Dustin Johnson
First player outside the top 15. He finished T5 in Andalucía and ranks among the strongest putters, but JCB driving position keeps him just below the balanced fits.
Putting valueNo. 16
2026 LIV Golf UK Fantasy Picks Results & Grades
The completed LIV Golf UK board produced the tournament winner and six top-10 selections. Lucas Herbert led the results at 30-under, followed by strong finishes from Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Abraham Ancer and Laurie Canter.
The strongest part of the board was its contender identification. The weaker part was full-board depth, with the original No. 1 pick finishing tied 23rd and five selections finishing outside the top 23.
The complete pre-tournament field work, form board, four-stat re-rank, original final top 15, value plays and risk flags remain below as a permanent archive of the selections made before play began.
Final Grades for the CaddyBytes LIV Golf UK Top 15
The original ranking is preserved in the first column so each selection can be compared directly with its final tournament result.
| Original Rank | Player | Final Result | Grade | Final Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Rahm | T23 / -4 | C | The safest projected anchor never entered the leading group and finished well below his original position. |
| 2 | Tyrrell Hatton | 2nd / -24 | A | A superb home-country result and one of the board's strongest premium selections. |
| 3 | Joaquin Niemann | Outside top 23 | D | The course-history case did not translate into a top-23 finish. |
| 4 | Lucas Herbert | 1st / -30 | A+ | The hottest-form riser became the tournament champion and the clear best pick on the board. |
| 5 | Bryson DeChambeau | 3rd / -21 | A | The power-ceiling selection stayed in contention and delivered a top-three finish. |
| 6 | Thomas Detry | Outside top 23 | D | The balanced-profile pick finished outside the top 23. |
| 7 | David Puig | T12 / -9 | B | A useful top-15 result that supported the ball-striking upside case without reaching the premium tier. |
| 8 | Abraham Ancer | T5 / -14 | A- | The accuracy pick delivered exactly the kind of controlled, high-floor week the board projected. |
| 9 | Sergio Garcia | Outside top 23 | D | The iron-control case finished outside the top 23. |
| 10 | Talor Gooch | Outside top 23 | D | The JCB specialist label did not carry into a top-23 finish. |
| 11 | Paul Casey | T23 / -4 | C | The statistical sleeper finished T23 but did not become the deeper value hit expected. |
| 12 | Cameron Smith | 4th / -17 | A- | The putting-and-course-history selection strongly outperformed his original No. 12 position. |
| 13 | Laurie Canter | T7 / -13 | B+ | An excellent deeper-board finish and one of the strongest value results inside the original top 15. |
| 14 | Dean Burmester | T17 / -7 | B- | A respectable top-20 result that added useful depth without threatening the leaders. |
| 15 | Scott Vincent | Outside top 23 | D | The balanced sleeper finished outside the top 23. |
Final top-15 verdict:
The board found the champion, placed four more selections inside the top five and produced six top-10 finishes. The B+ grade reflects excellent top-end accuracy offset by several misses in the middle and lower portions of the original ranking.
Original Tournament-Week Research: What Mattered at JCB
1. Precision Before Maximum Power
Distance creates shorter approaches, but JCB punishes drives that find thick fescue, blocked angles, water, or the wrong side of the fairway.
FairwaysPosition
2. Greens in Regulation
Repeated GIR keeps pressure on the field and reduces the number of difficult recoveries around water, slopes, and exposed greens.
GIRApproach control
3. Wind and Trajectory
Moderate English wind makes flight control and predictable misses more valuable than raw speed alone.
Wind controlTrajectory
4. JCB Course Memory
Niemann, Rahm, Gooch, and Cameron Smith have repeatedly solved this layout, giving course history extra weight in close decisions.
Course historyProven fit
Original Full 57-Player LIV Golf UK Field
The complete original tournament field is preserved below as part of the pre-tournament archive.
- Jon Rahm
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Joaquin Niemann
- Tyrrell Hatton
- Lucas Herbert
- Thomas Detry
- Anthony Kim
- David Puig
- Elvis Smylie
- Sergio Garcia
- Abraham Ancer
- Talor Gooch
- Dean Burmester
- Thomas Pieters
- Josele Ballester
- Richard T. Lee
- Scott Vincent
- Branden Grace
- Peter Uihlein
- Dustin Johnson
- Cameron Smith
- Harold Varner III
- Marc Leishman
- Matthew Wolff
- Carlos Ortiz
- Sebastian Muñoz
- Charles Howell III
- Lee Westwood
- Brendan Steele
- Tom McKibbin
- Victor Perez
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Byeong Hun An
- Anirban Lahiri
- Caleb Surratt
- Charl Schwartzel
- Bubba Watson
- Graeme McDowell
- Younghan Song
- Jason Kokrak
- Richard Bland
- Laurie Canter
- Ian Poulter
- Paul Casey
- Cameron Tringale
- Yosuke Asaji
- Adrian Meronk
- Luis Masaveu
- Ben Campbell
- Michael La Sasso
- Martin Kaymer
- Björn Hellgren
- Danny Lee
- Miguel Tabuena
- Minkyu Kim
- Travis Smyth
- Sam Horsfield
Original Top 20 Season and Recent-Form Board
This board rewards 2026 LIV wins, repeated high finishes, current championship form, and proven JCB performance. Recent form outside LIV is included when it provides a meaningful tournament-week signal.
| Rank | Player | Season / Recent Form | LIV UK Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Rahm | Won Hong Kong and Mexico City; four runner-up finishes; second in Andalucía. | 2024 JCB winner and top 10 in both visits. |
| 2 | Tyrrell Hatton | Won Andalucía; U.S. Open T7; strong recent championship stretch. | 2024 JCB runner-up and home-country lift. |
| 3 | Joaquin Niemann | Won Korea; U.S. Open T7; third in season points. | Defending champion after a T2 in 2024. |
| 4 | Lucas Herbert | Won Virginia; T6 at The Open after a record-tying 62. | Freshest major-week momentum in the field. |
| 5 | Bryson DeChambeau | Won Singapore and South Africa; T14 at The Open. | Power/GIR ceiling with scrambling protection. |
| 6 | Thomas Detry | Hong Kong runner-up; T5 in Mexico City and Andalucía. | Balanced tee-to-green profile for four rounds. |
| 7 | David Puig | Mexico City runner-up; T5 Andalucía; T6 South Africa. | Elite distance and GIR create high scoring upside. |
| 8 | Abraham Ancer | Third in Andalucía and inside the season top 12. | One of the field's best fairway-control profiles. |
| 9 | Sergio Garcia | Fourth in Andalucía and a steady season-long contender. | Elite GIR and controlled flight fit JCB. |
| 10 | Anthony Kim | Won Adelaide and added a T6 in Virginia. | Win equity remains real, but form has been uneven. |
| 11 | Talor Gooch | Inside the season top 12 with repeated scoring weeks. | Top 10 in each of the two JCB editions. |
| 12 | Thomas Pieters | Third in Hong Kong and T5 in Andalucía. | Length and high-finish upside; accuracy is the check. |
| 13 | Dean Burmester | Adelaide T6 and consistent top-half scoring. | Top-five distance with a strong GIR base. |
| 14 | Josele Ballester | Mexico City third; strong Open debut moments. | Field-leading distance and top-10 GIR. |
| 15 | Elvis Smylie | Won Riyadh in his LIV debut and remains ninth in points. | Young scoring upside; needs a clean accuracy week. |
| 16 | Scott Vincent | Recent T8 and fifth-place LIV finishes. | Strong GIR, scrambling, and balanced control. |
| 17 | Cameron Smith | Adelaide T8 and still the league's best putting profile. | Top 10 in both JCB visits; clear course horse. |
| 18 | Dustin Johnson | T5 in Andalucía and second in LIV putting average. | Putting can carry him if driving position holds. |
| 19 | Paul Casey | Quieter result line but elite season ball-striking. | Second in GIR and an experienced English-course fit. |
| 20 | Laurie Canter | Current form is mixed, but the statistical base is strong. | Top-five fairways and GIR; putting is the concern. |
Original LIV Four-Stat Re-Rank for JCB
The leading 20 are compared through greens in regulation, fairways hit, driving distance, and putting. The category labels show how each profile fits this particular shortlist rather than serving as a full-tour ranking table.
| Re-Rank | Player | GIR | Fairways | Distance | Putting | JCB Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Rahm | Elite | Strong | Elite | Strong | Complete profile keeps him first. |
| 2 | Tyrrell Hatton | Strong | Volatile | Strong | Strong | Recent win and JCB runner-up offset fairway risk. |
| 3 | Joaquin Niemann | Elite | Balanced | Strong | Strong | Defending champion with no major weakness. |
| 4 | Lucas Herbert | Solid | Volatile | Elite | Strong | Open momentum produces the biggest upward move. |
| 5 | Bryson DeChambeau | Elite | Mixed | Elite | Solid | Massive ceiling, with JCB position the main check. |
| 6 | David Puig | Elite | Volatile | Elite | Strong | Distance/GIR combination keeps him in the premium tier. |
| 7 | Thomas Detry | Strong | Balanced | Strong | Strong | One of the cleanest four-category profiles. |
| 8 | Sergio Garcia | Elite | Strong | Solid | Mixed | Ball-striking fit is excellent if enough putts fall. |
| 9 | Abraham Ancer | Solid | Elite | Moderate | Strong | Accuracy and control raise his JCB floor. |
| 10 | Talor Gooch | Solid | Solid | Solid | Strong | Course history breaks the statistical tie. |
| 11 | Paul Casey | Elite | Strong | Solid | Mixed | GIR strength creates the best deeper statistical value. |
| 12 | Cameron Smith | Mixed | Mixed | Moderate | Elite | Putting and two JCB top 10s preserve his upside. |
| 13 | Laurie Canter | Elite | Elite | Solid | Cold | Ideal tee-to-green fit, but putting limits the ceiling. |
| 14 | Dean Burmester | Elite | Mixed | Elite | Solid | Power/GIR keeps him live despite positional volatility. |
| 15 | Scott Vincent | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Strong | Balanced profile and recent LIV form earn the last spot. |
| 16 | Dustin Johnson | Solid | Mixed | Strong | Elite | Putting is excellent; overall control remains less secure. |
| 17 | Anthony Kim | Solid | Mixed | Strong | Solid | Adelaide win supplies upside, but week-to-week floor is lower. |
| 18 | Thomas Pieters | Solid | Volatile | Strong | Solid | High ceiling with a wider miss pattern. |
| 19 | Josele Ballester | Elite | Volatile | Elite | Mixed | Pure ball-striking upside needs better conversion. |
| 20 | Elvis Smylie | Balanced | Balanced | Strong | Solid | Season win is real, but JCB fit is less established. |
Four-stat takeaway:
Rahm owns the strongest complete profile. Hatton and Niemann gain from recent form and JCB history, Herbert rises through immediate momentum, and Casey and Canter make the largest course-fit jumps through GIR and fairway control.
Original Final CaddyBytes LIV Golf UK Top 15
This is the original Monday tournament-week order preserved exactly for comparison with the final grades above.
| Rank | Player | Why He Ranks Here | Fantasy Tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Rahm | Two wins, four seconds, elite GIR and distance, 2024 JCB champion. | Anchor |
| 2 | Tyrrell Hatton | Latest LIV winner, U.S. Open T7, English conditions fit, 2024 JCB runner-up. | Home heat |
| 3 | Joaquin Niemann | Defending champion, T2 in 2024, Korea winner, major top-10 form. | Course horse |
| 4 | Lucas Herbert | Virginia winner and T6 at The Open after a record-tying 62. | Hottest riser |
| 5 | Bryson DeChambeau | Two LIV wins, elite power/GIR, T14 at The Open, high win ceiling. | Power ceiling |
| 6 | Thomas Detry | Runner-up plus repeated top fives and one of the best balanced profiles. | Four-stat balance |
| 7 | David Puig | Five season top 10s, Mexico runner-up, elite distance and GIR. | Ball-striking upside |
| 8 | Abraham Ancer | Andalucía third and elite fairway control for JCB's precision test. | Accuracy edge |
| 9 | Sergio Garcia | Elite GIR, controlled trajectory, and fresh fourth-place LIV form. | Iron control |
| 10 | Talor Gooch | Top 10 in both JCB visits and a reliable season scoring base. | JCB specialist |
| 11 | Paul Casey | Second in GIR, strong fairway profile, and English course experience. | Stat sleeper |
| 12 | Cameron Smith | League-leading putting and top 10s in both previous JCB starts. | Putting horse |
| 13 | Laurie Canter | Top-five fairway and GIR profile plus English familiarity. | Tee-to-green value |
| 14 | Dean Burmester | Top-five distance, strong GIR, and enough scoring power for the new par 72. | Power value |
| 15 | Scott Vincent | Recent LIV high finishes with strong GIR, scrambling, and putting balance. | Balanced sleeper |
Value Plays and First Five Out: Final Grades
The value board produced three useful finishes, led by Anthony Kim's tied-12th result and Peter Uihlein's tied-15th finish.
| Player | Pre-Tournament Role | Final Result | Grade | Final Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dustin Johnson | First player outside top 15 | Outside top 23 | D | The putting-value case finished outside the top 23. |
| Anthony Kim | Winner-upside value | T12 / -9 | A- | The best value-board result and a strong return from outside the locked top 15. |
| Thomas Pieters | High-ceiling value | T23 / -4 | C | Finished T23, below the hoped-for upside range. |
| Josele Ballester | Distance/GIR upside | T20 / -6 | B- | A useful top-20 finish and a respectable result for the young upside selection. |
| Elvis Smylie | Season-winner value | Outside top 23 | D | The scoring-pop case finished outside the top 23. |
| Peter Uihlein | Deep putting sleeper | T15 / -8 | B | A solid top-15 finish and the second-best result from the value group. |
Original Value Plays, First Five Out and Course Horses
Anthony Kim
The Adelaide winner owns real ceiling and added a Virginia T6. The concern is a wider week-to-week range than the locked top 15.
Winner upsideVolatile
Thomas Pieters
Hong Kong third and Andalucía T5 provide high-finish evidence. Length helps, but fairway volatility is more dangerous at JCB.
High ceilingAccuracy risk
Josele Ballester
Field-leading distance and elite GIR create a powerful upside case. Better putting conversion would move him into the final 15.
Distance/GIRYoung upside
Elvis Smylie
The Riyadh winner remains a dangerous scorer, but the final board favors players with clearer JCB history or stronger precision indicators.
Season winnerScoring pop
Peter Uihlein
Adelaide T3 and a top putting profile make him a deeper sleeper, especially if scoring becomes more putter-driven than expected.
Putting sleeperDeep value
Original Team Angles Supporting the Player Board
Legion XIII
Rahm and Hatton sit first and second, while Legion XIII has won both previous JCB team titles. The team angle supports two already-strong individual cases.
Torque GC
Niemann's JCB record and Ancer's accuracy make Torque the cleanest precision-based alternative to Legion XIII.
Ripper GC
Herbert brings the hottest immediate form, while Cameron Smith owns two JCB top 10s and the best putting profile.
Crushers GC
DeChambeau supplies the ceiling and Casey supplies the GIR-driven course fit, giving the team two very different fantasy paths.
Original Monday LIV UK Risk Flags
Louis Oosthuizen Status
His fairway-control profile fits JCB, but the back issue that forced his Open withdrawal makes player status the first check.
Post-Open Fatigue
Sixteen LIV names were connected to Royal Birkdale week. Strong major form helps, but difficult travel and four demanding rounds can reduce energy.
Power Without Position
JCB is not a pure bomber's course. Distance-only builds lose value when fairway misses create fescue, water, and blocked approach angles.
Cold Putting on a Birdie Run
The new par-72 setup adds a scoring chance at the sixth, but contenders still need to convert enough opportunities to keep pace.
CB Caddie Hunch Results
Paul Casey finished tied 23rd at 4-under. The deeper hunch finished T23 and did not produce the top-15 push needed to become a strong value hit. Final grade: C.
Backup hunch: Scott Vincent finished outside the top 23. Final grade: D.
Final LIV Golf UK Fantasy Takeaways
The board's clearest success was recognizing immediate form. Lucas Herbert entered as the largest riser and won the tournament, while Cameron Smith's proven JCB profile produced a fourth-place finish from the No. 12 position.
- Keep rewarding live form: Herbert's momentum carried directly into a winning week.
- Course history still mattered selectively: Hatton, Smith and Canter delivered, but several other course-history selections missed.
- Accuracy value held up: Ancer finished tied fifth and Canter tied seventh.
- Do not overprotect the safest anchor: Rahm's tied-23rd finish was the board's most important premium miss.
- Value-board lesson: Anthony Kim, Peter Uihlein and Josele Ballester supplied the best results outside the final 15.