The 2025 LIV Golf League kicks off in spectacular fashion in Saudi Arabia this week with the 54-hole tournament taking place under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club.
Known as the 'Oasis of the Capital', the course will welcome the 54-man field from Thursday to Saturday for a shotgun start format, with the action taking place in the evening with the floodlights on.
It is an intriguing decision to play the event at this time, as there have been few golf tournaments played in these conditions, but it adds to the spectacle and it promises to be an enthralling watch.
Jon Rahm was crowned the individual champion last year, taking the crown ahead of Joaquin Niemann, and those two are expecting to be in the running once again.
As for the team title, Crushers GC, made up of Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri and John Catlin (substitute player), claimed that honor ahead of Legion XIII.
While Tyrrell Hatton and Rahm, both priced at +725, make strong appeal to claim the spoils this week, there is value to be had elsewhere and the +2300 available on David Puig is hard to ignore.
The 23-year-old Spaniard is one of the hottest prospects in the world of golf and he has been in fine form on the DP World Tour this year, recording a third-place finish at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and a tied-fourth effort at the Bahrain Championship.
Unlike many of the 54-man field, Puig has been playing competitively and his game should be in fine shape heading to a course he enjoyed on his previous trip.
The World No. 77 was fifth at the 2024 Saudi Open, that performance coming a couple of months after he landed his second Asian Tour title at the Malaysian Open, and he looks to have a great chance of success this time around in Saudi.
Another player to keep an eye is American Caleb Surratt, who turned professional in January 2024 and immediately signed for LIV Golf, joining Rahm's Legion XIII team.
Retaining his place on the Spaniard's side, the 20-year-old will be hoping to kick on this year and improve on his best LIV finish of T12 achieved in Las Vegas in February 2024.
Surratt has had one outing in 2025, missing the cut at the International Series India, but that will have helped to blow away any cobwebs ahead of the season-opener in Riyadh.
The North Carolina-born star came close to winning at this course in the 2024 Saudi International, finishing tied-second alongside Cameron Smith after losing to Niemann in a playoff, and that strong course form can help him contend this week.
One of the biggest pre-season LIV signings was Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin, who was persuaded to make the switch to the Saudi-backed circuit despite earning a PGA Tour card for this campaign.
The 22-year-old is clearly talented, evidenced by his victory at the 2023 European Open on the DP World Tour, and he will be eager to get his LIV career off to a quick start after being added to Legion XIII.
McKibbin finished joint-sixth at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in his first start of the year before missing the cut at the Ras Al Khamaih Championship, although the rumors surrounding his impending switch to LIV during that event are mitigating factors for his display.
Now fully focused and ready for this Riyadh outing, the World No. 109 can showcase his impressive all-round game and make the perfect start to life with the Legion XIII team.
A victory would also keep McKibbin in the mind of European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who will be keeping an eye on some of the LIV players in case they are allowed to be selected for the biennial competition against the USA.
Tyrrell Hatton | +750 |
Jon Rahm | +750 |
Bryson DeChambeau | +850 |
Joaquin Niemann | +850 |
Cameron Smith | +1500 |
Brooks Koepka | +1650 |
Abraham Ancer | +2300 |
David Puig | +2300 |
Louis Oosthuizen | +2600 |
Sergio Garcia | +2600 |
Patrick Reed | +2600 |
Read LIV Golf Riyadh 2025 schedule, start time, how to watch, prize money on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.