LIV Golf is a league where many languages are spoken and the Spanish accent is getting stronger. There are four Spaniards playing on the tour this season: Sergio García, David Puig and Eugenio López-Chacarra, who play together in the Fireballs GC, and Jon Rahm, star signing of the winter market, in Legion XIII. There is less than a month left until they return to Valderrama (12-14 July), and although they have resisted an individual victory so far, all members of the Armada will arrive in their homeland in very good condition.
Of the four Spaniards, Rahm has had the most impressive year. Despite all the challenges that his adaptation to the new league has entailed – three rounds instead of four per tournament, shotgun starts, playing in teams – the Lion of Barrika is second in the individual ranking, only behind Joaco Niemann, having finished in the top ten in the nine tournaments he has played to date. He had to withdraw from the Houston event due to a foot injury, but he returned in the last event, in Nashville, where he achieved a tied third place (and on Saturday he signed a round of 63 strokes, the lowest round of all).
For his part, García has had a year with more ups and downs, but he already has two second places, both harvested in playoffs against Niemann in Mayakoba, and Dean Burmester in Miami. In addition, he added another top 5, the week before the US Open, in Houston. In fact, only Patrick Reed has more top 5 than him in the history of this league. Currently, the golfer from Borriol is sixth in the ranking.
His partner, Puig, has also been very close to victory. The Catalan player, one of the great promises of LIV Golf, finished third in the Houston event, going out with all the options of victory. In addition, the one from La Garriga has an excellent memory of last year’s Valderrama, where he achieved his best individual result since the start in LIV Golf until Houston, finishing in fourth place.
And lastly there is López-Chacarra, the third member of the Fireballs and another star of the future. Before signing for LIV Golf, the Madrid player was number 2 in the World Amateur Ranking, and became a real sensation by winning his first title on the tour in his fifth tournament, in Singapore. The Asian city suits him well: in the last edition of the tournament, played just six weeks ago, Chacarra finished in 10th place, fighting at the top.
Rahm and Puig will arrive at Valderrama, in addition, after having qualified for the Paris Olympic Games, so the expectations around them will be even greater. At the same time, Sergio lands in Valderrama shortly after signing his best performance in a Major in seven years, achieving twelfth place in Pinehurst.
In the team area, the results have also been very good. Rahm‘s squad, the Legion XIII, won their third title of the season in Nashville, which leaves them less than 10 points behind the leaders, the Crushers of Bryson DeChambeau, with great chances of winning the team title when the season comes to an end in Dallas in September. Meanwhile, the Fireballs of García, Puig and López-Chacarra have finished in second position in the last two tournaments before Nashville. Clearly, they are going in the right direction.
In this way, as the date in Valderrama approaches, the expectation of a great Spanish performance is huge and more than justified. Rahm will be fresh after his rest, although it has not been under the circumstances that the player himself would have chosen; for their part, García, Puig and López-Chacarra will have plenty of motivation.
Millions of Spaniards will be looking towards Germany in search of a long-awaited victory this summer, although perhaps the great triumph will end up being achieved at home. If you want to witness the decisive moments up close, get your tickets at livgolf.com.
