The LIV Golf circuit is back in action for the first time in five weeks from Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia as the circuit gets its players fine tuned for next week’s U.S. Open. This par-71 layout plays at more than 7,300 yards and the tournament tees off for the 54 players on Friday at 12:15 p.m. ET. Approach play might be more key than usual this week with scrambling being more difficult than on most LIV courses.
At least 11 LIV players will play in next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, including last year’s champion, Bryson DeChambeau, two-time U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, and Tyrrell Hatton. DeChambeau is the +500 favorite, according to the latest LIV Golf Virginia odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, followed by Rahm (+550), Joaquin Niemann (+750), Hatton (+1200), and Lucas Herbert (+2000). Niemann has won three of seven LIV events this year, while DeChambeau has a win and three top-5 finishes in his last three LIV events.
Some notable longshots in the LIV Golf Virginia field include Brooks Koepka (+3000), Sergio Garcia (+3000), Dustin Johnson (+5000) and Phil Mickelson (+12000). Mickelson sits 15th in the LIV Golf standings and is +500 to crack the top 10 this week. Could he be the ideal longshot for LIV Golf Virginia?
Golf expert Eric Cohen, host of the Tuesday night Early Wedge Best Bets Show on SportsLine’s YouTube page, has found three longshots worth betting this week. He correctly predicted the pre-tournament outright winner of LIV Singapore in 2025, Joaquin Niemann, at +800. Cohen also successfully called three LIV Golf events in 2024: Niemann at Mayakoba, Dustin Johnson in Las Vegas, and Sergio Garcia at Andalucia, as well as DeChambeau’s victory at the 2024 U.S. Open at +2000 odds.
Now that the 2025 LIV Virginia field is locked in, Cohen has identified his longshot betting picks. New users have the opportunity to take advantage of the latest FanDuel promo code, DraftKings promo code and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Cameron Smith (25-1)
The value is too good here for an extremely talented player whose game seems to be coming around after a slow start to the 2025 season. Smith finished T9 at LIV Miami, then T5 at LIV Mexico City, and T7 at LIV Korea, with a couple of missed cuts at the two majors in between. He’s been excellent this season around the greens and putting on them, but the long game is why we’re not seeing him among the favorites this week.
En route to the T5 at LIV Mexico City, the Australian gained strokes in all major categories, including nearly five ball striking and eight tee to green. He hasn’t won a solo event around the world since 2023, but with time off since the PGA Championship, I’m hopeful that he can win on U.S. soil for the first time since September 2022 (LIV Chicago).
Talor Gooch (35-1)
Another player looking to snap a two-year winless drought is the American, Gooch. Similar to Smith, he got off to an awful start in 2025 but has turned it around of late with finishes of T12, T13, and 3 in his last three LIV tournaments. He gained more than seven strokes tee to green en route to a third-place finish at LIV Korea and will be looking to continue the momentum from five weeks ago.
In each of his last two events, Gooch has gained more than four strokes putting in addition to more than one stroke around the greens. The 33-year-old won three times in 2023 and looks to return to his best form on home soil this week. At 35-1, there’s a lot more upside than downside possible with this choice.
Harold Varner III (65-1)
The last time LIV Golf played in the Virginia / Washington DC area, Varner took home the title in 2023. Since then, he hasn’t won on the LIV circuit, but like the two listed above him, maybe some recent time off will have done him well. Varner opened the season with two top-10s and five top-20s in the first six events before crashing to 52nd at LIV Korea. The ball striking has been well above average this season, but his putting has been a major issue, losing strokes to the field in six of seven events.
At 3-1 odds to finish in the top 10, that might be a safer ceiling for Varner III, who hasn’t gained more than one stroke putting against the field in a LIV tournament since last June. But we’re all about taking chances with longshots this week, with the top LIV golfers simply looking to fine-tune their games before next week’s third major of 2025. Varner III could be a fun pick if he’s in contention come Sunday in Virginia.
LIV Golf Virginia 2025 picks
You’ve seen the latest LIV Virginia expert picks. Now, see the RBC Canadian Open leaderboard, including forecasted finishes for Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, Corey Conners, and Shane Lowry. Visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 15 golf majors, including the last four Masters and both majors in 2025.
You can also view expert advice before locking in your PGA Tour picks. Visit SportsLine now to see Cohen’s best bets for a $1 million parlay, all from an expert who correctly predicted the pre-tournament outright winner in nine events over the last two seasons.