LIV GOLF

First Look: LIV Golf Chicago

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September 18, 2023

Cameron Smith 2022 LIV Golf Chicago — Fans look on as Team Captain Cameron Smith of Punch GC plays his shot from the 1st tee during Day 2 of the LIV Golf Invitational – Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms on Sept 17, 2022 in Sugar Grove, Ill. (Photo by Joe Scarnici for LIV Golf via Getty Images)

An early glance at LIV Golf Chicago, the 12th of 14 tournaments in the 2023 LIV Golf League season.

The Skinny

When: September 22-24, 2023
Where: Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Illinois
Competition: 54 holes of stroke play
Field: 48 players/12 teams
Purse: US $25 million ($20 million individual, $5 million team)
Winner’s Share: US $4 million (individual), $3 million (team)
Local tee time: Shotgun start for Rds. 1-2 at 12:15 p.m. CDT, Rd. 3 at 12:05 p.m.

Key Storylines

Cameron Smith Wins 2022 LIV Golf Invitational-Chicago — Cameron Smith of Punch GC reacts on the 18th green after winning the LIV Golf Invitational – Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms on Sept 18, 2022 in Sugar Grove, Ill. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey for LIV Golf via Getty Images)

LIV Golf returns to Chicago, site of last year’s win by Cameron Smith (individual) and 4Aces GC (team)
Defending champion Smith has two wins in 2023 and leads the season-long Individual Champion points standings
Smith comes off a dominant seven-stroke victory in Bedminster, the largest individual winning margin in LIV Golf history
Smith’s all-Australian Ripper GC won its first team trophy at Bedminster – the eighth different team to win a LIV Golf tournament
Two tournaments remain in the 2023 regular season that will crown the Individual Champion and determine seeding for the season-ending Team Championship in Miami
Five teams – 4Aces GC, Torque GC, Stinger GC, Crushers GC and RangeGoats GC – remain mathematically alive for the top four seeds that will receive first-round byes
Jediah Morgan, James Piot, Chase Koepka and Sihwan Kim are currently in the Drop Zone with two tournaments left to improve their status

Quoteboard

“I think the fans were awesome there last year. That’s probably what I remember the most. And the corn fields, that was pretty cool. But the fans were unreal, they were behind me all week and I can’t wait to get back there and show them something else.”
– CAMERON SMITH, 2022 LIV GOLF CHICAGO CHAMPION

“I didn’t have a great tournament there last year so I’m ready to go try and make up for it.”
– TALOR GOOCH, THREE-TIME 2023 WINNER

“There’s going to be a lot of friends out there. A lot of faces I haven’t seen in a long time. The Illini fundraiser for our golf team is the Sunday before so I’m going to go to that. Yeah, it’s going to be really cool to see coach again and some of the guys, some of the former golfers. They are going to come back for that event as well. It’ll be a lovely evening.”
– THOMAS PIETERS, FORMER UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS STAR

The Course

Hudson Swafford walks up the first hole during a practice round ahead of the LIV Golf Invitational – Chicago at Rich Harvest Farms on Sept 13, 2022 in Sugar Grove, Ill. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey for LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Name: RICH HARVEST FARMS
Where: Sugar Grove, Illinois
Stats: Par 71, 7,401 yards

Located less than an hour outside of Chicago, Rich Harvest Farms is consistently ranked in Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses
Owned and built by Jerry Rich, the course consists of 18 perfectly manicured holes and is an 1,820-acre showcase of nature and agriculture
When it officially opened in 1999, Rich Harvest Farms was rated the 5th Best New Private Golf Course by Golf Digest
In addition to successfully hosting the 2022 LIV Golf Chicago tournament won by Cameron Smith (individual) and 4Aces GC (team), Rich Harvest Farms also hosted the 2009 Solheim Cup as well as numerous collegiate events, including the 2017 NCAA Division 1 Golf Championships
The popular “Watering Hole” concept prominently featured at LIV Golf Adelaide will be available to LIV Golf Chicago fans at the par-3 17th hole, with amphitheater-style seating from tee to green, a live DJ, player-selected walk-up music, and introductions by legendary Chicago sports public address announcer Ray Clay

How to Watch

United States: The CW Network airs the LIV Golf League in 100% of U.S. markets.

Friday: Live on The CW App, LIV Golf Plus and LIV Golf YouTube

Saturday and Sunday: Live on The CW, LIV Golf Plus and LIV Golf YouTube

Global: Broadcast in over 160 international territories Live and On-Demand, free of charge, via LIV Golf Plus. Available for download on iOS, Android, FireTV, and on LIVGolfPlus.com. Also airing on 12 international broadcast partners and counting.

Credit: LIV Golf Media