week.
Long ball hitters will be rewarded and should cash in handsomely if they can keep the ball in play, with the total distance measuring well above the Tour’s average of 7,200 yards for yet another week.
Outright Betting Pick
Patrick Reed (+1600 via FanDuel Sportsbook)
It only makes sense that the PGA Tour’s No. 1 bad guy Patrick Reed would jump to LIV, and he’s already living up to his name. Playing in the DP World Tour event last week to pick up points for the Official World Golf Rankings, Reed was amongst a host of players criticized for the move.
Used to the hate, Reed finished fifth after a Sunday round of 63. He overpowered the course and had a putter that couldn’t miss. Look for that to carry over this week in Chicago.
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