YOUNG GUN SPOTLIGHT
Elvis Smylie: After winning in Riyadh, it would have been understandable for the youngest member of Ripper GC to have a letdown over his next few events. Smylie, however, still believes he has plenty to prove. This week, the Australian shot rounds of 68-65-67-66 to finish T8.
WHO’S TRENDING
Thomas Pieters: It was a great week for Pieters, who earned his first podium finish of his LIV Golf career. The addition of Detry to the 4Aces hasn’t only helped the team win, but it’s also seemed to help Pieters play comfortably on the team with his longtime friend. Pieters has now finished in the top 4 of two of his three starts this year.
Sergio Garcia: Garcia finished T8 as the defending champion and is quietly playing some very good golf to start the season. His underlying metrics indicate that a spike performance could be imminent. Garcia ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Approach so far this season.
Louis Oosthuizen: Oosthuizen finished T8 this week, but it was more so how he did it than where he finished. The Southern Guards GC captain gained 5.84 strokes on approach, which ranked 6th in the field and is the most he’s gained in the category since joining LIV Golf. Last year, Oosthuizen finished T5 in Singapore. He’s a player to watch out for in the upcoming week at Sentosa.
Smash GC: They may have lost Brooks Koepka, but Smash GC is a much different, and better, team in 2026. Revitalized by Talor Gooch, a player who energizes his team, Smash finished 2nd in Hong Kong and are clearly a more in sync unit.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Jon Rahm on feeling relieved after breaking his long winless streak …
“Very relieving. That’s the only way I can describe it. I’ve been very ecstatic for wins in the past. This one just feels like a big weight off my shoulder. That’s all I can say.”
Dustin Johnson on the 4Aces earning their first team win since London in 2023 …
“It feels good. Obviously, it’s always good to be on top. To finally get a win after a few years without having one, very proud of the guys. Obviously, yeah, we have a completely new team, but I think we have a very strong team. I’m very happy with them.”
Anthony Kim on playing for a team …
“I didn’t think that I would care as much just because I hadn’t been on a team about trying to scrap out one more stroke. But I definitely felt like they’re counting on me, they’re grinding as hard as they can, I need to keep doing my best, even if the score is not great. It gives you a little motivation to play better for the team.”
Matthew Wolff on rebounding from mistakes …
“Yeah, I think when you play bad enough for long enough, you start to realize that you can’t put too much focus on it. You’ve just got to pay attention to the good. I knew I couldn’t do anything about the past couple bad putts and stuff that I missed, just got to keep plugging away, which I was happy I did. I’ve gotten a lot stronger mentally, which has been nice.”
Thomas Pieters on his first podium finish on LIV Golf and losing to Jon Rahm …
“I played very, very good all week actually. Obviously I can’t control the fact that Jon is unbelievable at golf. Seeing him place second, it’s very satisfying. Being from such a small country, I remember at our local golf course, we’d be chipping and putting, and to be on the biggest stage and finish 2, 3 or actually have a shot at winning a tournament or going up against him, it’s pretty freaking cool.”