LIV Golf are getting their 2023 season underway, and this is the first time they will be settled on 12 teams of four, from the off. This gives you 48 players to follow throughout the season.
If you are new to the LIV Golf format, each week, individuals play 54 holes of stroke play, with no cut. Each player will then play simultaneously for their position on the Individual leaderboard, and the Team Leaderboard. So while as traditional for a golf tournament, the player with the lowest score at the end of the week wins the individual event, each player’s performance will also impact their team. Then, at the end of the week, an Individual Champion will be crowned, and there will also be a winning team, based on the cumulative lowest score among the 12 teams.
So where are LIV heading first and why is it so significant? LIV Golf kicks off their season in Mexico, specifically on the El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba. This course has been a staple on the PGA Tour since 2007, but the Greg Norman-designed course will now be on the LIV Tour schedule for the foreseeable future.
Before we get into our picks for the LIV Golf Mayakoba event, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for LIV Golf Mayakoba. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 guaranteed, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers, to wager with more confidence on your LIV Golf selections this week.
LIV Golf Mayakoba Course Preview
El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba is a course we know very well, as it has been a part of the PGA Tour schedule since 2007. This course typically plays to a Par 71 and plays just over 7,000 yards. It was listed as 7,017 yards at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in November 2022, when the PGA Tour played there for the last time.
The official yardage is yet to be confirmed for the LIV Golf Mayakoba event, but we can expect similar.
Greg Norman designed this course which is why we have seen the property make the move from PGA Tour to the LIV Tour, and the league will now look to embrace this tricky, but fair challenge.
At just over 7,000 yards, El Camaleón Golf Course has had to come up with other ways, other than length to test these pros, and it has managed it over the years. While the winning score has routinely been around the 20-under mark for the PGA Tour event, there is trouble to be found if you are not at your sharpest.
There are three par 3s here that measure under 155 yards, the par 5s are all reachable, and only one of the eleven par 4s stretches over 465 yards, so length isn’t a factor anywhere on the course. Instead, El Camaleón is typically set up to catch out those that are wild off the tee, as the Paspalum fairways are typically challenging to find, and are bordered by jungle and mangrove forests.
This event is one where accuracy is rewarded, and many players will opt for position off the tee, rather than distance this week.
Paspalum greens provide their own unique test and while some players relish the slower greens here, some players genuinely struggle on the surface. Putting on Paspalum is all about personal preference, and it will be a big factor this week.
LIV Golf Mayakoba Key Stats
- Par 4 Scoring – With 11 Par 4’s and short Par 3’s and Par 5’s it is no surprise this stat has been key to a player’s success here.
- Approaches from 150-175 Yards – Short-to-Mid iron play will be prevalent here, with distance taken off many tee shots here.
- Paspalum Putting – If a player has historically struggled to putt on Pasplalum greens, you should look elsewhere this week.
Former Course Winners in the Field at LIV Golf Mayakoba
- Pat Perez – Perez won the 2016 OHL Classic at Mayakoba
- Graeme McDowell – A year before Perez’s win, Graeme McDowell won the same event at this course.
Latest LIV Tour Signings
Thomas Pieters, Brendan Steele, and Danny Lee have been announced as the latest trio of signings, as they give up the chance to play on the PGA Tour, to join LIV.
Also confirmed to be joining LIV Golf, and Team Stingers, is South African, Dean Burmester.
LIV Golf Mayakoba Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner
Carlos Ortiz +3300 (Bet $100 to collect $3,400) The best odds for this Carlos Ortiz pick are at Bet365
Whilst Pat Perez and Graeme McDowell are the two players in the field this week, that have winning memories at El Camaleón, Mexican, Carlos Ortiz is the player with the best recent history at the event.
In his last three starts at El Camaleón, Carlos Ortiz finished 8th, 2nd, and 2nd in his home event. He also won the El Bosque Mexico Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour, so it is fair to say, Ortiz has enjoyed returning home, and the comforts that come with playing there.
After a hot start to life on the LIV Tour, where he finished 2nd and 4th in his first two events, Ortiz struggled toward the end of the season. Now though, he returns to a course he has played better than anyone in recent years, and with Abraham Ancer also on Fireballs GC, there will be a lot of expectation on the home favorites.
This is a course form play, but Ortiz will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot, Abraham Ancer, who has just recently won the Saudi International.
| Sportsbook | Odds | Payout ($100 Wager) |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 Sportsbook | +3300 | $3400 |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | +3100 | $3200 |
There are currently limited odds out for the LIV Golf Mayakoba event, but even with just two sportsbooks offering odds, you can see a $200 difference in your returns, when betting on Carlos Ortiz at Bet365 Sportsbook instead of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Make sure you are comparing the odds this week, instead of settling for a smaller profit on your favorite golfer.
Matthew Wolff +2000 (Bet $100 to collect $2100) The best odds for this Matthew Wolff pick are at Bet365
When you think about short courses that favor accuracy, you would be forgiven for scribbling Matthew Wolff off your list, but when you look at his experience at El Camaleón you may change your mind.
On his course debut in 2021, Matthew Wolff finished T5 in the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, opening with a round of 61 and closing with a strong 65 on Sunday as well.
As you might expect, he was caught out on Saturday, and his chances were put to bed with a Saturday 74, but after opening 61-68, it was always going to be hard to keep it going. Add in the fact he bounced back with a 65 on Sunday, and I love Wolff on this course.
Wolff warmed up nicely for the start of the new LIV Golf season, with a T10 finish at the Saudi International, where he shot a Saturday 63.
The unique talent has finished 2nd, 5th, and 8th on the LIV Tour already and he will be keen to get his first win on this stage.
We are not that far removed from Wolff contending at major championships, and at just 23 years of age, there is still plenty ahead of him.