LIV Golf returns to Greenbrier for the second time in as many years. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau returns to the West Virginia course after carding a 58 last year. However, the two-time major winner is not the absolute favorite. The table looks quite refreshing after Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton’s arrival. 

Moreover, with veterans like Sergio Garcia, Richard Bland, Louis Oosthuizen, and Paul Casey picking up form, the top ten is not a dominance of big five names anymore. With that being said, LIV Golf Greenbrier can cause interesting shakeups, as a victory or a top-five finish can radically alter the season-long standings. Here are the five players who are expected to be top dogs in the field of 54.

Jon Rahm

There isn’t much to say about the Spaniard that hasn’t already been said. Jon Rahm has turned into a top-ten cyborg netting one in every LIV Golf event barring Houston, where he walked off with a toe injury. Moreover, the triumph in the UK has finally got the monkey off his back. Rahm cited the media criticism as the fuel behind his fire at Centurion Golf Club. 

The two-time major winner was dubbed the biggest choke of the year after surrendering his four-shot lead at the Olympics. A similar fiery display like the UK might just propel him to the podium at LIV Golf Greenbrier. 

Jon Rahm is the only LIV golfer who has gained more than two strokes compared to the field in the last 50 rounds. If trends are anything to go by, you can’t be in more right direction. This will be Rahm’s debut at the par-70, 7,299-yard layout.

Bryson DeChambeau

Mr. 58 of LIV Golf returns to Old White TPC a year after setting a joint scoring record. Two things changed: the number of majors on his CV has increased by one, and his popularity has skyrocketed beyond anyone’s imagination. 

Nevertheless, DeChambeau is winless so far in the PIF-funded side, despite six top-tens. He has never finished outside the top 30. In the last 50 rounds, DeChambeau’s sg: tee-to-green is two strokes better than the field. 

He is also the only LIV golfer with all the strokes gained stats on the positive side—a testament to how deeply he has dug into his skillset. In his previous appearances at Old White TPC as a PGA Tour pro, DeChambeau has one missed cut and a T20. 

Joaquin Niemann

The Torque GC Captain is one of three LIV Golfers who have tasted victory at the very same course. For Niemann, Greenbrier offers a chance to wrap up the title race here. Should the Chilean International make a podium finish, he will climb beyond Jon Rahm’s reach. 

Niemann is landing in West Virginia with three back-to-back top-tens capped off with a T2 in LIV Golf UK. The 2024 LIV Mayakoba winner is 4th in reaching Greens in Regulation (72.22%) and 2nd in driving distance. Per Data Golf, Niemann’s true strokes gained: total (+1.76) is only bettered by Jon Rahm at LIV (+2.17). 

It won’t be surprising if the final round boils down between two LIV golf captains. In addition to his 2020 A Military Tribute victory, Niemann netted a T5 in 2018 at the Charles Blair Macdonald layout.

Tyrrell Hatton

The Englishman has yet to finish outside the top 25 in any of the tournaments so far. Moreover, Tyrrell Hatton has bagged a top-three finish in each of his last three appearances. Thanks to Hatton and Rahm’s top-notch performances, Legion XIII has lifted the team’s silverware a whopping four times already. Hatton is 10th in reaching greens in regulation, 5th in scrambling, and 2nd in putting average. Like his captain, this will be Hatton’s debut at White Sulphur Springs.

Cameron Smith

The Ripper GC captain has been quiet this year, save for the ‘home’ event at Adelaide. But he is coming off hot on the back of three consecutive top-tens in the last three LIV appearances. The T2 at the Centurion Club was the third runner-up finish this season. The Aussie is always lurking but hasn’t been able to break through yet. 

Smith has been let down by his leaking driver this year. He has hit only half the fairways this season, ranking 50th in the 54-man LIV golf roster. Irons haven’t lifted him up either; Smith is 30th in GIR% (66.31%). However, the Ripper GC captain’s flatsticks saved him from falling further behind. Realistically, a victory here would take him close to a top-three finish in the season-long table. Last year, Smith tied for 35 at LIV Golf Greenbrier.

The par-70 layout is not the most difficult one in LIV, but nevertheless, it is an interesting one. It doesn’t feature a par-5 until the 12th and ends on a par-3. The ‘Home’ hole (18th) is a test of patience and strategy thanks to the horseshoe ridge dissecting the green. Deft putting will be rewarded but a blind approach will be punished in the shortest hole.

Scores have been traditionally low; DeChambeau’s 58 was the second sub-60 round at Greenbrier. The bentgrass greens might be slower than the UK considering the high probability of thunderstorms and rain. The $25 million purse LIV Golf Greenbrier kickstarts on August 16, live on CW Network in the U.S.