LIV Golf South Africa 2026 preview, picks & analysis

Bryson DeChambeau picked up his fourth LIV individual when he beat Richard Lee in a playoff in Singapore and will now head to South Africa this week as a warm favourite to win again.

The big-hitting American shot a final round of 67, the same as Lee, to finish the week on 14 under par and took the title at the second playoff hole, a five proving to be good enough.

They finished two ahead of English veteran Lee Westwood, with serial winner Joaquin Niemann a further shot adrift.

Hong Kong champion Jon Rahm was fifth, maintaining his remarkable LIV record of never finishing outside the top 10.

You may be wondering who on earth Lee is. He is a 35-year-old Canadian who has won three times on the Asian Tour. Earlier this year he shot rounds of 64, 66, 64 and 65 to win the LIV Golf promotion event in Florida and this is by far his biggest payday.

Lee birdied four of his final six holes. On the first playoff hole, the par-five 18th, DeChambeau put his ball in the lake but rescued his par. When they played the hole again, Lee missed a tiny putt to hand the $4m first prize to the American.

"That was crazy," said DeChambeau. "I feel so bad for Richard. I wanted to go and play an extra hole. You never want to see somebody miss a putt like that."

(Image Credit: Jon Ferrey/LIV Golf)

And now they all head to South Africa where Rahm and DeChambeau will once again be looking to grab the headlines.

Having seemingly closed the door on any possibility of a return to the DP World Tour, Rahm is currently enjoying a superb run of form. 

Like many of his fellow LIV golfers, one of the reasons he cited for joining the breakaway circuit was a desire to spend more time with his family. But this will be his third tournament on the bounce after Hong Kong and Singapore.

Westwood has also shown that there remains plenty of life in the old dog still. He has always been a wonderful ball striker and a terrific iron player but in recent times it is fair to say that he has struggled somewhat on the greens.

When Tom McKibbin announced that he was joining LIV at the beginning of 2025 I was one of many who doubted the wisdom of his decision. I was convinced that he would struggle. I was wrong.

In November, he cruised to a wire-to-wire victory in the Hong Kong Open, securing spots in both The Masters and The Open in the process. His winning total of 27-under-par was the lowest in the tournament’s history. And the seven-shot gap between McKibbin and Peter Uihlein, who was second, equalled the largest margin of victory.

"It was obviously amazing," McKibbin said of his final round 63. "I played some of the best golf I’ve ever played, so to have that sort of golf and shoot those scores around here is pretty special. It means a lot [to have the record], with a tournament with so much history behind it and the great players that have won this tournament, having the scoring record is pretty special and something that will definitely live with me forever."

The Course: 

Steyn City is a par 72 that can be stretched to 7,700 yards. Framed by rolling parkland and trees, it has several natural water features and glorious views. 

Form Guide:

Jon Rahm went through 2025 without a victory but played superbly in Hong Kong and is back to his brilliant best.

Prize Money:

The winner will collect a cheque for $4m.

How to Watch:

Thursday, March 19, Friday, March 20, Saturday, March 21, Sunday, March 22, TNT Sports, 9.30am

To Win:

Jon Rahm. Playing like a man possessed

Each Way:

Bryson DeChambeau. Always the entertainer

Each Way:

Tom McKibbin. Hugely talented

Five to Follow:

Jon Rahm. Back to winning ways

Bryson DeChambeau. Light the blue touch paper

Tom McKibbin. Fabulous ball striker

Joaquin Niemann. A machine

Tyrrell Hatton. Slow start to the year