‘LIV dozen will provide extra challenge to McIlroy’s Augusta ambitions’

How much of a threat do the leading LIV Golf League players pose to Rory McIlroy’s quest for his first career Grand Slam?

Who else could possibly refuse the Northern Irishman the title he so desperately desires if Scottie Scheffler fails to win the upcoming Masters for the third time in four years?

If it isn’t another Scheffler success or Rory glory, then LIV might be celebrating at Augusta, in all likelihood. The breakaway tour will host 12 competitors for the first major of the year.

The world no. 1 shot a second-round 62 to finish second to Min Woo Lee in Houston last week, showing his best golf of the year.

McIlroy also completed what have proved to be very promising competitive preparations for the one major that he is yet to master.

He finished fifth overall after completing his two PGA Tour victories in 2025. He only managed two weekend 64s.

The 35-year-old is currently recovering from a sore elbow and fine tunings his preparations to be hidden from the public. LIV’s top stars this week compete on the circuit’s most challenging course.

Bryson DeChambeau is one of them, who won the US Open last June after beating a sluggish McIlroy.

Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, and Joaquin Niemann are LIV contenders who will be desperate to refute the widely accepted theory that the limited field, 54-hole shotgun start team format played on LIV is detrimental to major chances.

When Rahm won the 2023 Masters, he still played on the PGA Tour, and he hoped that his switch to LIV would help bring some sort of reunification of men’s professional golf.

The Spaniard must show that he can still reach the heights that earned him his second major crown two years ago as the wait gets longer.

Rahm, the LIV individual champion from the previous year, is now second only to Niemann in the standings overall. He has won four of their four matches so far in 2025. Since finishing second in the inaugural season opener in Riyadh in February, the 30-year-old has finished in the top six in every category.

However, he needs to improve his scoring accuracy because he is frustrated. He recently admitted, “I have not played my best.” In my wedge game, I haven’t felt as at ease as I would like, which is evidenced by my experience.

You need that component of your game if you want to compete and win, and especially win majors.

His 150-yard accuracy will be important when LIV play at Doral this week. The arduous and reliable Miami test from Donald Trump appears to be the kind of warm-up the breakaway circuit candidates need.

Cameron Smith, a potential LIV threat at Augusta, commented, “Basically all the things that make a golf course hard are right here.”

Twelve months prior, DeChambeau shot 65-73 to share the Masters’ halfway lead, seven under par at Doral to tie for seventh. His best Augusta performance to date tied for sixth place with him.

It provided the framework for McIlroy’s most agonizing defeat, winning the US PGA Championship the following month and then triumphing at Pinehurst to place him in the top spot.

The big-hitting American, however, only tops LIV once this year. DeChambeau will need to find form in this week.

Koepka has long enjoyed a reputation for reserving his best form for grand slam events, becoming the only golfer to do so while playing the LIV schedule, the 2023 US PGA.

In shoddy tournaments, the five-time major champion struggles to find motivation. Koepka is showing signs of improvement after placing second at LIV’s most recent tournament in Singapore.

Phil Mickelson, a three-time Augusta champion, claims Niemann is currently playing the best golf in the world. Following wins at Pebble Beach and Players last month, McIlroy should beg to differ with that ostensibly misguided assertion.

But the Chilean’s qualities are unquestionable. After winning the Saudi International at the end of last year, he won in Singapore by five shots and three in Adelaide.

The 26-year-old placed third in a separate Asian Tour event held in India in February. I think I’ve gained more experience playing against the best players in the world, Niemann said.

And I’ve gained a lot in the last year. Yes, I feel different.

It seems increasingly absurd for him to never post a major top 10 ranking, despite his best performance in the big four championships in 16th place at the 2023 Masters.

Hatton will be eager to recapture his impressive early-season form in Florida this week because the Englishman has been largely unproductive since winning the Dubai Desert Classic in January.

The form line for Europeans who have won that prestigious tournament is encouraging, with Danny Willett (2016) and Sergio Garcia (2016) both coming out on top before the Green Jacket was draped on their shoulders.

Hatton, however, has not attended any LIV events since 2025, and will need a boost as he tries to surpass his best Augusta result so far, which was a share of ninth last year.

The 33-year-old maintains his position in the top 20 on a circuit that does not receive any world ranking points. And if he can control his notorious temper, he undoubtedly has qualities to contend with at Augusta.

This week at Doral will be the next step in determining the best way to prepare for the year’s initial major.

And this seems to be LIV’s most significant tournament of the year in terms of the wider golfing landscape. Top athletes have a right to feel they can compete anywhere if they play well at Doral, even though the layout is much flatter than the Masters’.

When they arrive at Augusta National, a positive week would strengthen their credibility as legitimate threats.