Diane Knox Balas
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On Friday, the fourth of the LIV Golf Invitationals gets underway with a whole heap of new signings. Six, to be exact, defected from the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed venture, and I wrote about them here.
So what do we need to know about the event this week? Well, it begins on Friday, ends on Sunday and, as always with LIV, will be a shotgun start beginning at 1:15 pm. As well as the individual tournament, where the winner will walk away with $4 million, there’s the team element, which Cam Smith cited as one of the main appeals of his LIV deal. The winning team of four each receives $750k.
LIV Boston Course – The International
The course this week is the Oaks Course at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. It’s never hosted a professional event before so we don’t have much to compare it to, but the private club says they’re excited to host “big-time golf”.
It looks as though most holes on the course are tree-lined, which immediately puts a premium on accuracy off the tee. At 6,965 yards, it’s relatively short, which won’t put the shorter hitters at a distinct disadvantage, although we all know the advantage the longer hitters have being able to play short wedge shots into the greens.
The Tom Fazio design underwent a renovation last year with an emphasis on the bunkers, and that only strengthens my emphasis on accuracy and approach.
Two of the usual par-5s will play as par-4s this week (the 1st and 14th holes) and there are five par-3s, two of which measure over 200 yards.
Knox’s Knockout LIV Boston Picks
One thing we’ve seen at the previous three LIV Golf events are the players who were maybe viewed as “out of form” on the PGA Tour going out and winning – Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Henrik Stenson. Safe to say none of them were the favorites heading into the week.
Dustin Johnson has been the favorite for each of the three events, but this week he’s been knocked off the top spot by Cam Smith (Smith is +550 and DJ is +600 on Bet365). Joaquin Neimann also enters the conversation as a favorite at +900.
Abraham Ancer +2500 (Bet365)
With an emphasis on precision, I’m looking at Abraham Ancer this week. Ancer is a superb iron player whose greens in reg stat is always his strength, and he was 4th in driving accuracy before he quit the PGA Tour. He’s also steadily been gaining strokes on the greens all year. I’ll be watching Abe to cash in this week.
Cameron Tringale +5000 (Bet365)
Wouldn’t it just be fitting that Cameron Triangle would battle on the PGA Tour for 12 years, never get a win, then head off to LIV and get the monkey off his back right away? I mean, we saw a struggling Stenson, whose move to LIV was shrouded in Ryder Cup controversy, get the W in his debut start. The approach stat was the strength of Tringale’s game last season on the PGA Tour and should bode well for him around The International.
Anirban Lahiri +5000 (FanDuel)
I would love to know what Lahiri’s LIV signing-on fee was, but I’m just nosey. Anyway, out of all the new members, I think he’s an interesting prospect this week. His PGA Tour season was extremely streaky, but he played some really good golf towards the end at the Wyndham Championship (T8) and the Wells Fargo Championship (T6), plus his 2022 highlight has to be his runner-up finish at The Players. His ball-striking off-the-tee was his strength, and he finished the season 22nd in that stat category. I like these opening odds.
LIV Boston Prop Bets
Cameron Smith First Round Leader +1000 (Bet365)
If you’re like me and you want to put Cam Smith somewhere on your card, I like for him to be the first-round leader at 10/1. We all know how talented Smith is, and how good he’s been playing lately (let’s ignore the Tour Championship), so I think he’s going to come out of the gate hot.
Harold Varner III Top-5 finish +375 (Bet365)
Out of all the new LIV recruits, I like HV3’s statement and reason for leaving – the money. He said it! Another one who I hate to see leaving the PGA Tour without a win, however, this new league and format, along with the cash, may rejuvenate his game. Short odds, but I think it’s worth including.
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