Robert TheodorsonReal Club Valderama, widely considered the crown jewel of golf courses on the LIV makes it’s fourth appearance on the LIV Golf circuit. LIV Andalucia kicks off the Euro leg of LIV’s schedule and will serve as a fine testing ground for those fortunate enough to compete in this month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Last season, Real Club Valderama hosted what will likely go down as one of LIV’s most dramatic and exciting finishes in league history. Talor Gooch recaptured some of his former glory with a surprise win over heavy favorite and hometown hero Jon Rahm.
LIV Korea surprised fans with an old fan favorite coming out of seemingly nowhere to claim victory.
Joaquin Niemann, now an eight-time winner on LIV, outdueled Talor Gooch and finished one better than 2025 champion and previous favorite Bryson DeChambeau.
Now Niemann, along with reigning LIV Andalucia champion Talor Gooch, DeChambeau, hometown Spanish stars, and LIV golfers representing their league in the 2026 U.S. Open all compete to take home one more victory before the season’s third major championship.
We take a look at the men who have the best chance to win the fourth iteration of LIV Andalucia!
Top 5 Projected Performers
(1) Jon Rahm
LIV Korea Finish: T25;1-under par
Last season’s bid to win on home soil fell just short by way of a playoff loss to eventual champion Talor Gooch. Like most of his 2025 season, Rahm came up just short, failing to record a win after coming in second so many times.
Now a multiple trophy winner in 2026, Rahm would like nothing more than to go into The U.S. Open coasting on a huge win in his native Spain.
To be ready for Andalucia and tournaments beyond, Rahm must rebound from a T25 finish in Korea, one of the worst finishes in his LIV career. Despite the poor finish, there’s no one we trust more than Rahm to brush off a poor tournament and put Korea in the past and focus on the task at hand.
(2) Talor Gooch
LIV Korea Finish: 2nd (Lost in Playoffs to Niemann) 12-under par
With a win, Gooch would become the first player in league history to win at a singular venue for a third time. Brooks Koepka won twice at Jeddah. Wins in 2023 & 2025 (the latter being a playoff win against Jon Rahm) makes Gooch a clear favorite based on his past mastery of Valderama.
Before his 2025 win, Gooch had not necessarily gone cold, but going from the league individual champion in 2023 to just another member of the field must have been difficult to digest for one of the league’s winningest golfers.
With his recent performance in Korea, Gooch’s stock is trending upwards in a big way.
(3) Joaquin Niemann
LIV Korea Finish: 1st (Won in Playoffs against Gooch) 12-under par
Is he back?
LIV Korea was Nieman’s first win on the 2026 season after an absolutely dominant 2025 in which the Torque captain claimed victory a league record five times in a single season!
Joaco’s win at Korea, paired with a respectable T18 finish at The PGA Championship likely signals that Niemann is back in contention for the remainder of the season.
(4) Bryson DeChambeau
LIV Korea Finish: 3rd; 11-under par
Missing what would have been a three-way playoff by a single stroke, DeChambeau is still having a fantastic season despite the porous results at major championships.
Always a major force, DeChambeau should be looking forward to what looks like very difficult Valderama course before an even more difficult challenge at Shinnecock.
Potentially a Top 10 favor golfer for the 2026 U.S. Open, DeChambeau would love nothing more than to go into New York with a recent win and some renewed confidence.
(5) Sergio Garcia
LIV Korea Finish: T20; 2-under par
Two seasons ago Garcia claimed victory in Andalucia in what was one of the better playoffs LIV had ever seen. Despite not being able to pull out a win in 2026, Garcia is in fantastic form, having finished in 2nd place through a hotly contested affair in Virginia and ending LIV Korea with a decent, but unspectacular, 2-under par finish.
After the close call in Virginia, Andalucia is absolutely going to be Sergio’s best chance for a win for the remainder of the season. If he’s able to pull it off, Garcia’s win would mark the 3rd season in a row he’s won a LIV Golf event.
Presumably done for majors season, Garcia would be wise to put every ounce of energy he has into making this win at Valderrama a reality.
Top Projected Team
Fireballs
Pay no attention to what transpired in Korea for the Fireballs. Sergio and company are heading home next week and should be considered a hometown favorite for LIV Andalucia.
While the smart money is likely on one of the Crushers, Ripper, 4 Aces, or Legion XIII, I really do like the Fireballs to come together as a team behind Garcia’s desire to win and pull together the low score. David Puig has been amazing most of the season and Josele Ballester is showing he has a bright future ahead of him.
Around the League: What You Need to Know Before Korea
- LIV Golf Field at Shinnecock: Laurie Canter, Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Lucas Herbert, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Joaquin Niemann, Carlos Ortiz, David Puig, Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, Caleb Surratt, and Peter Uihlein.
- LIV Korea was Joaquin Niemann’s first win since LIV UK in July 2025. That season, Niemann had won an amazing five times, a LIV Golf record that is likely to never be broken.
- Bryson DeChambeau’s consistency has kept him in the running for the season-long individual championship. Rahm’s lackluster finish in Korea created some much-needed gap closure between him and DeChambeau who now only sit less than 200 points apart.
- Phil Mickelson’s absence from LIV Golf opened the door for Scott Vincent to play on Phil’s HyFlyers. Vincent made the most of his opportunity finishing LIV Korea T5;9-under par, making it one of Vincent’s best finishes of his career in LIV.
