Connect with us

Sports

LIV Golf revealed 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship quarterfinal matchups

Published

on

Miami, FL (October 18, 2023) – LIV Golf today revealed the matchups for Friday’s quarterfinal round of the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship, teeing off October 20-22 at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami. Team opponents were announced at a captains’ selection show press conference to kick off this week’s three-day tournament taking place at the iconic Blue Monster course, site of LIV Golf’s 14th and final event of the year.

For each head-to-head team matchup, three matches will take place: two singles matches and one alternate-shot (foursomes) match. All 32 players amongst the eight participating teams will compete simultaneously in a shotgun start and matches will be played until a winner is determined. Each match winner receives one point, and the first team to earn two points will advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

The first round of LIV Golf’s momentous season-ending event will showcase some of the biggest names in golf squaring off. Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson, captain of HyFlyers GC, will take on five-time major champion and 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, captain of Smash GC. The day’s featured singles matches also includes Fireballs GC captain and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia versus 2016 Open champion and Majesticks GC co-captain Henrik Stenson, while Ripper GC captain and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith will face two-time major winner and former world No. 1 Martin Kaymer, captain of Cleeks GC. Friday’s fourth singles match will feature 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, captain of Stinger GC, taking on Kevin Na, captain of Iron Heads GC.

 

As the highest-ranked team playing on Friday, Oosthuizen’s fifth-seeded Stinger GC was given the first selection for its opponent. Branden Grace, who finished ninth overall in the LIV Golf Individual Standings, will face Scott Vincent, who finished fourth in LIV Golf Jeddah presented by ROSHN to secure his spot in the league for 2024. In the groups’ alternate-shot matchup, the Stingers’ Dean Burmester and Charl Schwartzel will face Sihwan Kim and Danny Lee, who secured an individual win earlier this season in Tucson.

The sixth-seeded Fireballs GC, coming off a team victory in Jeddah, elected to take on the 11th seed Majesticks GC, the most experienced squad in the field with more than 2,000 starts amongst them. A pair of young, rising stars will face off in Eugenio Chacarra and Sam Horsfield, while veteran Ryder Cup legends Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood will take on the Mexican duo Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz in the foursomes match.

Seventh-seed Ripper GC will pair up Matt Jones and Jed Morgan versus former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger. Marc Leishman was selected for Ripper’s second singles match, in which he’ll play England’s Richard Bland, who finished 20th in this season’s rankings to secure his spot with LIV Golf for 2024.

The Smash-HyFlyers showdown is the only matchup involving teams consisting entirely of American players. Big-hitting Matthew Wolff will team up with Chase Koepka in the foursomes match, where James Piot will play alternate shot alongside Brendan Steele. For the second singles match, Jason Kokrak will face Cameron Tringale.

The LIV Golf League awarded points to teams based on their finish at each tournament, with values ranging from 32 points (first place) to 0 (9th-12th). Following the 13th and final regular season event, team standings determined seeds 1-12 for the Team Championship. Top-seeded 4Aces GC (192 points – Captain Dustin Johnson), second seed Crushers GC (186 points – Captain Bryson DeChambeau), third seed Torque GC (183 points – Captain Joaquin Niemann) and fourth seed RangeGoats GC (179 points – Captain Bubba Watson) earned a bye and automatically advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

Following Friday’s results, team captains for the top four seeds and captains for the four quarterfinal match winners will convene, with the higher-seeded teams selecting their opponents for Saturday’s semifinal round. On Sunday, all 48 players amongst the 12 teams will compete in one round of stroke play, with all four players’ scores counting towards their team’s score. The four teams advancing to the finals will compete for places 1-4, with the teams eliminated in the semifinals competing for places 5-8. Teams eliminated in the quarterfinals will compete for places 9 through 12, with larger prizes awarded to teams based on their finishing position.

Tickets are on sale at LIVGolf.com, where single-day and three-day grounds passes are all-inclusive of the world-class golf competition featuring many of the game’s biggest stars and all fan activities on site, including Saturday’s live concert by Alesso and Sunday’s concert by FISHER.

 

DAILY TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Quarterfinals: Friday, October 20

  • Teams seeded 1-4 will receive a bye
  • Teams seeded 5-12 will compete in head-to-head match-play competitions
  • Highest-ranked teams select their opponents
  • All 32 players amongst those eight teams will compete simultaneously in a shotgun start
  • For each head-to-head team match-up, three matches will take place: two singles matches and one alternate-shot (foursomes) match
  • Matches will be played until a winner is determined; there will be no ties. Each match winner receives one point
  • Teams earning two points will advance to Saturday’s Semifinals

Semifinals: Saturday, October 21

  • Teams seeded 1-4 will join the winning four teams from Friday for another day of head-to-head team match play
  • Highest-ranked teams select their opponents
  • All 32 players amongst those eight teams will compete simultaneously in a shotgun start
  • Teams compete in the same format as Friday: two singles matches and one alternate-shot (foursomes) match, with each match winner receiving one point
  • Matches will be played until a winner is determined; there will be no ties
  • The four teams earning two points will advance to Sunday’s Finals

Finals: Sunday, October 22

  • All 48 players amongst the 12 teams will compete in a shotgun start with one round of stroke play
  • All four individual scores count towards the team’s score
  • The four teams advancing to the finals compete for 1st through 4th place
  • The four teams eliminated in the semifinals compete for 5th through 8th place
  • The four teams eliminated in the quarterfinals compete for 9th through 12th place
  • Larger prizes are awarded to teams based on their finishing position
  • The lowest team score on Sunday amongst the four teams that advanced to the finals is crowned the 2023 LIV Golf Team Champion

Festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. local time when gates open to welcome guests of all ages to the variety of unique activations on site. Parking is free all three days in advance of the tournament’s 1:15 p.m. ET shotgun start on Friday and Saturday and 1:05 p.m. start Sunday. Grounds passes allow fans to walk the course, watch the action up close and grant entry to the interactive Fan Village – an immersive area featuring food and beverages and a specially-designed LIV Kids Zone for the youngest fans to relax and play. Activities include the indoor RangeGoats pickleball, chipping challenge, soccer precision wall, mini golf, mega putt, locker room, Torque GC’s racing simulator, American football pro pass, and much more. Visitors can enjoy golf-themed games and interactive experiences throughout the day, while giant video screens broadcast the live action.

At each LIV Golf tournament, free admission is granted for young people ages 12 and under. In addition, LIV Golf provides special offers for college and university students, teachers, medical professionals and first responders. Active-duty military and veteran service members are also granted complimentary grounds passes for themselves and a guest, as well as discounts for hospitality and experience packages. For more details on redeeming these special offers, visit LIVGolf.com.

The LIV Golf Team Championship will air from 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday on The CW, The CW App and LIV Golf Plus, with Friday’s round carried on The CW App and LIV Golf Plus. In addition, LIV Golf tournaments are carried on YouTube and on more than a dozen international broadcast partners, delivering league broadcasts in over 180 territories to more than 380 million homes worldwide. For more information on how to watch the 2023 LIV Golf League, visit LIVGolf.com/where-to-watch.

 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Marta Makes History as Orlando Pride Defeat Kansas City Current 3-0

Published

on

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Orlando Pride extended their home dominance Friday night, defeating the Kansas City Current 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium behind a historic performance from Marta, another goal from Barbra Banda, and a standout effort from goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse.

The victory improves Orlando to 6-6-2 (20 points), while Kansas City falls to 8-6-0 (24 points). The win marks the Pride’s fourth consecutive home victory and hands the Current its first loss in its last five visits to Orlando.

Scoreless First Half Sets Stage for Offensive Explosion

Both clubs created scoring opportunities during an evenly contested first half, but neither side was able to break through before halftime.

Orlando’s defense withstood constant pressure from Kansas City, setting the stage for a dominant second-half performance.

Marta Becomes First Pride Player to Reach 50 Goals

The Pride wasted little time after the break.

Just four minutes into the second half, Marta collected a pass from Jacquie Ovalle before curling a spectacular left-footed shot from outside the penalty area into the back of the net.

The goal gave Orlando a 1-0 lead and marked a historic milestone for the club.

Marta became the first player in Orlando Pride history to score 50 goals across all competitions.

Ovalle recorded her team-leading third assist of the season on the play.

Anderson Doubles Orlando’s Lead

The Pride struck again in the 57th minute.

Midfielder Ally Lemos delivered a perfectly placed corner kick that defender Hannah Anderson headed into the net for a 2-0 advantage.

The goal was Anderson’s second of the season, while Lemos earned her second assist of the 2026 campaign.

Barbra Banda Adds League-Leading 12th Goal

Substitute Barbra Banda put the match out of reach in the 85th minute.

After Kansas City’s goalkeeper misplayed a clearance outside the penalty area, Banda capitalized by calmly finishing into an open net.

The goal was Banda’s NWSL-leading 12th goal of the season and the first she has scored as a substitute in her professional career.

Moorhouse Records Milestone Appearance

Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse anchored Orlando’s defense with a season-high nine saves, preserving the club’s fifth clean sheet of the season.

Friday’s match also marked Moorhouse’s 100th appearance across all competitions for the Pride, making her just the fifth player in club history to reach the milestone.

Orlando’s five shutouts rank third in the National Women’s Soccer League this season.

Seb Hines Praises Complete Team Performance

Head coach Seb Hines credited his team’s disciplined approach and collective effort.

“Really pleased with the result. I think it was quite even in the first half. We had some half-chances, and we tried to stop their key players from having a big influence on the game. I thought the players implemented the game plan very well.”

Hines continued:

“We had some really outstanding performances. It was a really big collective effort from everyone. It was nice to get some goals and a clean sheet at the end of it.”

Match Highlights

  • 49′ — Orlando 1, Kansas City 0: Marta (assist: Jacquie Ovalle)
  • 57′ — Orlando 2, Kansas City 0: Hannah Anderson (assist: Ally Lemos)
  • 85′ — Orlando 3, Kansas City 0: Barbra Banda (unassisted)

Match Notes

  • Marta scored her second goal of the 2026 season and 50th career goal for the Pride.
  • Banda extended her league lead with 12 goals this season.
  • Orlando earned its fifth clean sheet, tied for the third-most in the NWSL.
  • Hannah Anderson scored her second career NWSL goal, both coming this season.
  • Ally Lemos recorded her second assist of the year.
  • Jacquie Ovalle collected her team-leading third assist.
  • Zara Chavoshi made her first start of the 2026 season.
  • Anna Moorhouse made her 100th appearance for Orlando.
  • Orlando has now scored in seven consecutive home league matches.
  • The Pride have scored five goals in the opening 15 minutes of the second half this season, the second-most in the NWSL.

By the Numbers

Final Score

  • Orlando Pride 3
  • Kansas City Current 0

Attendance: 8,058

Team Statistics

CategoryOrlandoKansas City
Possession45%55%
Shots1120
Shots on Goal59
Saves92
Corners14
Fouls53

Heineken Star of the Match: Marta

Up Next

The Pride remain at Inter&Co Stadium on Wednesday, July 15, when they host Boston Legacy FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with the match streaming on NWSL+.

Continue Reading

Sports

Miami Heat Acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis Jr. in Blockbuster Trade with Bucks

Published

on

MIAMI (FNN SPORTS) — The Miami Heat have acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. from the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster trade that reshapes the franchise’s championship aspirations.

In exchange, Miami sent Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakučionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kel’el Ware to Milwaukee, along with first-round draft picks in 2026, 2031 and 2033, a 2030 first-round pick swap, and a 2033 second-round pick.

Pat Riley: ‘One of the Great Trades in HEAT History’

HEAT President Pat Riley called the acquisition one of the most significant moves in franchise history.

“The announcement of today’s trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. is one of the great trades in HEAT history,” Riley said. “In my opinion, Giannis is one of the top five players in the league, and Bobby is one of the best power forwards. The difficult part is trading Tyler, Kasparas, Jaime and Kel’el, who have given so much to this organization. We wish them nothing but the best. We also thank the Arison family for their continued commitment to pursuing another championship.”

Antetokounmpo Brings MVP Pedigree to Miami

Antetokounmpo arrives in Miami as one of the NBA’s most accomplished players.

His résumé includes:

  • 2021 NBA Champion
  • Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (2019, 2020)
  • 2021 NBA Finals MVP
  • 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
  • 10-time NBA All-Star
  • Seven All-NBA First Team selections
  • Member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team

Last season, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting a career-best 62.4% from the field. He became the first player in NBA history to average at least 25 points while shooting better than 60% from the field in three consecutive seasons.

He also enters Miami as the Milwaukee Bucks’ all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, field goals, free throws, triple-doubles, minutes played and games played.

Antetokounmpo will wear No. 34 with the Heat.

Portis Adds Championship Experience

Portis, an NBA champion with Milwaukee, averaged 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 67 games last season while shooting 48.8% from the field and 45.6% from three-point range.

The 11-year veteran has established himself as one of the league’s top reserve forwards, recording a Bucks franchise-record 61 double-doubles off the bench. He also received the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his work in mentorship and community outreach.

Portis will wear No. 95 in Miami.

Heat Part Ways with Core Players

The trade ends the Miami careers of several key contributors.

Herro, selected 13th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, spent seven seasons with the Heat, earning 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors and a 2024 NBA All-Star selection. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 394 regular-season games.

Jaquez Jr., a 2023 first-round pick, averaged 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists over three seasons with Miami.

Jakučionis, selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, averaged 6.2 points during his rookie season.

Ware, the 15th overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over two seasons.

Championship Expectations Rise

The acquisition of Antetokounmpo gives the Heat one of the NBA’s premier superstars and significantly strengthens Miami’s pursuit of another NBA championship. The addition of Portis further bolsters the team’s frontcourt with championship experience, scoring and rebounding.

Continue Reading

Sports

Argentina Survives Cape Verde Scare, Wins 3-2 in Extra Time to Advance at FIFA World Cup 2026

Published

on

Leo Messi. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News

MIAMI (FNN SPORTS) — Argentina avoided what could have been one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, surviving a major scare from Cabo Verde with a 3-2 extra-time victory Friday in the Round of 32.

Leo Messi. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News

Argentina Survives Despite Lackluster Performance

The defending World Cup champions delivered an uneven and uninspiring performance, appearing too comfortable after taking a 1-0 first-half lead on a goal by Lionel Messi.

But Argentina’s complacency proved costly as Cabo Verde, one of the tournament’s Cinderella stories, continued to press and eventually found an equalizer through Deroy Duarte.

Messi Goal Not Enough to Settle Match

Messi gave Argentina the early advantage, but the team failed to build on the lead or control the match with authority. Argentina’s attack lacked urgency for long stretches, allowing Cabo Verde to grow in confidence and push the match into extra time.

 

Extra-Time Drama

Argentina regained the lead in the 93rd minute when center back Lisandro Martínez scored to make it 2-1. Cabo Verde answered 11 minutes later with a stunning equalizer from Sidny Cabral, who curled a spectacular shot past Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez from the corner of the box.

The dramatic strike may stand as one of the best goals of the tournament.

Argentina Advances to Face Egypt

Argentina finally escaped when Cristian Romero headed a corner kick that glanced off a Cabo Verde player and into the net, giving Argentina the narrow win.

With the victory, Argentina advances to face Egypt on Tuesday in Atlanta.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement Ticket Time Machine ad
Advertisement Orlando Regional REALTOR Association logo
Advertisement Parts Pass App
Advertisement Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando
Advertisement
Advertisement African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida
Advertisement FNN News en Español
Advertisement Indian American Chamber of Commerce logo
Advertisement Florida Sports Channel

FNN Newsletter

Trending