Dallas preview: Home advantage and consistent form underpin Torque’s title bid
CARROLLTON, Texas – Torque GC will be banking on a measure of home advantage and a remarkable run of consistency as they seek their first victory of the season in this week's Dallas Team Championship at Maridoe Golf Club.
Last year, the Spanish-speaking combination won a LIV Golf League-best four titles but in 2024 they are yet to taste collective success despite a string of close calls. They currently sit fifth in the season-long standings after finishing in the top six or better 12 times in their 13 LIV Golf starts.
Torque are seeded fifth for LIV Golf's 2024 season finale and they will take on 12th-seeded HyFlyers GC in Friday's opening quarterfinal matches.
"We are feeling good," said Carlos Ortiz who, along with his team mate Sebastián Muñoz, is a Dallas resident. "We have played, on and off, pretty good the whole year but, at the end of the day, anything can happen here this week. You know how matchplay works. We are excited and I think we are in good shape."
Ortiz, who won his first individual LIV Golf title earlier this year in Houston, is a member at Maridoe Golf Club where he believes his team will enjoy something of a home advantage.
"This week will be good, it will be fun and we are excited about it," said the 33-year-old from Guadalajara. "It's a hard golf course and it all depends how it is set up ... how they prepare the greens and the fairways but it looks like in this kind of weather they can make it firm and fast and the course will play good."
Torque captain Joaquin Niemann is delighted that his team will have what amounts to a home game this week while he and the rest of the team stay at Ortiz's house.
"It's good," the Chilean professional smiled. "The greens are a little different than we're used to, and there are some blind shots, too. I think it's an advantage to have them (Ortiz and Muñoz) playing here often. Also I can borrow some information from them.
"It's a little bit more like a home tournament for us ... to be staying in a house with their family and be here on the golf course and playing in front of their friends and crowds. It will be a nice challenge."
Torque will face on Friday a HyFlyers combination who have mainly struggled this season, although they did post an impressive third-place finish in Adelaide where Brendan Steele won his team's first LIV Golf trophy of any kind.
In the singles matches, Niemann will play against Andy Ogletree while Muñoz will compete against Cameron Tringale. Meanwhile, Ortiz and Mito Pereira will take on HyFlyers captain Phil Mickelson and Steele in the foursomes.
"Torque are an incredible team," said six-times major champion Mickelson. "Joaco is one of the best players in the game ... and it's just impressive watching him play. Then the rest of his team are just really good guys and solid players. I've enjoyed watching their success.
"Our team is looking forward to the challenge. We haven't had the year that we wanted to this year, and this is an opportunity for us to showcase what we're able to do against one of the really strong teams in the league."
Torque arrived in Dallas fresh from a successful week at LIV Golf Chicago which could have been even better. Niemann finished second in both the tournament and the season-long Individual Championship while Torque placed wound up fifth after leading the tournament with just nine holes remaining.
"We were pretty close to winning the team title in Chicago," said Niemann, who had led the Individual Championship race throughout the year after clinching the season-opening LIV Golf Mayakoba in a playoff before winning in Jeddah by four strokes just two tournaments later. "It's extra motivation to play well in Dallas. We all know that we can do it, so it's going to be a fun challenge."
Ortiz, who won his first PGA Tour title at the 2020 Vivint Houston Open, agreed - with one caveat: "Yes, we are certainly in good form but, at the end of the day, it's anybody's game. In matchplay, anybody can beat anybody."
Torque's highlights this year include Niemann's two individual victories and the team's extraordinary run of finishes in the top six or better. However, that elusive first team title in 2024 would certainly cap a very successful season.
"I think it's been a different year," said Ortiz. "Obviously we haven't won a team title yet and that's what we have been wanting all season. I think we are saving the best for last."