Team Power Rankings: LIV Golf Andalucia

As the LIV Golf League heads to Real Club Valderrama for LIV Golf Andalucía, the stage is set for the ninth stop on the 14-event schedule. Last year, Talor Gooch claimed his second consecutive individual title at Valderrama, with Legion XIII winning the team trophy and Fireballs GC finishing runner-up. The historic par 71 measuring 7 010 yards is one of the most demanding and strategic venues in professional golf.

Here are the Power Rankings for all 13 teams.

1 FIREBALLS GC

There is no team better suited to Valderrama than Fireballs GC. Sergio Garcia won this event in 2024 and has the kind of deep, almost spiritual connection to Real Club Valderrama that cannot be manufactured - he grew up in Borriol, less than four hours up the Spanish coast, and has played this golf course more times than he could count. His form has been inconsistent in 2026 but Valderrama has a way of finding the best version of Garcia and this week, the stage could not be more perfect for a resurgence.

Then there is Josele Ballester, who is quietly becoming one of the most dangerous young players in professional golf. The 22-year-old Spaniard shot a final-round 67 at this event last year when he was still finding his feet as a professional, nowhere near the player he has since become. A year of seasoning, a near-historic week in Virginia where he shot a 60, and a maturing all-around game make him a significantly more dangerous proposition this time around. David Puig finished T16 in Korea and brings strong form to Valderrama. When you add Puig's consistency, Ballester's emerging game and Garcia's inextricable connection to this golf course, Fireballs GC are the team to beat in Spain.

2 LEGION XIII

Legion XIII will get captain Jon Rahm’s running mate back this week in Tyrrell Hatton. Hatton missed LIV Golf Korea following the birth of his first child and timing of his return could hardly be better. Hatton has been playing some good golf and suits the course well. He is a player who has spent significant time competing on the DP World Tour and brings the kind of precise, patient game that this course demands. Rahm finished runner-up last season at Valderrama and despite not playing up to his usual standards last week in Korea, ranked fourth in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. Legion XIII sit fourth in the team standings and need a big week in Spain to close the gap on the teams above them.

3 TORQUE GC

Joaquin Niemann arrives in Andalucía as the LIV Golf Korea champion, riding a wave of momentum after a frustrating first half of the season. He is the all-time individual wins leader in league history with eight titles; he led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee in Korea at +4.16 and has proven that he can reel off wins in bunches. Valderrama has not historically been Niemann's best venue - he finished T10 in 2023, T8 in 2024 and T23 in 2025 - but a player this hot and this confident demands respect regardless of course history. Sebastián Muñoz finished T4 at this event in 2023 and brings genuine Valderrama experience to the lineup. Carlos Ortiz has been one of the most consistent performers in the league all season and is capable of a big week at a venue that rewards ball control over power. If Torque GC can match Niemann's individual brilliance with a collective team effort, their first team title of 2026 could arrive in Spain.

4 CRUSHERS GC

The back-to-back Korea team champions arrive in Andalucía with serious momentum but face a course that is a significant stylistic departure from the venues where they have thrived this season. Bryson DeChambeau flashed some his best iron play of his 2026 campaign and ranked third in Korea with a Strokes Gained: Approach figure of +5.12 for the week. Travis Smyth will once again fill in for the injured Paul Casey after a brilliant T8 finish in Korea he has more than earned continued trust. Charles Howell III has been quietly consistent all season.

5 4ACES GC

The 4Aces sit atop the season-long team standings and are well-suited to play well at a course that demands short-game excellence and strategic course management above all else. Dustin Johnson had his best performances of the 2026 season last week in Korea and has had success at Valderrama, including a T7 finish last season. Thomas Detry and Anthony Kim continue to play well, with Kim’s short game dialed in at the moment.

6 RIPPER GC

Ripper GC sits second in the season-long team standings and has some newfound momentum with Cameron Smith flashing some recent form. He finished T7 at the PGA Championship at Aronimink and showed encouraging signs with his driver in Korea under new swing coach Claude Harmon III - a development that matters significantly at Valderrama, where finding fairways is a prerequisite for competing. He finished T7 at this event in 2025 and T6 in 2024. Marc Leishman ranked second in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach in Korea and Lucas Herbert, the Virginia champion, is a player in form and would love to add a second individual title to his resume.

7 OKGC

Gooch is the two-time defending individual champion at Valderrama where he also won in 2023. The OKGC captain arrives in Spain off the best approach play week of his 2026 season, leading the entire field in Strokes Gained: Approach in Korea. Valderrama is a course that rewards exactly what Gooch does best. "Happy with where the game is at and where it's going," he said after the play-off loss in Busan. His patience and elite short iron play around a golf course as demanding as Valderrama make him a serious threat to win the event for the third time in four years. The question, as always for OKGC, is whether three strong scores can come from the rest of the roster around him.

8 SOUTHERN GUARDS GC

Southern Guards GC sit seventh in the team standings but the roster has genuine Valderrama pedigree. Louis Oosthuizen finished T4 at this event in 2024 and still has the ability to compete on a shorter and strategic track. Branden Grace finished T4 in 2025 and T12 in Korea this week, arriving in Spain in the best form of any player on this team. The veteran moxie of the South African team on a week where strategy and precision is more important than raw power make them a dark horse.

9 HYFLYERS GC

Scott Vincent is the form player of the LIV Golf season over the last month. He has finished T8 in Virginia, fourth in Mexico City and fifth in Korea while leading the field in Strokes Gained: Putting in Busan at +7.82. Valderrama rewards the kind of all-around game Vincent has been producing and without captain Phil Mickelson, the Zimbabwean has been carrying this team. The depth concern is real but Vincent's current form demands he be taken seriously as an individual contender regardless of team context.

10 RANGEGOATS GC

Ben Campbell led the entire field in Strokes Gained: Putting in Korea. If he brings that putter to Valderrama - where the greens are slick, firm and punishing - he could be a factor in the individual standings. The RangeGoats sit 11th in the team standings and need contributions from across the roster to move up.

11 CLEEKS GOLF CLUB

Martin Kaymer had a surprise showing at the PGA Championship and brings a veteran presence to a venue that suits his precise, strategic game. Victor Perez ranked eighth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee in Korea and has plenty of course experience as well. The Cleeks sit 10th in the team standings but this is the kind of course where Kaymer, in particular, can remind the field of the player he remains capable of being.

12 MAJESTICKS GC

Laurie Canter ranked third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach in Korea and Ian Poulter brings more Valderrama experience than almost anyone in the field. The Majesticks sit 12th in the team standings and are in desperate need of a strong week to climb out of the basement with time in the 2026 season quickly running out.

13 KOREAN GOLF CLUB

Byeong Hun An showed encouraging signs in Korea. He ranked 10th in Strokes Gained: Approach for the tournament, however his driver was erratic, which will pose a real problem at Valderrama. A strong individual week from An would be a significant step forward for the team.