(LIV GOLF) – 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, where 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 the upcoming U.S. Open at Pinehurst
Cleeks GC’s Richard Bland returns to action 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.”