Preview and picks for LIV Golf at Mayakoba

If you thought that the LIV golf tour was going to be a one-hit wonder that fades off into the darkness after their opening season, think again. The tour is back in action as their second season of play gets going on Friday. The players are gathered at the El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba in Mexico and BetAnySports.eu has all sorts of odds posted from matchups to who will win outright.

Looking at the field, which players are a good bet to contend for a win this weekend?

How The Tournament Works

As a quick refresher, the LIV Tour is quite different than the PGA Tour. If you're betting this event, you'll want to note those differences.

To start, this is a three-day tourney with 48 players in the field. The golfers are portioned off into four-player teams and the amount the players make is based on where the teams finish. They’re competing for both the individual and team finish simultaneously, so their performance matters through the end. Also, they're going to play 54 holes – not 72 – and there will be no cut. 

About The Course

This is a beautiful, Greg Norman-designed course that used to be a big part of the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour was just there in 2022, but with the LIV Tour opening their season in 2023, we'll see what the PGA decides to do.

The course is just over 7,000 yards with 11 Par 4's. The Par threes and Par 5's are short. This is a course that's going to reward golfers who are accurate – especially off the tee. The course has Paspalum greens, which play slower than others. If you're looking at a player that has struggled on Paspalum, you’ll probably want to avoid them.

LIV Golf Best Bets

Cameron Smith
Odds at BetAnySports.eu: +900

Dustin Johnson is the favorite this week but Cameron Smith – who is slightly behind in the odds – might be a better bet. He’s the only player on the LIV Tour that’s inside the Top 20 of the World Golf Rankings and he’s at No. 5. Many will shy away from Smith given how he finished last year’s campaign. He didn’t even place in the Top 20 of the final two events. However, it’s a new year and the course seems to suit him. He’s a good bet among the favorites.

Carlos Ortiz
Odds at BetAnySports: +3300

If you’re looking for a good bet among the longshots, Ortiz looks like a strong sleeper. He has played well here recently and probably has the best track record – or at least recent track record – of any player participating.

In his last three appearances at Mayakoba, Ortiz has placed eighth, second and second. Pat Perez and Graeme McDowell are the only players in the field this week that have ever won at Mayakoba but Ortiz’s consistency in the Top 10 recently makes him attractive in this spot. At 33/1, he’s worth a flier this weekend.