5 takeaways from Ancer’s move to Torque GC

Abraham Ancer's transition from Fireballs GC to join the all-Latin American Torque GC is one of the most significant moves of the 2026 LIV Golf free agency window. The Mexican star joins captain Joaquin Niemann's squad, creating a championship-caliber lineup.

Here are the five takeaways from the blockbuster move: 

1. Torque GC becomes instant contenders 

Torque now features four players who finished the 2025 season in the top 12 in the individual standings. The roster of Niemann (2nd), Sebastian Munoz (4th), Carlos Ortiz (8th) and Ancer (12th) immediately makes them a force to be reckoned with in the league. They now become the first team to have each of its four starters with at least one LIV Golf individual tournament victory.  

Legion XIII has been dominant since becoming the league's first expansion team, with eight regular season wins in 26 starts as well as winning the Michigan Team Championship last season. Their dominance will only become even more pronounced in 2026. With LIV Golf moving to a 72-hole format, Jon Rahm will be tougher than ever to keep out of the winner's circle, and two of the league’s youngest stars, Tom McKibbin and Caleb Surratt, are clearly getting better every day. Additionally, Tyrrell Hatton should finish much higher than the 26th he recorded last year.  

Torque GC has now officially assembled a formidable roster that can go toe-to-toe with Rahm’s powerhouse team. Niemann’s squad is now primed for a possible rivalry for the 2026 season and beyond. If Ancer had replaced the relegated Mito Pereira’s scores last season, Torque would have had 4 additional wins. It would have also turned their 10-shot victory at LIV Golf Indianapolis into a 16-shot victory.  

• At LIV Golf Adelaide, Ancer outperformed Pereira by 14 shots and would have vaulted Torque to the top of the leaderboard by six shots.  

• At LIV Golf Singapore, Ancer outperformed Pereira by 16 shots and would have given Torque a 10-stroke victory.  

• At LIV Golf Mexico City, Ancer outperformed Pereira by 8 shots, which would have led to a one-stroke victory.  

• At LIV Golf Virginia, Ancer outperformed Pereira by 13 shots, which would have led to a two-stroke victory.

2. Torque GC's All-Latin American identity  

Ancer’s arrival allows Torque GC to keep its identity as the definitive Latin American golf team after Pereira was relegated. For Ancer, the decision was driven by cultural alignment, joining close friends and fellow Spanish speakers from Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. 

Said Ancer: “Joining Torque GC is an exciting next step, both personally and professionally. Competing as part of an all-Latin team alongside close friends, whom I admire on and off the golf course adds a layer of connection and purpose that I can't wait to be a part of.” 

3. Ancer and Ortiz reunited 

LIV Golf’s only two Mexican players, Ancer and Ortiz, are reunited after spending the last two seasons competing against each other. They were teammates in the 2022 and 2023 season for the Fireballs before Ortiz moved to Torque. The two share a deep history and have both represented Mexico in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. They have spoken extensively about the special feeling of competing for their country, a shared purpose that now fuels Torque GC.  

Torque will now have a true home-field advantage in Mexico City, featuring two Mexican stars on the same roster, giving the country a unified team to rally behind, rather than splitting fan support between Ancer and Ortiz on separate squads. 

Prior to LIV Golf Mexico City last season, Ancer spoke about playing in front of the home crowd: “Every time I come to Mexico, it's very exciting. Obviously I feel the nerves of playing at home, which is really cool, and we want to put on a really good show, and Mexico City is a really special place, I city that I love to visit, that I love to play golf in front of my people, and it's going to be a great week. I think the Mexican culture is truly going to reflect what this event is all about.”

4. Fireballs GC now have an opening to become an all-Spanish team 

Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC are losing a great player in Ancer, but they now have a chance to become an all-Spanish team depending on who they target as a replacement. Over the last two seasons, the Fireballs have rostered three Spanish players in all 28 LIV Golf events. Anchored by a home event at Valderrama and the identity driven by Garcia's focus on national pride, a roster of four Spaniards would create the ideal competitive and cultural foundation for the Fireballs GC. 

5. Torque now rosters an unmatched ball-striking unit 

Beyond the cultural and emotional alignment, the new Torque GC lineup presents a statistical advantage, creating the league's most potent collective ball-striking unit. The team is anchored by immense strength off the tee, with all four members ranking in the top-17 of the league in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2025.  

• 3rd: Joaquin Niemann (+0.99) 

• 10th: Sebastian Munoz (+0.41) 

• 12th: Abraham Ancer (+0.36) 

• 17th: Carlos Ortiz (+0.25) 

All four players also ranked in the Top 14 in Strokes Gained: Approach.  

• 2nd: Sebastian Munoz (+0.74) 

• 7th: Joaquin Niemann (+0.58) 

• 13th: Carlos Ortiz (+0.34) 

• 14th: Abraham Ancer (+0.28) 

This collective excellence from tee-to-green guarantees the team is constantly putting itself in prime scoring position, providing a statistical foundation strong enough to seriously challenge any team in the league. Torque GC will make plenty of birdies, with four players ranking inside the top 18 in birdies made last season. Ancer has made 67 more birdies than Pereira over the last two seasons.