The three biggest matchups in the semi-finals of the LIV Golf Team Championships.
Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau are among the LIV Golf stars ready to face off in the semi-final of the Team Championships in Michigan.
The Team Championship is a one-off event that follows the conclusion of the Individual Championship. Over three days, 12 teams go head-to-head in match play to progress to the Final. The Quarter-Finals saw 12 teams become six for the Semi-Final.
The captains of the highest ranked teams pick their opponents and lineups. LIV Golf’s biggest stars can decide who they go head-to-head against, leading to some heavyweight clashes between some of the all-time greats.
Here, we look at who captains Rahm, DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann chose to play in the hopes of progressing to Sunday’s final.
Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty ImagesJon Rahm (Legion XIII) vs Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC)
We’re set for a battle of generations between Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson in the marquee matchup of the semi-finals. Two-time major winner Rahm takes on the legendary Mickelson, who has six major championships to his name.
Rahm was the LIV Golf Individual Champion, winning in Indianapolis on the final day to claim the title over Joaquin Niemann. His consistency all season long allowed him to snatch the title from Niemann.
🚨🥛💦 #WATCH — LIV Golf Individual Champion Jon Rahm doused himself in milk following his season title in Indy. Rahm secured the $18M bonus without a single win during the 2025 season and 4 runner ups. pic.twitter.com/sv4aE6UVVk
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 17, 2025
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As the best-ranked team through the LIV Golf season, Rahm’s Legion XIII team chose to play against Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC in the Semi-Finals. It’s a challenge the ever-competitive Mickelson is looking forward to.
He said, “It’s a great opportunity for us… It’s a very meaningful day for us, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to play the number one team.”
Rahm, a friend of Mickelson who has featured on his highly successful YouTube channel, said, “As of late, most of our head-to-head matches have been on YouTube. Slightly different stakes, so I’m really looking forward to it. He’s a great friend and a great competitor.”
Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC) vs Taylor Gooch (Smash GC)
DeChambeau’s Crushers GC opted to play against Smash GC, captained by Brooks Koepka. Smash finished eighth in the team standings this year, and Koepka 31st in the individual standings.
But DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open winner, instead opted to face Smash’s Taylor Gooch, their highest-ranked player on the season who finished in sixth. He was ominous in his justification, saying “I have my reasons.”
“I don’t know what he was afraid of”, responded Koepka, when asked why DeChambeau didn’t pair them together. “He’s a strange cat.”
Brooks Koepka called Bryson DeChambeau a “strange cat” for not matching them up in the singles today at the LIV Golf Team Championship semi finals. The probable reason why Brooks, is you’re not the best player on Smash GC right now, Talor Gooch is 😉 pic.twitter.com/ADNu98rlEi
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) August 23, 2025
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Five-time major winner Koepka will play Anirban Lahiri, who finished 25th this season.
Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC) vs Dean Burmester (Stinger GC)
Niemann lost out on the title in controversial fashion to Rahm this season. Many think he should have been a runaway champion after winning a record five times in LIV Golf, while his competitor Rahm was winless going into the final event.
He has the opportunity to take the team title from Rahm, and his Torque GC will play Stinger GC in the semi-final. Niemann elected to take on Stinger captain Dean Burmester one-on-one.
Stop us if you’ve heard it before… Joaquin Niemann takes home another win!
UK 🇬🇧 is his 5th LIV Golf title of the year. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/PevD6HSeuB
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) July 27, 2025
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Burmester had an incredibly successful individual season, finishing fifth and winning in Chicago. He will prove a stern test to the near-champion Niemann who has endured an inconsistent season despite his five wins.
The South African admitted it would be a tough test for his team, however, saying, “They’re a great team that are playing well, so it’s going to be tough for us tomorrow.”
