LIV Golf Chicago
Purse: $20M individual, $5 million team
Winner's share: $4M individual, $3M team
Location: Bolingbrook Golf Club
Yardage: 7,224
Par: 71
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Tournament Preview
The 2025 LIV Golf season is in its final month, with three tournaments left and just two to go in the regular-season.
The league wrapped up its international events two weeks ago in the United Kingdom, which saw Joaquin Niemann dominate from start to finish to capture his fifth LIV Golf trophy of the season. The Torque GC captain entered Championship Sunday with an eight-stroke lead, which was more than enough cushion to withstand a spirited push from Bubba Watson. While Niemann continues to dominate on the individual side of things, Jon Rahm's Legion XIII squad extended their lead at the top of the team standings with a convincing eight-stroke victory over Torque. The Legion have won eight of 25 tournaments since entering the league in 2024 and are firmly ahead of the Crushers.
For the second year in a row, the top of the individual standings is a two-horse race between Niemann and Rahm. Niemann's five victories has him firmly on top, and he would lock up the 2025 Individual Championship if he were to beat Rahm by 2.37 points. They are the only two players who can mathematically win the Individual Championship, with Bryson DeChambeau a distant third. Even if things at the top are settled after Chicago, the race for third comes with a cool $4 million bonus, giving Talor Gooch and Patrick Reed plenty to play for. The biggest movers in the standings were the players who joined Niemann on the podium at JCB Golf and Country Club; Watson (second) has surged up to 13th in the standings while Caleb Surratt (third) now sits 32nd and only 7.57 points from the last spot in the Lock Zone currently occupied by Dustin Johnson.
Individual Standings
- Joaquin Niemann (Captain, Torque GC) - 206.80 points (--)
- Jon Rahm (Captain, Legion XIII) - 169.16 points (--)
- Bryson DeChambeau (Captain, Crushers GC) - 136.24 points (--)
- Talor Gooch (Smash GC) - 101.20 points (6)
- Patrick Reed (4Aces GC) - 100.28 points (4)
- Sergio Garcia (Captain, Fireballs GC) - 86.20 points (5)
- Sebastian Munoz (Torque GC) - 84.73 points (--)
- Dean Burmester (Stinger GC) - 77.25 points (13)
- Lucas Herbert (Ripper GC) - 71.90 points (8)
- Marc Leishman (Ripper GC) - 70.00 points (12)
- David Puig (Fireballs GC) - 68.60 points (10)
- Abraham Ancer (Fireballs GC) - 67.91 points (9)
- Bubba Watson (Captain, RangeGoats GC) - 66.36 points (31)
- Carlos Ortiz (Torque GC) - 66.00 points (11)
- Tom McKibbin (Legion XIII) - 65.27 points (14)
Team Standings
- Legion XIII - 216.66 points (--)
- Crushers GC - 172.00 points (--)
- Fireballs GC - 155.00 points (--)
- 4Aces GC - 112.66 points (--)
- Ripper GC - 104.16 points (--)
- Torque GC - 104.00 points (--)
The top half of the team standings haven't changed, though Legion XIII extended their lead at the top over the Crushers. Torque GC finished second at LIV Golf UK, and they're just 0.16 points shy of Ripper for the fifth spot. The captains of the top-seeded teams will choose who they want to face in the quarterfinals of the Team Championship in Michigan, so the difference between fifth and sixth is in the ability to select your opponent.
Champion's Profile
It's the fourth consecutive year that Chicago will host a LIV Golf tournament, with Bolingbrook Golf Course serving as the venue for a second straight time. Rahm won last year thanks to his combination of dart-like accuracy off the tee and his approach game, which put him in position to convert birdie opportunities and avoid dropping shots.
The par-4 15th is 342 yards and presents long hitters like DeChambeau the opportunity to drive the green for a shot at eagle. There have been a couple of changes to the course, most notably the par-4 12th will play as a par-5, with the added tee box lengthening the hole to 621 yards. Bogey avoidance will be key at Bolingbrook, though that's easier said than done on holes like the 237-yard, par-3 fourth, which had a stroke average of 3.36 in 2024 with only four birdies made. Mike McAllister of LIV Golf has, as always, a great overview of this weekend's tournament in Chicago, including the top storylines and more information about Bolingbrook Golf Club.
Here are my DFS picks for LIV Golf Chicago, the penultimate regular-season tournament of 2025:
DraftKings Value Picks
Based on a Standard $50k Salary Cap
Tier 1 Values
Jon Rahm (Captain, Legion XIII) - $11,300 (Winning odds at the DraftKings Sportsbook: +500)
Rahm has his work cut out for him over the next two weeks as he looks to surpass Niemann to capture the LIV Golf Individual Championship for a second consecutive year. Chicago is a good place to start, as Rahm won in Chicago last year to seal the season-long title in his inaugural LIV Golf campaign. As if he needs further motivation, a strong finish to the regular season could thrust the 30-year-old Spaniard into serious contention to join Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton on the Europe Ryder Cup team. Rahm leads the league in GIR and ranks second and fourth in birdies made and scrambling opportunities, respectively.
Joaquin Niemann (Captain, Torque GC) - $10,800 (+750)
Niemann was already having an impressive LIV Golf season before the United Kingdom, but the fact he's won five times this year is unprecedented in the league's short history. He's up to seven LIV Golf individual trophies, which is two more than Brooks Koepka. Niemann hasn't done that well in the LIV Golf tournaments he hasn't won and wasn't able to carry that momentum into the majors (other than his T8 finish at the PGA Championship, his first top-10 finish at a major), but Niemann has an opportunity to lock up the Individual Championship that was firmly in his grasp in 2024 before Rahm's late surge. Niemann leads the league in birdies made, ranks second in GIR and driving distance and top-20 in scrambling opportunities, putts per hole and driving accuracy.
Talor Gooch (Smash GC) - $10,200 (20-1)
The race for the top-2 will lead the storylines heading into Chicago, but Gooch has quietly surged into the top-5 of the individual season standings thanks to his victory at LIV Golf Andalucia and his solo fourth in the United Kingdom. While he's not in contention to become the first player to win the Individual Championship twice, Gooch is within striking distance of Bryson DeChambeau for third in the standings, which comes with a cool $4 million bonus. Gooch ranks top-10 in driving accuracy, GIR and scrambling opportunities while also sitting T20 in birdies made and putts per hole.
Tier 2 Values
Patrick Reed (4Aces GC) - $9,600 (22-1)
Reed managed to sneak into the top 10 at LIV Golf UK after carding a five-under 66 final round, gaining more strokes on Sunday than he did in the previous two days combined. He finished in the top-10 in four of the last five LIV Golf tournaments -- including his victory in Dallas -- which has him neck-and-neck with Gooch in the individual standings as they both chase DeChambeau for third. Reed ranks third in the field in scrambling opportunities and T12 in GIR.
Tom McKibbin (Legion XIII) - $8,900 (35-1)
The 22-year-old Northern Irishman was close to cracking into the top-10 for a third straight LIV Golf tournament before settling for a T11 finish at LIV Golf UK. McKibbin's recent string of performances has raised him up to 15th in the individual season standings. His putting game (T44) has held him back this season, but he does rank in the top-10 in scrambling opportunities, driving distance and GIR.
Sergio Garcia (Captain, Fireballs GC) - $8,500 (30-1)
Garcia started the season strongly with three top-10 finishes over the first five LIV Golf tournaments, including his victory in Hong Kong in March. He hasn't been able to maintain that level of play since April, though he has finished T10-T21 in the last two LIV tournaments. He has demonstrated previous success at Bolingbrook, having finished T2 in 2024, which was good enough for him to finish third in the season standings. Garcia ranks T3 in driving accuracy and 14th in both scrambling opportunities and putts per hole.
Tier 3 Values
Cameron Tringale (HyFlyers GC) - $8,300 (45-1)
Tringale entered LIV Golf UK having finished T9 and T7 in Dallas and Andalucia, respectively, but he couldn't carry that momentum into JCB Golf and Country as he slid to a T29 finish. That said, Tringale has the tools you would want for Bolingbrook; he's fifth in scrambling opportunities and in the top-12 in putts per hole, driving accuracy and GIR. He's 25th in the individual standings, and a strong performance in Chicago would have him surge into the Lock Zone.
Brooks Koepka (Captain, Smash GC) - $8,000 (60-1)
It's been a truly disappointing season for Koepka, who made the cut in only one major (T12 at the U.S. Open) and has finished T30 or worse in five of the last six LIV Golf tournaments, including a withdrawal from Dallas due to an illness. Still, taking a flier on the Smash GC captain for $8,000 isn't a bad strategy, considering he finished T6 at Bolingbrook last year.
Harold Varner III (4Aces GC) - $7,700 (50-1)
Despite a three-under 68 final round, Varner was unable to crack into the top-24 at LIV Golf UK, marking just the second time this season that he hasn't earned points. Even so, Varner's accuracy in his approach (third in GIR) and off the tee (T12) will give him a chance to compete at Bolingbrook this weekend, where he finished T13 in 2024.
Tier 4 Values
Adrian Meronk (4Cleeks GC) - $7,400 (70-1)
Meronk raced out to a share of the clubhouse lead with Niemann and Brendan Grace with a six-under 65 first round, but the Polish golfer couldn't keep up the momentum and settled for a T7 finish. Still, it was Meronk's second consecutive top-15 finish, and he looks to be rounding into the same form that saw him win his first LIV Golf trophy in Riyadh in February.
Brendan Steele (HyFlyers GC) - $7,000 (80-1)
Steele barely missed out on points at LIV Golf UK, but he has finished T15 in two of the last four tournaments. He's 45th in the individual standings, so earning even a few points in Chicago would go a long way in avoiding relegation. Steele ranks T8 in GIR, T11 in birdies made and T12 in driving accuracy this season.
Ian Poulter (Co-captain, Majesticks GC) - $6,100 (300-1)
Time is running out for Poulter to avoid relegation from the LIV Golf league. The three-time PGA Tour winner currently sits 51st in the individual standings, with his only points coming from a T13 finish in Korea in May. Poulter finished solo fifth at Bolingbrook last year, and a similar result would almost certainly guarantee his place in LIV Golf in 2026.
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