Top 5 groups to watch in the first round of LIV Golf Tulsa

LIV Golf Tulsa is set to tee off on Friday, May 11, at the Cedar Ridge Country Club in Oklahoma. The event will feature 48 players in 12 teams competing against each other for the whopping $25 million prize purse on offer.

Ahead of the event, LIV officials let out the group pairings for Friday’s round one. Much like the rebel series’ field, the pairings are as interesting as it gets.

5 groups to watch at LIV Golf Tulsa

Here are the groups for the first round of LIV Golf Tulsa:

Friday's Rd. 1 groups for #LIVGolfTulsa at Cedar Ridge

Shotgun start: 12:15 p.m. local (1:15 p.m. ET) https://t.co/UA2J03ghEn

1) Talor Gooch - Sergio Garcia - Dustin Johnson

The LIV Golf Tulsa will tee off on hole 1 with LIV Golf Adelaide and Singapore champion Talor Gooch. The golfer, looking for a third consecutive win this weekend, will play with some familiar faces on the first hole. He’ll be joined by the likes of Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson, the captain of Gooch’s former team, 4Aces GC.

This will be the third consecutive round that Gooch starts with Garcia. Notably, the RangeGoats GC star has beaten the Fireballs GC captain in the final two rounds in Singapore. It’s safe to note that the ace Spanish golfer will be looking for revenge over the weekend. However, it’ll be less spicy compared to Gooch’s faceoff with ex-teammate Johnson.

2) Phil Mickelson - Brooks Koepka - Martin Kaymer

LIV Golf Tulsa will have three round-one groupings with three skippers taking on each other. However, the second group pairing featuring HyFlyers GC captain Phil Mickelson, Smash GC’s Brooks Koepka, and Cleeks GC’s Martin Kaymer is the most notable one. The trio of skippers will go up against each other in an all-PGA Championship winners group starting on hole no. 2.

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3) Bubba Watson - Cameron Smith - Bryson DeChambeau

Hole no. 5 will have a star-studded lineup waiting their turn to tee off on Friday. Much like hole 2, three skippers, RangeGoats GC’s Bubba Watson, Ripper GC’s Cameron Smith, and Crushers GC’s Bryson DeChambeau, will play together on hole 5. With Smith and DeChambeau looking for a long overdue win, the grouping promises action.

4) Charles Howell III - Peter Uihlein - Matthew Wolff

Talor Gooch isn’t the only former Oklahoma State star on the LIV Golf roster this weekend. In fact, three other such names will be facing off against each other in the same group on Friday. Starting on hole no. 18, Crushers GC’s Charles Howell III will take on 4Aces GC’s Peter Uihlein and Smash GC’s Matthew Wolff. With Uihlein and Howell in the run for the LIV Golf League’s Individual Champion standings, this will be one interesting group to watch.

5) Chase Koepka - Laurie Canter - David Puig

Hole no.10 will have Smash GC’s Chase Koepka, Majesticks GC’s Laurie Canter, and Torque GC’s David Puig. While the pairing doesn’t necessarily stand out, it is one to watch out for. With LIV Golf Adelaide star Koepka and Canter looking for a permanent spot on the LIV roster together, the grouping might be an entertainer.