4Aces GC teammates Harold Varner III and Pat Perez enter this week’s LIV Golf Chicago above the Drop Zone of players that face potential relegation from the league.
But just barely.
Varner is 47th in points, Perez 48th. All players, including captains, who finish this week 49th or lower in points will be relegated and must try to earn their way back into the LIV Golf League for 2025.
That makes Varner and Perez the most vulnerable if any of the players below them have a good week in the regular-season finale at Bolingbrook Golf Club and jump ahead in the standings.
It’s not an enviable situation. As 4Aces Captain Dustin Johnson said: “They both need to play well, especially this week. So, a little bit of pressure on 'em but nothing they can't handle.”
The two veterans – Perez is in his 28th year as a professional, Varner in his 13th – realize what’s at stake, the consequences that await them if things don’t go their way at Bolingbrook.
But that didn’t prevent them from enjoying a 4Aces youth clinic on Wednesday with underprivileged adolescents from multiple non-profit organizations in the Chicago area. The two players and their teammates shared plenty of laughs with the kids, posing for photos and signing autographs while offering help at the hitting bays and chipping challenge.
It was a great way to introduce the attendees to golf – and a nice respite from the task they face starting Friday.
“Just got to go get the job done,” Varner said. “I’m playing a little better, getting better, getting healthier. Just go do my thing.”
Said Perez: “I’m 28 years as a pro. Kept my card on the show every year. It is what it is. I haven’t played well this year. Had a lot of stuff going on. Hopefully something comes together this week.”
Varner, who joined LIV Golf in the middle of the inaugural 2022 season, is in his first year with the 4Aces, having been acquired by Johnson in an offseason trade with the RangeGoats for Peter Uihlein.
Varner won last year at LIV Golf DC and finished seventh in points but has not been able duplicate that in 2024. He’s finished inside the top 24 with points in just four starts, with a tie for 15th in Hong Kong in March as his best result.
Based on stats comparison, a few stark differences stand out. Varner ranked eighth in the league last year in putting average; he’s now 45th. He ranked 18th in greens in regulation; he’s now 42nd. And he led the league in eagles made last year with 14; he has just three this year. That’s a 22-stroke difference right there.
But his captain doesn’t see anything specific that has caused the downgrade in results.
“I played with him quite a bit this year,” Johnson said. “He seems like he's swinging him pretty good and doing everything pretty well. If we knew what was wrong, we’d fix it.”
Said Varner: “Just need to play golf, not think about the golf swing. Just play. I’ve still got it. Have never lost it. I’ve just got to go do it.”
A year ago, Perez finished just outside the Lock Zone at 28th in points, posting three top-7 finishes, an impressive improvement over his first LIV season. He entered this year with high hopes but his best result is a tie for 14th in Nashville, one of just three points finishes. He goes into Chicago with 7.76 points, less than two points ahead of No 49 Scott Vincent.
Perez has made some late-season adjustments he hopes will pay off at Bolingbrook, including a potential spike in his driving distance. He’s currently 54th in the league in that category.
“Yeah, made some swing changes,” he said. “It’s just been a long, hard year. Haven’t played well. It’s unfortunate but you don’t have a lot of weeks to chase it out here.
“I love the course. I think it’s phenomenal. It fits my eye. Going to give it my all. I’m starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel but unfortunately the season’s about over. But I’m hoping for a great week.”
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