Ripper GC was launched in time for the second LIV Golf season in 2023, with Cameron Smith as its captain in a rebrand from Punch GC, who the Australian had joined after signing for the circuit in August 2022.
Even with its original name, the team had a distinctly Australian flavor, with Travis Smyth, Ian Snyman, Wade Ormsby, Blake Windred, Jediah Morgan and Matt Jones all representing it in LIV Golf's first season before the arrivals of Smith and Leishman. Japanese star Ryosuke Kinoshita also played for Punch GC in the first-ever LIV Golf event in London.
However, when Ripper GC emerged, the all-Australian line-up was stasabilized, with Smith, Leishman, Jones and Morgan the four to take it through the 2023 season. The line-up helped the team to a middling season, where it finished seventh in the Team Standings, with victory in the Bedminster tournament the highlight.
There was one change to the personnel for the 2024 season, with Morgan making way after finishing in the Drop Zone and new LIV Golf signing Lucas Herbert coming in.
This time, things began to click for the team, with victories in Adelaide and Singapore coming before two runner-up finishes in the United Kingdom and at Greenbrier to help it to third in the Team Standings after the 13 regular events.
Along the way, Smith finished seventh in the Individual Standings, Leishman took 15th, Herbert came 25th and Jones finished 42nd.
Thanks to that generally good season, Ripper GC earned a bye into the semi-finals of the Team Championship at Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas, before beating Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC in the semi-finals.
That meant it headed into the final round of the season one of four teams, along with Iron Heads GC, Legion XIII and 4 Aces GC, in with a chance of winning the trophy and $14m in prize money.
Ripper GC Players
- Cameron Smith (captain)
- Marc Leishman
- Matt Jones
- Lucas Herbert
