6 big stories to follow at LIV Golf Jeddah

JEDDAH: Jeddah, the penultimate stop in the 2023 LIV Golf League, is probably the most important in the 14-event schedule.

This week’s LIV Golf Jeddah, presented by ROSHN, at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City is the last-stop saloon for several players to retain their places in the lucrative league’s 2024 season.

The $20 million tournament will also determine the individual champion of the 2023 LIV Golf League, and the teams have one last chance to jockey for better positions going into next week’s $50 million Team Championship in Miami.

Here are the six big stories worth following this week.

The race for the Individual Championship

The Individual Championship of LIV Golf’s 2023 season will be decided in Jeddah and it is now down to three players — Cameron Smith (170 points), Talor Gooch (162) and Bryson DeChambeau (146).

With 40 points for the champion this week, Patrick Reed, who is in fourth with 121 points, has no chance of going past Smith.

Crushers captain DeChambeau has to win to secure the $18 million bonus for the overall champion, but he will still need help from Smith, who has to finish lower than fifth place, and from Gooch, who needs to finish lower than third position.

Gooch, winner of three titles this year, will have to finish inside the top 10 in order to displace Smith, and then hope that the Australian finishes outside the points (24th place).

Both Gooch and Smith can secure the title provided they win this week.

The jostling for Team Championship

With the Team Championship scheduled for next week in Miami, there will be a battle on two fronts — those teams that want to finish in the top four (which secures them a bye in Friday’s quarterfinals), and the teams