First Look: LIV Golf Houston | LIV Golf

ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT

When: June 7-9, 2024

Where: Golf Club of Houston, Humble, Texas

Competition: Three rounds/54 holes of stroke play

Field: 54 players – 13 teams of four players each, and two wild cards

Purse: $25 million US ($20 million individual, $5 million team)

Winner’s Share: $4 million USD (individual), $3 million USD (team)

Local Tee Times: Shotgun Start for Rds. 1-2 at 12:15 p.m. local (1:15 p.m. ET); Rd. 3 at 12:05 p.m. local (1:15 p.m. ET)

KEY STORYLINES

LIV Golf begins the second half of its 2024 league schedule by making its first-ever appearance in Texas

Texas becomes the 11th different state to host a LIV Golf tournament and will also host the season-ending Team Championship at LIV Golf Dallas on Sept. 20-22

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, captain of Smash GC, makes his first LIV Golf start since winning the previous event in Singapore when he became the first player to win four LIV Golf individual titles

The all-Australian Ripper GC, captained by Cameron Smith, will look to win its third consecutive team title after celebrating trophies in Adelaide and Singapore

Bryson DeChambeau, whose Crushers GC leads the season-long team points race, makes his first start since finishing solo second at the PGA Championship

Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm is the only player to finish inside the top 10 in each of the first seven tournaments this season

Koepka, Smith, DeChambeau and Rahm are among 10 LIV Golf players currently exempt into next week’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst

Cleeks GC’s Richard Bland returns to action this week after winning the Senior PGA Championship in his senior major debut last Sunday

Houston-area resident Patrick Reed, who has three top-20 finishes this season, is seeking his first career LIV Golf victory

Legion XIII’s Kieran Vincent won for the second time in his career at last week’s Sunshine Tour event in South Africa

SUCCESS IN HOUSTON

The Golf Club of Houston, the venue for LIV Golf Houston, hosted the Houston Open between 2003-19, with five current LIV Golf players winning titles at the course:

• Paul Casey (Crushers GC), 2009 via playoff

• Anthony Kim (Wild Card), 2010 via playoff

• Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC), 2011 by 3 strokes

• Matt Jones (Ripper GC), 2014 via playoff

• Ian Poulter (Majesticks GC), 2018 via playoff

Kim’s win in 2010 was the last of his four pro victories before retiring two years later due to injuries. Poulter’s win in 2018 is the most recent of his 17 professional victories, while Jones’ win in 2014 was the first of his four pro wins.

LIV Golf players Carlos Ortiz (2020) and Jason Kokrak (2021) also have enjoyed success in Houston, winning the Houston Open after its move to Memorial Park.

ABOUT THE COURSE

GOLF CLUB OF HOUSTON
Humble, Texas

Par: 72
Yardage: 7,403

• Designed by famed architect Rees Jones and major champion David Toms, the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston opened in 2005 and was created to host elite professional golf tournaments

• The course becomes the first in Texas to host a LIV Golf tournament

• Golf Digest ranks the course as one of the top 50 in Texas and one of the best public courses in the state

• The Golf Club of Houston hosted the Houston Open until 2019, with LIV Golf players Paul Casey (Crushers GC), Anthony Kim (Wild Card), Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC), Matt Jones (Ripper GC) and Ian Poulter (Majesticks GC) winning titles

• The course features multi-tiered greens, strategic bunkers and several water hazards

• The 315-yard par-4 12th should be drivable each day

• The 485-yard par-4 18th is guarded by a lake down the left side of the fairway and bordering the entire left side of the green

• The course uses Mini Verde grass on the greens and Tif Sport in all other spots. Projected green speed is 12 on the stimpmeter.

REED’S HOMETOWN EVENT

Patrick Reed, who was born in Texas and lives in The Woodlands outside Houston, returns home for LIV Golf’s first tournament in the state. “The crowds are going to be absolutely insane,” the 4Aces GC star said. “I’ve been talking to so many people around here … and they’re all pumped and excited for it.”

Reed made four starts at the Golf Club of Houston when it hosted the Houston Open in the ramp-up to the Masters. He’s eager to play the Tournament course when it’s not prepped for Augusta National-type conditions. “I’m really looking forward to actually seeing that golf course, how it’s supposed to be played,” Reed said. “We get to actually show the beauty of that golf course.”

WEATHER

Forecast from weather.com

HOW TO WATCH

UNITED STATES: The CW Network airs the LIV Golf League in 100% of U.S. markets.

Friday – Live on The CW App, LIV Golf Plus, LIV Golf YouTube and Caffeine.

Saturday and Sunday – Live on The CW, LIV Golf Plus and LIV Golf YouTube.

GLOBAL: Broadcast in over 160 international territories Live and On-Demand, free of charge, via LIV Golf Plus. Available for download on iOS, Android, FireTV, and on LIVGolfPlus.com. Also airing on several international broadcast partners.

In person: Tickets available here

More info: Click here