LIV Golf makes its return this week, with Club de Golf Chapultepec playing host to LIV Golf Mexico City.
More pressure could help LIV Golf players compete in majors, with 12 having just taken on The Masters at Augusta National.
Seven of those 12 made the cut, with former champions Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia among the LIV Golf players missing out on the weekend action.
But Mickelson congratulated Rory McIlroy on his victory at The Masters, with the latter’s win helping him secure the career grand slam.
The former now turns his focus back to LIV Golf, with Joaquin Niemann sitting top of the individual standings heading into the tournament.
Rick Shiels makes ‘bizarre’ Club de Golf Chapultepec claim ahead of LIV Golf Mexico City
And YouTuber Rick Shiels has now offered insight into the course before the action gets underway, having just taken on Club de Golf Chapultepec.
“I’ll be honest,” he said on The Rick Shiels Golf Show. “I have never experienced playing golf like playing golf here in Mexico City.
“It is the most bizarre situation in the world. I am hitting a nine iron comfortably 190 yards. I was hitting some [drives] on the range before I played and I carried some 341 yards.
“If it is hit high it just stays in the air forever. If you hit one a bit skinny or try and punch one it goes pretty much a similar distance, but if you hit one up in the air with any sort of height and it just goes forever.
“I have never experienced anything like it. What is bizarre is the tree on the golf course, which is called Chapultepec, it is tree-lined.
“It’s not like you are on top of the mountain. I can imagine playing in Africa and being at the top of a mountain and thinking the ball is going to go miles.
“This is a beautiful golf course but it feels like a fairly normal golf course but you are hitting these driver and iron shots which are just going forever because we are 7500 feet above sea level.
“The other thing is that it takes your breath away playing golf at that altitude. It’s quite hard! It is going to take the players a long time to adjust. It was my first round playing at altitude and the amount of times I was left scratching my head.
“I was like I am 170 yards away here, for me that is normally a hard eight iron or a soft seven, and I was looking at it thinking I don’t know what to hit and I’d have my hand on my pitching wedge, which I’m thinking that might be too much club!”
LIV Golf players fail to outshine PGA Tour rivals at The Masters
Altitude is certain to play its part at Club de Golf Chapultepec, with Torque GC providing early insight into just how big a factor it will be.
And given the huge distances expected at LIV Golf Mexico City, Shiels has predicted the big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau to drive at least 400 yards.
It certainly will be intriguing to see how the LIV Golf players adjust to the conditions in Mexico, and indeed how they deal with the challenges of the course itself.
And it will also be interesting to follow the players who attempted and ultimately largely failed to outshine their PGA Tour rivals at The Masters.
Patrick Reed can certainly hold his head high after finishing third, with DeChambeau also having a tournament to be proud of despite a final round collapse.
He finished T5 as McIlroy emerged victorious, with trio Bubba Watson, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton next in T14.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
