Match-by-match preview: Quick look at the Team Championship Quarterfinals

Aug 21, 2025 - 5:55 PMWritten by: LIV Golf Data Analysts

A look at the 18 matches that will be played Friday at the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship

1. LEGION XIII vs. 11. CLEEKS GC

Tyrrell Hatton vs. Richard Bland: An all-English clash in this singles match between the players who finished 26th and 27th in the season standings. Hatton has the slight edge in head-to-head holes played this year. Very similar Strokes Gained stats in 2025: Both losing Off The Tee but gain well in Approach and On The Greens.

Jon Rahm vs. Adrian Meronk: Rahm making his debut in the Team Championships after missing last year and comes into this on the back of three second-place finishes in his last four starts. Meronk won in Riyadh in February but his best result after that is a T7 in the UK. Rahm holds the advantage Off The Tee by +1.35 strokes per round, but Meronk has the Putting edge.

Caleb Surratt/ Tom McKibbin vs. Martin Kaymer/ Frederik Kjettrup: A combined age of 43 with Surratt and McKibbin, taking on Ryder Cup legend Kaymer and relegated Kjettrup. The Legion pair have a huge statistical advantage Off The Tee, gaining a combined +1.03 vs -3.05, a 4.08 stroke per round difference.

2. CRUSHERS GC vs. 12. MAJESTICKS GC

Bryson DeChambeau vs. Lee Westwood: Westwood beat DeChambeau 1 up in the 2022 WGC Match Play but both players have losing records in the Team Championship. DeChambeau obviously has the statistical advantage here, but Westwood has played 11 Ryder Cups, picking up 24 points in the process. Experience vs Form.

Anirban Lahiri vs. Sam Horsfield: Horsfield won his singles match on Wednesday in the play-in match and faces a good matchup in Lahiri. This is Lahiri’s first singles match in four years in the LIV Team Championship, and he has the slight statistical edge. They are both good on the greens this year so it could be a strong putting contest.

Paul Casey/ Charles Howell III vs. Henrik Stenson/ Ian Poulter: Howell III has a new partner after three years and three losses with Lahiri. Casey ended the season ranked 1st in Approach. Between the three Europeans in this match, they have 17 Ryder Cup appearances and 33.5 points. All four players have lost strokes on the greens this season so whoever steps up and excels here will likely help their team over the line.

3. FIREBALLS GC vs. 10. HYFLYERS GC

David Puig vs. Phil Mickelson: The Arizona State alums face each other here with a 32-year age gap between them. Mickelson has played five matches in the Team Championship and has lost four while Puig has a 2-1 record. Puig has the edge looking at his gains Off The Tee and on the Green and their Head to Head holes.

Abraham Ancer vs. Cameron Tringale: Tringale is the only player in the league with a perfect 5-0 record at the Team Championship and plays Ancer, who has won three of his five. They have gained exactly the same vs. the field in Approach play this season, so this is a good matchup as both rank highly in Fairways and Greens Hit.

Josele Ballester/ Sergio Garcia vs. Brendan Steele/ Andy Ogletree: Ballester pairs up with his captain and mentor who also happens to be the record Ryder Cup point scorer. They are a much stronger pair Off The Tee in this match. They are more evenly matched in approach play with Ogletree and Ballester both losing strokes vs the field. Steele’s putting losses could be a factor to determine this match.

4. TORQUE GC vs. 9. RANGEGOATS GC

Joaquin Niemann vs. Bubba Watson: Five-time season winner Niemann takes on the two-time Masters winner Watson. They have previously faced off in match play with a halved match at the 2021 WGC Match Play. Both gaining well Off The Tee and on the greens, so this match likely determined by the best iron player over 18 holes.

Mito Pereira vs. Ben Campbell: Relegated Pereira takes on Ben Campbell in this match. Both lose more than a half-shot per round Off The Tee and lose strokes with the Approaches. Campbell has the advantage on the greens where he gains +0.78 strokes per round more than Pereira.

Sebastian Munoz/ Carlos Ortiz vs. Matthew Wolff / Peter Uihlein: Munoz and Ortiz are the elite pairing in Friday’s draw, finishing fourth and eighth in the league standings. They will be overwhelming favorites in this match, with both gaining well Off The Tee and Approaches. Ortiz does, however, lose strokes short approaches and on the greens where Uihlein gains.

5. 4ACES GC vs. 8. SMASH GC

Dustin Johnson vs. Brooks Koepka: The popcorn match of the Quarterfinals. Johnson won their previous encounter in 2022 2-up in the WGC Match Play. They have both won 3 and lost 1 in the Team Championship and have played with each other four times while representing the U.S., winning 2 and losing 2. Johnson has the slight edge on the head to head holes in 2025.

Patrick Reed vs. Talor Gooch: Former teammates Reed and Gooch face off here, having won the Team Championship together with the 4Aces in 2022. Reed, known as a match play specialist, has 12.5 points from his six Team USA appearances. Gooch finished 6th in the standings and Reed 7th just 3.3 points apart. Close statistically also.

Harold Varner III/ Thomas Pieters vs. Graeme McDowell / Jason Kokrak: Varner and Pieters have partnered each other previously for RangeGoats and won their foursomes match. Both have been excellent this season tee to green, gaining strokes Off The Tee and Approaches, so they have a clear advantage in this match. 4Aces were the only team this season with all four players to finish in the Lock Zone.

6. RIPPER GC vs. 7. STINGER GC

Lucas Herbert vs. Dean Burmester: Herbert, the early-season form horse vs. Burmester, who excelled towards the end of the season and a close match-up statistically. Both are strong Off The Tee and inside 150 yards with the wedges; both also lose similar amounts on the greens. A high-level match.

Cameron Smith vs. Branden Grace: Both of these players grew into the season and improved in the second half, so a match between two players in good form. Similar numbers Off The Tee and with the long irons, with both being excellent wedge players inside of 150 yards. Smith may have the ultimate edge with putting, which could be the difference.

Marc Leishman / Matt Jones vs. Louis Oosthuizen / Charl Schwartzel: Leishman has been elite with the irons this season as well as leading in par-3 scoring and tee shots for most of the season. This could be the difference between the teams although Schwartzel's elite putting could even this out.

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