Who qualified for LIV Golf semifinals? Exploring the quarterfinal result of the team championship decider
The quarterfinals of the 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship were played this Friday, September 20, at Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas, Texas. The five victorious teams advanced to Saturday's semifinals.
The big shock of the day came when Kevin Na's IronHeads GC team, ranked 13th in the season rankings, defeated Brooks Koepka's fourth-ranked Smash GC team.
Koepka won his singles match against Na, but Danny Lee defeated Talor Gooch in the other singles match. Meanwhile, in foursomes, Jinishiro Kozuma and Kieran Vincent triumphed over Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell on the first playoff hole after a tied 18-hole match.
The other surprise of the day was delivered by the HyFlyers GC, led by Phil Mickelson. The team, ranked 12th after the regular season, upset the 5th-ranked Torque GC.
Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann won his singles match against Andy Ogletree, but Cameron Tringale defeated Sebastian Muñoz in the other singles match. In foursomes, Mickelson and Brendan Steele defeated Mito Pereira and Carlos Ortiz.
The other three matches saw results more in line with the teams' performances during the regular season.
Fireballs GC 3, Majesticks GC
Singles
- Eugenio Chacarra defeated Henrik Stenson
- David Puig defeated lan Poulter
Foursomes
- Sergio Garcia/Abraham Ancer defeated Lee Westwood/Sam Horsfield
Stinger GC 3, Cleeks GC 0
Singles
- Branden Grace defeated Adrian Meronk
- Dean Burmester defeated Kalle Samooja
Foursomes
- Louis Oosthuizen/Charl Schwartzel defeated Martin Kaymer/Richard Bland
4Aces GC 2, RangeGoats GC 1
Singles
- Peter Uihlein defeated Dustin Johnson
- Patrick Reed defeated Thomas Pieters
Foursomes
- Harold Varner III/Pat Perez defeated Bubba Watson/Matthew Wolff
A look into the LIV Golf Team Championship semi-finals
Iron Heads GC, HyfLyers GC, Fireballs GC, Stinger GC, and 4Aces GC have qualified for the semifinals of the LIV Golf Team Championship, joining the three direct qualifiers, namely, Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers GC, Jon Rahm's Legion XIII GC, and Cameron Smith's Ripper GC.
The latter three teams, as direct qualifiers, will choose their opponents, while the fourth semifinal match will be between the two unseeded teams. The format for these matches will be similar to the quarterfinals. The four winning teams will advance to Sunday's final. Unlike the first two rounds, Sunday's matches will be played in a stroke-play format, and all players' scores will be added to the team score.
This is the final event of the LIV Golf season, which saw Jon Rahm crowned the individual champion the previous week in Chicago. Rahm has the opportunity to become the second individual and team champion in the league's young history, following in the footsteps of Dustin Johnson, who achieved this feat in the inaugural season.
In 2023, Talor Gooch secured the individual title, while Crushers GC claimed the LIV Golf Team Championship.
The breakaway league's schedule will not resume until 2025. However, a Promotions Event will be held at the end of 2024 to determine the replacement players for those who may have lost their places in the league during the current season.