SUGAR GROVE, Ill. If you’re Dustin Johnson or Peter Uihlein, the approach is plain as day. Don’t overthink it, do what you’ve been doing, and do what you did here last season.
The 4Aces Golf Club teammates have good vibes entering LIV Golf Chicago. Last season at the inaugural event at Rich Harvest Farms, Johnson and Uihlein finished tied for second playing on separate teams, and Johnson led the way to his team’s victory.
“The golf course is really good,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I haven't seen it yet this week, but the boys were out there yesterday and said it's in fantastic condition. Obviously, we all played pretty well here (last season) and had a good week.”
Pretty well might be an understatement. Johnson, currently the captain for 4Aces GC, shot 70 on Sunday at Rich Harvest Farms and his birdie on the par-5 18th hole gave his team – then Smash GC – the victory. Uihlein also made birdie on the final hole to card an impressive 69.
One season later, the two are now teammates, and coupled with Patrick Reed and Pat Perez, sit atop the team standings with 172 points. After a strong start to the season, things have dipped a little, but the lead is still nine points over second-place Torque GC.
Returning to Chicago could be just what the teammates need. With only two events remaining after this week, the players said they find themselves comfortable on this course.
“It’s in perfect shape and I feel like there's some new pin locations that could happen this year compared to last year,” said Reed, who is third overall in the individual points standings. “And we're looking forward to the great weather.”
Added Uihlein: “You can't fake it around this course. It's fair. It's good. There's some different hole locations I could definitely use. So it could be different this year. But the rough seems to be a little bit more down and the wind might not be up, so it should be fun this year. I like some of the changes they made with 18, making it a par 4 is pretty good.”
And it’s not just the course itself. The teammates are once again embracing the Midwestern hospitality, the area’s legendary sports history and the support from fans.
“I thought coming here last year, the fans were great,” said Johnson, who is eighth in the individual points standings. “We had good crowds and the event was a lot of fun. So obviously this year, hopefully should be a little bit better and it's obviously a great venue. The Chicago fans are great. Big sports town and hopefully we'll get a lot more people out this year.”
And what those people might see, if the teammates play like they did here last season, is a team remaining on track for a first-round bye for Miami.