At this time of year, golf in the UK is at fever pitch and the thirst to both watch and play is at boiling point.
Scottie Scheffler might have turned The Open Championship into a procession, but that tournament does absolutely everything to whet the appetite of fans, whether it is a snooze fest or a rollercoaster.
So we move on to LIV Golf’s UK event at JCB, one of the only events on the Saudi-funded circuit that harnesses the passion of the fans which surround it. This is because UK golf fans love watching the stars in the flesh, such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.
Then there are also the home favourites that, no matter how many barbs have been exchanged in the last few years, fans from these shores never get tired of watching. The likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Sergio Garcia, from a European perspective, have shaped the memories of fans for many decades.
Anyway, here is who I think has the best chance to win at JCB in Rocester this week. I have shown my workings too, plus added the opinion of a certain Mr Shiels.
LIV Golf UK Betting Tips
Venue: JCB Golf and Country Club
Date: July 25-27, 2025
Course stats: Par 71, 7243 yards
Defending champion: Jon Rahm (-13)
ALSO: 5 things we learned from watching LIV Golf UK
Tyrrell Hatton @ 9/1
Tyrrell Hatton seems an obvious bet here. His form plus the subsequent reflection in the Data Golf rankings suggests he will go close again at JCB, as he did in 2024 when he finished closely behind Legion XIII teammate Jon Rahm.
Tied for 14th at the Masters, tied for fourth at the US Open and tied for 16th at The Open – these are the finishes of a top player and a standout performer in world golf. He hasn’t won yet in 2025, but he has given many punters a good run for their money at a variety of tournaments and a variety of venues.
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He has hit over 70% of greens in regulation in the LIV Golf League in 2025, and he averages over 311 yards off the tee. Hatton has three top-10s with LIV this year, and he might be disappointed that he hasn’t won since June 2024, and his win in Nashville is his only one since moving tours.
Around the greens and approaching the greens are the departments where Hatton excels the most, and he is a very backable player considering he is always flirting with the top of the leaderboard.
Joaquin Niemann @ 11/1
For someone who has won four times in the LIV Golf League this season, Joaquin Niemann has come out at a very decent price. This might be because he didn’t break the top 20 in Spain or Dallas, and he crashed out of The Open before the weekend in what was yet another disappointing major display.
Nonetheless, Niemann is the man this year in the league. He has made the most birdies, he averages almost 330 yards off the tee and he hits more than 72% of greens. These are the key reasons why and how he has asserted his dominance in 2025.
He came tied for eighth at the PGA Championship and came in the top 30 at the Masters, which should be noted for a player who many find easy to jab for his major record. Niemann also came tied for second at JCB in 2025, and he is LIV Golf ambassador Rick Shiels’ tip:
“If you asked me at the start of the year, it was very hard to look past Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann. They were winning every event. But more recently, Niemann has won four events, of course, but I feel like there’s been a lot of new names at the top of the leaderboard.
“Patrick Reed won in Dallas and in the playoff, you had Paul Casey knocking at the door. You had Tyrrell Hatton who came second here last year, he just missed out from Jon Rahm. He played great in Dallas, so I feel it is a really tough course.
“It’s not the longest for these guys. It’s somebody who has an incredible short game and a wizard around the greens. You can see how undulating the greens are. I think Niemann has the best chance of winning around here.”
ALSO: How much? Here is the LIV Golf UK Prize Money in 2025
Lee Westwood @ 95/1
Lee Westwood loves playing in front of UK crowds and he showed that when playing well at the 153rd Open at Portrush. He took just 29 shots to play the back nine on the Dunluce Links in round three, which is unconsciously good golf.
He shot 9-under in the final round in Virginia at the start of June and played superbly across 36 holes at Dundonald to win Final Open Qualifying. At the moment, Westwood is playing very good golf and represents decent value in the market.
The popular Englishman still averages over 300 yards off the tee, and although he hasn’t shown great form throughout the LIV season in 2025, it seems he is finding his game again, and there was enough from his performance at The Open to suggest 95/1 is a juicy price.
NOW READ: LIV Golf UK Preview 2025
NOW READ: How much has each LIV golfer made compared to their PGA Tour earnings?
What do you make of this LIV Golf betting column? Who would you add to this LIV Golf UK betting column? Tell us on X!
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