Fantasy Preview and Picks for LIV Golf Dallas

The LIV Golf season resumes this week at LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco, three weeks removed from Joaquin Niemann’s victory in Virginia and two weeks from the U.S. Open Championship that saw three LIV Golf players -- Tyrrell Hatton, Carlos Ortiz and Jon Rahm -- finish in the top-10 at Oakmont Country Club. Time is running out for players to crack into the Lock Zone to guarantee a spot in the league in 2026 and, perhaps more importantly, for those to avoid the Drop Zone and relegation.

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The results of LIV Golf Virginia didn’t change the top of the individual season standings, but Niemann’s lead over Rahm and Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau is now a shade under 45 points after his one-stroke victory at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. By winning in Virginia, Niemann became the first player in league history to win four individual tournaments in one season, and his six career LIV Golf victories surpassed Brooks Koepka (five).

Niemann had plenty of momentum behind him between his victory in Virginia and T8 finish at the PGA Championship in May. That came to a halt in the U.S. Open Championship when he and seven other LIV Golf players -- including team captains Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, 2016 victor Dustin Johnson and defending champion DeChambeau -- missed the cut. Oakmont proved to be a challenging course, with only the winner, J.J. Spaun, finishing under par. Still, the LIV Golf field was well represented at the top of the leaderboard. Hatton and Ortiz shared fourth place, Rahm used a 3-under final round to finish tied for seventh, and Koepka, a two-time champion, found himself in early contention before settling for a share of 12th. Patrick Reed (T23) and Marc Leishman (T38) were the other two LIV Golfers to make the cut.

The final major of the season -- the Open Championship at Royal Portrush -- will take place in mid-July, and there are two LIV tournaments prior to golf’s oldest major. First on the tee is Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas, which hosted the Team Championship in 2024 that was won by Ripper GC. The par-72 course plays long at 7,567 yards with two par-5s over 600 yards and should favor long hitters like DeChambeau, but the all-Aussie Rippers were able to win last year thanks to their excellent scrambling and putting.

Importantly, Dallas will serve as a final opportunity to earn a spot in the Open Championship, which will go to the highest-ranked player in the top-5 of the individual standings that is not otherwise exempt. That spot is currently held by Sergio Garcia, but 10 other players -- including Lucas Herbert, Sebastian Munoz, LIV Golf Riyadh winner Adrian Meronk and 2023 individual champion Talor Gooch -- are mathematically eligible to earn that spot. Be sure to check out Mike McAllister’s First Look at LIV Golf Dallas, which includes key storylines and a rundown of Maridoe Golf Club.

Here are my picks for your fantasy team for LIV Golf Dallas.

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INDIVIDUAL

GROUP 1

Brooks Koepka - Captain, Smash GC

Brooks Koepka has been inconsistent this season with just two top-10 finishes in LIV Golf. He missed the cut in the first two majors, but he found some of his form at the U.S. Open, where he was in early contention after an opening-round 68. He wasn’t able to maintain that form throughout the weekend, but he managed to finish in the top-15 for his best major performance since his victory at the PGA Championship in 2023. Koepka ranks in the top-5 in putts per hole and the top-20 in birdies made and driving distance.

Bryson DeChambeau - Captain, Crushers GC

Bryson DeChambeau entered Oakmont looking to become the first U.S. Open champion to defend his title since Koepka (2017, 2018). It wasn’t to be for DeChambeau, however, as he missed the cut after struggling with his short game and putting. Dallas provides an opportunity for the Crushers GC captain to rebound, whose long hitting and accuracy off the tee should give him the opportunity to gain strokes. He leads the LIV Golf league in scrambling opportunities and driving distance and ranks in the top-15 across all other statistical categories.

Honorable mentions: Cameron Smith (Captain, Ripper GC - coming off a disappointing finish at the U.S. Open but lead the Rippers to the Team Championship in Dallas last season and has been elite in scrambling opportunities and putting this season), Jon Rahm (Captain, Legion XIII - coming off a T7 finish at Oakmont and leads the league in GIR)

GROUP 2

Tyrrell Hatton - Legion XIII

Tyrrell Hatton hasn’t performed quite as well this season as he did in 2024. However, he has finished in the top-15 in each of the last three LIV Golf tournaments, and his T4 finish at the U.S. Open was his best performance at a major in his career. He also played well in last year’s Team Championship, putting Legion XIII on his back with a 4-under 68 in the final round while Jon Rahm was sidelined due to an illness. Hatton is fourth in the league in GIR and top-20 in putts per hole, birdies made and scrambling opportunities.

Carlos Ortiz - Torque GC

Like Hatton, Carlos Ortiz is also coming off his best finish at a major. He led the field at Oakmont in GIR, and at one point held the lead in the final round before an untimely double bogey on the par-4 15th hole. Ortiz has finished in the top-10 in three of the last four LIV Golf tournaments, sits fourth in the league in birdies made and in the top-20 in scrambling opportunities, GIR, driving distance and putts per hole while

Honorable mentions: Sebastian Munoz (Torque GC - has finished T15 or better in five of eight LIV Golf tournaments this season and shot an eight-under 64 in the final round of the Team Championship last season), Bubba Watson (Captain, RangeGoats GC - has finished in the top-10 in two of the last three LIV tournaments and is top-15 in driving accuracy, birdies made, driving distance and GIR).

GROUP 3

Ben Campbell - RangeGoats GC

Ben Campbell was forced to withdraw from LIV Golf Mexico City due to a wrist injury, which caused him to be sidelined for Korea. He returned to Virginia and struggled over the first two rounds, but he bounced back spectacularly with a 9-under 62 that included seven straight birdies on the front nine. The New Zealand native is near the bottom of the field in driving accuracy, but he ranks 11th in driving distance.

Tom McKibbin - Legion XIII

Tom McKibbin started the season strongly, finishing in the top-15 in four of the first five tournaments. He has cooled off over the last three events and hasn’t accrued points over that span, but his value as a Group 3 selection is hard to ignore. The Northern Irishman is sixth in driving distance and top-15 in scrambling opportunities and GIR.

Honorable mentions: Martin Kaymer (Captain, Cleeks GC - coming off a T8 finish at Virginia, his best performance at a LIV Golf tournament), Graeme McDowell (Smash GC - finished tied with Anirban Lahiri for second in Virginia and ranks in the top-20 in GIR, scrambling and driving accuracy).

GROUP 4

Brendan Steele - HyFlyers GC

Brendan Steele has earned points in two of the last three LIV Golf tournaments and ranks top-10 in both GIR and driving accuracy this season. He sits 47th in the individual season standings, just two spots above the Drop Zone.

Henrik Stenson - Co-captain, Majesticks GC

Henrik Stenson has just two top-20 finishes in LIV Golf tournaments this season. However, the 2016 Open champion leads the league in driving accuracy and ranks in the top half in GIR, which should play well in Dallas.

Honorable mentions: Lee Westwood (Co-captain, Majesticks GC - used a nine-under 62 final round to surge to a share of 10th in Virginia), Kevin Na (Captain, Iron Heads GC - ranks in the top-5 in driving accuracy, played a key role in the Iron Heads finishing T2 at the Team Championship last season).

TEAMS

Ripper GC (Smith, Herbert, Leishman, Jones)

It’s been an up-and-down season for the all-Australian foursome, who have four podium finishes (including a victory in Miami) along with three finishes of ninth or worse (including T12 in Virginia). They weren’t the most dominant team last year, either, but they managed to put it all together to win the Team Championship in Dallas. A return to Maridoe Golf Club could be what Ripper GC needs to supplant Fireballs GC for third in the team standings.

Crushers GC (DeChambeau, Casey, Howell III, Lahiri)

Crushers GC is the hottest team in the league with three podium finishes over their last four tournaments, including back-to-back victories in Korea and Virginia. That has them just behind Legion XIII for the top spot in the individual standings, and the Crushers will be looking for revenge in Dallas having entered last year’s Team Championship as the No. 1 seed only to finish in a tie for 7th with HyFlyers GC.

Honorable mention: Legion XIII (lead the league in driving distance and are top-3 in GIR, scrambling, putts per hole and birdies made), Smash GC (top-3 in driving accuracy and have finished top-3 in back-to-back tournaments).