Burning questions for each team heading into the second half of the season

GAINESVILLE, Va. – As LIV Golf prepares to embark on the second half of the 2025 season at this week’s LIV Golf Virginia presented by Maaden, the team standings paint a vivid picture of dominance, potential and desperation.

Legion XIII sits atop the standings with 134.66 points, followed by Fireballs GC (113.00) and Crushers GC (96.00). Conversely, teams like Majesticks GC (5.16) and Iron Heads GC (1.0) are at the bottom and in desperate need of some positive momentum. With the top three teams earning a bye into the semifinals of the Michigan Team Championship in August, the pressure is on for teams to perform.

Here are burning questions for each team as we head into the business end of the schedule.

1. Can Legion XIII Maintain Their Dominance Through the Team Championship?

Captained by Jon Rahm, Legion XIII was dominant throughout the first half of the season, leading the standings by a 21.66-point margin. Despite not having a win in 2025, Rahm has consistently finished near the top of the leaderboard. Legion XIII has arguably the best depth in the league, with Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin rounding out the roster.

Last year, Legion XIII finished second in the season-long standings but failed to finish in the top 3 at the Team Championship in Dallas. However, Rahm was out with an illness that week, so they will be better suited to advance this season with their captain.

This year, they are performing much better. In 2024, the team gained +0.60 strokes per player per round. So far in 2025, they are gaining +1.08 strokes per player per round. All signs point to a Legion XIII deep run in the Team Championship.

2. Will Sergio Garcia Regain His Early Season Form?

Sergio Garcia began his 2025 campaign in vintage fashion. The Fireballs GC captain was scorching hot through six events. He won in Hong Kong and finished T6 in Riyadh and 3rd in Miami. Going into the Masters, Garcia seemed to be in the best form he’s been in since winning at Augusta in 2017. However, his hot streak came to a screeching halt when he missed the cut at the Masters and followed up the disappointing performance by finishing 50th (while battling a stomach virus in Mexico City) and T42 i(in Korea).

For the Fireballs to remain in position to earn a bye, their leader must get back to playing the way he was to begin 2025. Garcia has also been working hard to earn a spot on Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup team. That dream is slowly slipping away from the 44-year-old, who admitted after his T67 at the PGA Championship: “If Luke offered me a pick right now, I would tell him no.”

3. Can a Player on Crushers GC Other Than Bryson DeChambeau Win an Event in 2025?

Bryson DeChambeau got his first win in the 2025 season by winning LIV Golf Korea in early May. Prior to that, the reigning U.S. Open champion was knocking on the door with three consecutive top-10 finishes in Singapore, Miami and Mexico City. Dechambeau’s teammates Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri and Charles Howell III have yet to register a win this year, but Howell pushed DeChambeau in Korea and was vital to the team’s tournament win.

Howell won the first event in 2023 but has not won since. Casey, who is DeChambeau’s most accomplished teammate, has been with LIV Golf since Bedminster in 2022, with his best result a runner-up last year. Lahiri has four runner-up finishes.

DeChambeau grabs all the headlines, and rightfully so, but it may be time for another Crushers player to steal some of the spotlight.

4. Will Cam Smith Re-Solidify Himself as One of the World’s Best Players?

When Cameron Smith signed with LIV Golf, he was at the top of the golf world, having just won the Open Championship at St. Andrews. His strong form continued to begin his LIV Golf career. He finished T4 in his first event in Boston and won his second LIV event in Chicago. The Aussie had another strong season in 2023, winning two LIV events in London and Bedminster. He was winless in 2024 but had three runner-up finishes.

So far in 2025, Smith hasn’t looked quite himself. His best finish is a T5 at Mexico City but he’s yet to truly threaten the top of a leaderboard in any of the seven events.

For Ripper to repeat as team champions, Smith needs to get back to peak form.

5. Will Sebastián Muñoz Finish in the Top 5 of the Individual Standings?

Sebastián Muñoz is currently 6th in the LIV Golf individual standings and has picked up points every week this season other than Adelaide. While there are plenty of big names lurking behind him, the Colombian is still playing well enough to crack the top five come season’s end.

Statistically, since the start of 2023, Munoz is the best player not to have won an individual event on LIV Golf. In that time, he has gained an average of +0.89 strokes per round, which ranks 10th in the league among qualified players. The nine players ahead of Munoz have all won a LIV Golf event.

Munoz has been a consistent yet underappreciated performer in the LIV Golf League, and I anticipate he’ll make a significant impact in the second half of the 2025 season.

6. Will the 4Aces GC Win an Event?

4Aces GC dominated LIV Golf’s inaugural season but have since slipped to the middle of the pack, currently ranking sixth in the 2025 team standings, hampered by captain Dustin Johnson ’s performances falling short of his usual standard.

The off-season acquisition of Thomas Pieters has paid immediate dividends for the 4Aces. Pieters, who replaced Pat Perez, has outperformed Perez’ 2024 season in eight of 10 major statistical categories in 2025. Overall, Pieters is averaging –0.10 strokes per round whereas Perez averaged –1.33 strokes per round in 2024.

Patrick Reed has been extremely steady for the team and ranks 14th in the individual standings. With events coming up that should suit his game, including one in his home state of Texas, it’s plausible to believe Reed will win an event in the second half of the season.

For the team to earn a champagne shower, they'll need a bounce-back second half from Johnson, which I believe they'll get. Although he hasn’t put three rounds together quite yet, we’ve seen flashes of brilliance from the former world No.1.

7. Can Stinger GC Break Away from the Middle of the Pack?

Stinger GC finished between 5th and 8th on the team leaderboard in six of the first seven events of the season. While consistency is commendable, Stinger GC certainly has loftier ambitions.

Louis Oosthuizen , who posted five top 10 finishes last year, has yet to recapture that form. Through his first seven starts, the former Open Champion has finished in the top 10 only once (T5 in Singapore).

Dean Burmester, in the prime of his career and enormously talented, must take on a larger role in the second half to elevate the South Africans. He has flashed the potential to be one the best players in the league but has cooled off after a strong start.

Charl Schwartzel has been the league’s best putter this season. The former Masters champion and winner of LIV’s inaugural event at Centurion in 2022 leads the league in strokes-gained putting by nearly +0.4 strokes. Schwartzel finished 2nd at Miami and T7 at Mexico City. He will need some help from his teammates if Stinger wants to meet their expectations in the second half of the season.

Branden Grace is trying to avoid relegation for the second consecutive season. He’s currently 49th in points, which puts him in the first position below the Drop Zone. A year ago, Stinger had to make a “business case” to re-sign the veteran. That won’t be an option this time. He needs to make some noise in the final six events to keep his spot in the league.

8. Will Matthew Wolff Have a Resurgent Second Half?

There’s no denying that Matthew Wolff has not performed to his potential during his time with LIV Golf. This year, Wolff has had his worst season to date. The former Oklahoma State NCAA All-American has only one top 10 finish and is yet to finish inside the top 5 in any event.

Wolff has been a professional since 2019, which makes it easy to forget that he’s still only 26 years old. He’s already etched his name in golf history with a victory in only his third professional start at the 2019 3M Open and soon after finished in the top five in two major championships during the 2020 season.

In his most recent start, Wolff had his best start of the season, finishing 6th at LIV Golf Korea. The encouraging start was a reminder that he can still be one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet. He gained 3.51 strokes off the tee, which was his best performance in the category since August of 2024.

With five of the final seven tournaments being held in the United States, Wolff’s powerful game should serve him well going forward. If he can regain his form and become the top player the RangeGoats GC need him to be, the team can make a charge up the team standings.

9. Will Brooks Koepka Snap Out of His Funk?

Brooks Koepka is tied with Joaquin Niemann for the most wins in LIV Golf history (5). The five-time major champion is arguably a top 25 player in the history of the game, but that has yet to be on display so far in 2025. In his seven LIV Golf starts this season, Koepka has recorded a runner-up finish in Singapore, where he trailed Joaquin Niemann by five shots, but has otherwise lacked notable strong performances.

The major championships have been just as puzzling for Koepka. He missed the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship.

With the end of the season quickly approaching, Koepka will need a sense of urgency for 2025 to not be a lost season.

10. Will a Player Other Than Cameron Tringale Step Up for HyFlyers GC?

Cameron Tringale has had a very strong season for HyFlyers GC. He hasn’t had any podium finishes, but his consistency is keeping the team afloat for now. The 37-year-old has finished inside the top 20 in six of his seven starts.

Phil Mickelson has been spectacular at times but is reasonably inconsistent at this stage of his career. Brendan Steele and Andy Ogletree have struggled. The best finish for Steele and Ogletree combined has come in the form of a 17th by Ogletree at LIV Golf Korea.

If the HyFlyers intend on getting out of the bottom third of the team standings, someone is going to have to step up.

11, 12, 13. Can the Struggling Teams (Majesticks, Cleeks and Iron Heads) Salvage Their Seasons?

At the bottom of the standings, the pressure is palpable for teams like Majesticks GC, Cleeks Golf Club, and Iron Heads GC.

Majesticks, captained by Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood, have combined for 83 professional wins in their illustrious careers but have failed to make any noise on LIV Golf thus far in 2025. While they may not be in the prime of their careers, the trio of legends are certainly capable of getting in the mix at future events this season.

However, the stats are not in their favor. In 2024, they averaged -0.62 strokes per player per round. In 2025, they’ve gotten worse, averaging –1.02 strokes per player per round. The Majesticks rank last in the league in driving distance, last in strokes gained approach and second to last in strokes gained putting.

Cleeks Golf Club, led by Martin Kaymer, also struggled in the first half. Adrian Meronk started the season by winning in Riyadh but has not played his best golf since. Richard Bland, Cleeks’ elder statesman, has performed very well but will need more help from his teammates if the team is to escape the bottom three of the standings. The team’s new acquisition, Frederik Kjettrup, has failed to finish better than T30 in any event through the first half.

Bringing Kjetterup in to replace Kalle Samooja has been a net loss for the Cleeks. Samooja averaged –0.95 strokes per round and Kjetterup is averaging –2.72 strokes per round, the worst of any player who’s played in at least half of the events this season.

Iron Heads GC, captained by Kevin Na, have registered only one point throughout the first half of the season. The team has plenty of potential, but with Na yet to have a top 10 finish and new acquisition Yubin Jang having a tough season, it’s difficult to see that changing. Jinichiro Kozuma has returned from injury and finished 21st and T7 in his two starts since returning. This has given the team an immediate boost but not enough to compete with the rest of the teams in the league.

Poor putting has been the main issue for the Iron Heads. They rank last in the league in strokes gained putting, averaging –0.55 strokes per player per round. Yang has been the worst putter in the league this season, averaging –1.40 strokes per round on the greens.