LIV Golf rolls into its ninth stop at Maridoe Golf Club this week, for the second year in a row, and the energy is electric. With only five events remaining between the players and the team championship showdown in Michigan this August, the pressure has officially intensified. The first two rounds have concluded, and Patrick Reed is riding high, sitting atop the leaderboard with a three-shot cushion. He’s in hot pursuit of his first win of the season, and with stakes this high, Sunday promises drama, fireworks, and some serious clutch putts.

Reed is currently 18th on the points list, and his best finish yet this year was in Korea in May. While he’s yet to claim a title on the Saudi-funded tour, his stellar rounds of 9-under over two days at Maridoe are pushing him closer to that goal. Paul Casey and Abraham Ancer, however, are not too far behind, placing second at 6-under par. Tyrrell Hatton, who’s been a favourite after his solid 4th finish at Oakmont, is sitting in tied 4th place. Hatton had one of the lowest opening rounds at 7-under par, but a 2-over on the second day tumbled him down the leaderboard.

Joaquin Niemann, who has been the favourite player on LIV with 4 wins in the last eight events, carded a disappointing 6-over round on the second day and is placed 15th heading into the final day. Local favorite Bryson DeChambeau is also placed in at tied for 15th. With 4 Aces GC and Legion XIII taking the lead in the team event, this weekend is going to be a payday party. The overall purse for the event is $25 million, with $20 million for the individual event and $5 million for the team event.

The winner will take home a handsome check for $4 million from the 54-player no-cut field, and even the last player in the field will earn a decent amount of $50,000. The winning team will walk away with a $3 million cheque. Let’s take a look at how the prize money will be distributed:

Individual prize money:

Team prize money:

Now that we have the prize money out of the way, let’s take a look at what else is at stake for the players.

What else is at stake at LIV Golf Dallas this week?

We all know the format is such on LIV Golf that everyone plays through to the final day, so no one walks off empty-handed. But when it comes to points, it’s a different story. Only the top 24 finishers in each event earn points, and there are no points for 25th or worse. The stakes? The winner grabs a hefty 40 points, while the second and third places earn 30 points & 24 points, respectively. From the 4th to the 20th, there’s a sliding scale, but if you place between the 21st and to 24th, you will just earn 1 point. 

And points aren’t just for bragging rights, they’re the ticket to season glory! After 13 events, the top point earner grabs the Individual Championship trophy (and a juicy bonus), plus secures their status for the next season. On the team side, only the top 8 teams score, with a whopping 32 points for the winning team—and yes, that payback matters.

Right now, Joaquín Niemann is flexing at the top with 165.5 points, while Bryson DeChambeau trails at around 120 points. In the team standings, Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII leads with about 134.7 points. Why does that lead matter? In the final team championship showdown, top-seed teams get to choose their quarterfinal opponents. Now, if that’s not a strategic edge, then what is?