Fantasy Preview and Picks for LIV Golf Hong Kong
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That phrase is an appropriate description of the first two tournaments of the 2025 LIV Golf season.
We kicked things off at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 6, where we saw Cleeks GC's Adrian Meronk capture his first LIV Golf individual trophy since joining the league in 2024, and in the process becoming the 20th individual winner in League history. One week later at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia, 2024 runner-up and Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann carded a 7-under 65 in the final round to surge to his third LIV Golf victory. Meronk and Niemann sit first and third, respectively, in the LIV Golf individual season standings, while Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm sits second thanks to finishes of T2-6, and he has finished in the top-10 of every single LIV Golf tournament he has completed.
On the team side of things, Rahm's Legion XIII picked up where they left off with a dominant 11-stroke victory in Riyadh, where teammates Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and 2025 debutant Tom McKibbin all finished in the top-15. One week later, Ancer and David Puig helped propel Fireballs GC to their fifth team trophy with a six-stroke victory. Legion XIII and Fireballs GC sit first and second in the team standings, while Crushers GC, Ripper GC and RangeGoats GC round out the top five.
The 2025 LIV Golf season is off to a hot start, and hopefully the same can be said for your fantasy lineups. For those who have played in one or both of the first two tournaments of the year, you may have noticed that LIV Golf has changed its fantasy golf format. If you played last year, you'll remember that fantasy players select four golfers (including one captain and maximum of two players from the same team), one substitute and one LIV Golf team.
The number of players and teams you select for your fantasy team will remain the same this year, but how you choose your players will be different. LIV Golf players will be split into four groups based on prior finishes. Your substitute player must be selected from Group 3 or 4, who can be swapped into any spot for the second or final round of a LIV Golf tournament. In this format, you can select a team made up purely of team captains, or without -- the choice is yours!
We look ahead to March 7 at Hong Kong Golf Club, which will host a LIV Golf tournament for a second consecutive year. Last year's tournament saw Ancer capture his first LIV Golf individual trophy after outlasting Crushers GC's Paul Casey and Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith on the first playoff hole. Three other LIV Golf players have won at the course as part of the Hong Kong Open: 4Aces GC's Patrick Reed (2024), RangeGoats GC's Ben Campbell (2023) and Majesticks co-captain Ian Poulter (2010).
Hong Kong Golf Club is one of the shorter courses on the LIV Golf circuit this year at 6,711 yards. That doesn't make the course any less difficult; water is a factor on nearly half of the holes, and trees lining the fairway will cause trouble for players who have accuracy issues off the tee. Finding the fairway is only part of the battle; those who demonstrate an excellent approach game will be in good position to climb the leaderboard, while those who miss the greens could find themselves confronted with tough chip shots and three-putt potential. Check out Mike McAllister's rundown of LIV Golf Hong Kong for more information about the players and course.
PLAY LIV GOLF FANTASY NOW: Read what the experts have to say and submit your own picks. Set your lineup by the shotgun start on March 6 at 11 p.m. EST.
Individuals
Group 1
Cameron Smith - Captain, Ripper GC
Smith has had a rough start to the 2025 season. He finished T25 in Riyadh despite a solid first round, and his strong start to the final round on home soil in Adelaide was spoiled by three bogeys over the final 11 holes to finish 30th. Hong Kong could be the spot where Smith turns things around, and he came agonizingly close to capturing his second LIV Golf trophy before falling to Ancer in the playoff.
Joaquin Niemann - Captain, Torque GC
Niemann rebounded from a T33 finish in Riyadh to win by three strokes in Adelaide, capturing his third LIV Golf trophy in the process. The Torque GC captain is fairly middle of the pack in driving accuracy, but he leads the league in GIR, which should serve him well in Hong Kong. Niemann used a 7-under 63 final round to surge to T4 in Hong Kong last season, which was highlighted by his ace on the par-3 eighth hole.
Honorable mentions: Bryson DeChambeau (Captain, Crushers GC - finished T6 in 2024), Jon Rahm (Captain, Legion XIII - finished T8 in 2024)
Group 2
Richard Bland - Cleeks GC
After finishing T40 in Riyadh, Bland bounced back with a solo fifth in Adelaide thanks to a 6-under 66 in the final round. The 52-year-old Englishman isn't going to be driving long bombs at this stage of his career, but he's been one of the most accurate golfers off the tee and ranks in the top-15 in putts per hole and scrambling. Bland finished T8 in last year's tournament with scores of 66-68-66.
Abraham Ancer - Fireballs GC
Ancer's victory in Hong Kong last year was in large part due to his strong play over the first two rounds of the tournament, carding scores of 63 and 62. A playoff was needed after he carded a 2-over 72 in the final round, but he was able to recover and beat out Smith and Casey on the first playoff hole. Ancer has a bit of momentum behind him as he's coming off a T2 finish in Adelaide. He ranks in the top-20 in driving accuracy and distance, GIR and birdies made.
Honorable mentions: Adrian Meronk (Cleeks GC - finished T15 in 2024), Bubba Watson (Captain, RangeGoats GC - finished T29 in 2024, but ranks T6 in driving accuracy in 2025).
Group 3
Henrik Stenson - Co-captain, Majesticks GC
Stenson has been LIV Golf's most accurate golfer through two tournaments this season, and he also ranks T10 in GIR. Like co-captain Ian Poulter and Bland, Stenson doesn't have a lot of power behind his drives, but his accuracy and savviness on the course should put him in position to repeat his performance from 2024 (T8).
Paul Casey - Crushers GC
Casey used a 4-under 64 final round to force a playoff with Ancer and Smith during LIV Golf Hong Kong in 2024, and Casey's T2 finish is still his best finish during his time in the League. Casey spent all of last season near the top of the field in driving accuracy and GIR, and his improved putting this season could be the difference in the Englishman capturing his first LIV Golf trophy.
Honorable mentions: Ian Poulter (Co-captain, Majesticks GC - finished T8 in 2024), Kevin Na (Captain, Iron Heads GC - finished T6 in 2024).
Group 4
Patrick Reed - 4Aces GC
It's a bit surprising to see Reed down in the fourth group given his victory at the 2024 Hong Kong Open and his prior success in the LIV Golf league. However, the 34-year-old American has finished T44-T37 through the first two LIV Golf tournaments, and even his memorable ace at The Watering Hole in Adelaide hasn't masked what has otherwise been a disappointing start to the season. That said, a return to a course he has won at could be what Reed needs to turn his fortunes around.
Max Lee - Wild Card
Lee earned a spot in the LIV Golf league for the 2025 season following his victory in the Promotions tournament in December. He ranks in the top-10 in driving accuracy, but his approach and putting games have led him to finishing T40-T47 over the first two LIV Golf tournaments. Hong Kong Golf Club provides a perfect opportunity for Lee to get on the board and earn his first individual points of the season.
Honorable mention: Martin Kaymer (Captain, Cleeks GC - finished T21 in 2024)
Teams
Legion XIII
Rahm and his Legion XIII team started 2025 as they did in 2024; with a dominant team victory in the first tournament of the season. Tom McKibbin is in his first year on the LIV Golf League and the 22-year-old Irishman has fit in seamlessly next to Rahm, Hatton and Surratt. Rahm and Hatton carried Legion XIII last year, but the addition of McKibbin and the improved play from Surratt makes Legion XIII the team to beat in 2024.
Majesticks GC
This is definitely a dart throw, as Majesticks haven't had a podium finish since 2022. That said, the foursome of Stenson, Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sam Horsfield were able to finish fourth in Hong Kong last year, thanks in large part to the performances of Stenson and Poulter. Westwood is the X-factor for the Majesticks; he was in early contention in Riyadh after a 7-under 65 in the first round but settled for T25 after shooting even par over the final 36 holes.
Honorable mentions: Fireballs GC, Crushers GC, Stinger GC
PLAY LIV GOLF FANTASY NOW: Now that you read what the experts have to say, it is time to submit your own picks. Set your lineup by the shotgun start on March 6 at 11 p.m. EST.
