Fantasy Preview and Picks for LIV Golf Miami
Three weeks after Joaquin Niemann earned his fourth individual title in Singapore, the LIV Golf League will make its first stop of 2025 in the United States at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida. It'll be the fourth straight year that National Doral has hosted a LIV Golf tournament and the second time as a regular season event. More importantly, for 12 players in the field, it serves as an all-important tune-up for The Masters, the first major of the year.
Niemann, who sits comfortably at the top of the LIV Golf individual season standings thanks to his victories in Adelaide and Singapore, is one of those 12 players who will compete for a green jacket at Augusta National starting April 10 after receiving a special invitation. Seven of those players already have a green jacket to their name; Jon Rahm (2023), Dustin Johnson (2020), Patrick Reed (2018), Sergio Garcia (2017), Bubba Watson (2012, 2014), Charl Schwartzel (2011) and Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010). Rounding out the LIV Golf representation at Augusta are reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, 2023 PGA champion Brooks Koepka, 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and Tyrrell Hatton, who finished T9 in 2024.
Before they get to Augusta, they'll have to navigate the difficult Blue Monster course at National Doral, which hosted the LIV Golf Team Championship in 2022 and 2023 before moving into the regular season schedule in 2024. Last year saw Dean Burmester win his first LIV Golf title after beating out Garcia on the second playoff hole while Legion XIII won the team event by one stroke over RangeGoats GC thanks to the T4 finishes of Rahm and Hatton.
Spanning at 7,701 yards, the par-72 Blue Monster course features long, narrow fairways, strategically placed bunkers around the greens and water in play on nearly every hole. Long hitters will have their chances to climb up the leaderboard, but only if they're able to stay out of trouble. The par-4 18th hole is considered the toughest hole on the course, with the slim fairway protected by bunkers on the right and water to the left. It scored as the most difficult hole in 2024 with a stroke average of 4.25, while the 590-yard par-5 eighth was the easiest with a 4.61 stroke average. Check out Mike McAllister's rundown of LIV Golf Miami for more information about the players and the 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 April 4 at 12:15 p.m. EST.
Individuals
Group 1
Bryson DeChambeau - Captain, Crushers GC
DeChambeau was able to overcome a rough first round to shoot 10-under across the final two days in Singapore to sneak into the top 10 for the second time this season. He finished T7 at National Doral in 2024 and helped Crushers GC capture the Team Championship in 2023, with his wedge shot over the grandstand on the par-4 16th hole being one of the top highlights from the event. DeChambeau ranks third in driving distance (317.4 yards), seventh in driving accuracy (66.67%) and is in the top 15 in GIR and birdies made this season.
Joaquin Niemann - Captain, Torque GC
After starting the season with a T33 finish in LIV Golf Riyadh, Niemann proceeded to win two of the next three tournaments and sits comfortably at the top of the individual standings. His 2025 campaign is shaping up in a similar fashion to how he started in 2024, and the Torque GC captain is on pace to earn a spot at the U.S. Open Championship if he can keep hold of his spot in the standings. Niemann ranks in the top six in birdies made, scrambling opportunities, GIR and driving distance, and he is 13th in driving accuracy through four LIV Golf tournaments.
Honorable mentions: Jon Rahm (Captain, Legion XIII - continued his top-10 streak with a T5 finish in Singapore and leads the league in birdies made), Sergio Garcia (Captain, Fireballs GC - leads the league in driving accuracy and finished second in Miami in 2024)
Group 2
Abraham Ancer - Fireballs GC
Ancer sits ninth in the LIV Golf individual season standings thanks to his T2-T12-T10 finishes over the last three tournaments. He's been one of the most accurate drivers in the league (66.07%, T8) and ranks in the top 20 in birdies made, scrambling opportunities, GIR and putts per hole. He finished T9 at National Doral in 2024 after going 7-under across the final two rounds of the tournament.
Carlos Ortiz - Torque GC
Ortiz has finished T30 and 37th over the last two LIV Golf tournaments, but he has plenty of momentum behind him after winning The International Series Macau by three strokes over Reed last weekend. That victory earned Ortiz a spot at The Open at Royal Portrush in July, which will be his second appearance at the oldest major. He ranks T10 and 17th in birdies made (54) and driving distance (301.3 yards), respectively, and he finished T14 at National Doral in 2024.
Honorable mentions: Marc Leishman (Ripper GC - had a rough outing in Singapore but finished T4 in Miami last year), Dean Burmester (Stinger GC - beat out Garcia on the second playoff hole in Miami in 2024, ranks second and sixth this season in driving distance and GIR, respectively)
Group 3
Cameron Tringale - HyFlyers GC
Tringale has finished T20 or better in each LIV Golf tournament this season and is coming off a T5 finish in Singapore, his best outing since Adelaide in 2023. He's earned 20.46 points towards the individual standings and has shot even par or better across the first 12 rounds of the LIV Golf season. Tringale ranks T6 in birdies made (57), T10 in GIR (73.61%) and T16 in driving accuracy (63.69%).
Bubba Watson - Captain, RangeGoats GC
Watson has failed to earn points over the last two LIV Golf tournaments, but his finishes in Riyadh (T12) and Adelaide (T21) already has him at seven points on the year, which is almost double from his total in 2024 (3.66). Watson ranks 12th this season in driving distance (304.7 yards) and is in the top half of the field in both driving accuracy and GIR, which should translate nicely onto the Blue Monster course.
Honorable mentions: Peter Uihlein (RangeGoats GC - leads the league and driving distance and T2 in putts per hole, and would be in contention in Miami if he can sort out his accuracy issues off the tee), Thomas Pieters (4Aces GC - ranks T10 in GIR, finished T9 in Miami in 2024)
Group 4
Matthew Wolff - RangeGoats GC
Wolff has finished T42 or worse over his last three LIV Golf outings, but he's had previous success at National Doral (third in Miami in 2024). He ranks 10th this season in driving distance (308.9 yards), and he's a dark horse candidate for another good finish if he can shore up his accuracy off the tee and in his approach to the green.
Max Lee - Wild Card
Lee earned his first points of the LIV Golf season in Hong Kong (T12) and came just short of finishing in the top 24 in Singapore. He ranks third in the league in driving accuracy (69.64%) and GIR (71.76%), and his accuracy should help him stay out of trouble on the Blue Monster course.
Honorable mention: Jason Kokrak (Smash GC - coming off a T10 finish in Singapore and qualified for The Open at Royal Portrush after finishing third at International Series Macau)
Teams
Fireballs GC (Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, David Puig, Luis Masaveu)
It's hard to pick against the Fireballs with the form they are in. They surged to their third straight team trophy when they carded 10-under in the final round at LIV Golf Singapore to finish three strokes ahead of Legion XIII. A win in Miami would tie 4Aces GC in 2022 for the longest win streak of team titles in LIV Golf history (four). Fireballs GC are tied with the Crushers for the best driving accuracy in the league (63.84%) and are top 3 in most other statistical categories.
Legion XIII (Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Caleb Surratt)
Not far behind the Fireballs in the LIV Golf team standings is Legion XIII, who have finished second in two of the last three tournaments after winning the inaugural team title in Riyadh. Legion XIII will always be in contention for a podium finish with Rahm and Hatton at the helm, but Tom McKibbin and Caleb Surratt have been just as responsible for the team being second in the standings. Legion XIII leads the league in driving distance (308.4 yards), GIR (72.34%) and birdies per round (17.50).
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 April 4 at 12:15 p.m. EST.
