In LIV Golf’s 2022 beta-test year, Branden Grace won in Portland, finished second in the Individual Championship race behind Dustin Johnson, and earned a nice bonus at the end of the regular season.

Last year, he reached the podium three times in the first seven tournaments and finished ninth in the season-long points standings, carving out a reputation as one of LIV Golf’s most consistent high-end performers. 

This year … well, it’s a different story. Through the first nine events, the Stinger GC member ranks 52nd in points. He’s yet to finish in the top 10 in any start, and he has just two top-24 points finishes, both of those coming early in the season. 

And yes, he’s just as perplexed as you are.

“It’s hard to understand how you go from a second and a ninth to 50th or wherever I am at the moment,” said Grace, who is one of nine LIV Golf players competing in this week’s International Series Morocco on the Asian Tour. “That’s the frustrating thing because I know the golf is not that far off.”

From a pure analytical standpoint, it’s not difficult to pinpoint the area of his game that’s held him back this season.

Of the primary statistical categories, his performance with the flatstick is the biggest culprit. Of the 56 players who have played at least one full tournament this season, Grace ranks last in putting average, needing 30.78 putts per round. A year ago, he ranked T20 for the season.

From a strokes gained standpoint, he’s giving up 1.16 strokes to the field on the green in every round, again ranking last in that category. In the other categories, he’s essentially neutral.

Grace recently switched coaches, returning to his former instructor Peter Berman from South Africa. “It’s good to work with him again,” Grace said. “Just tweaking a little bit less and just playing golf.”

Meanwhile, Grace has battled health issues. He’s dealt with ganglions cysts in his wrist for several years, and occasionally the issue flares up. He has opted to drain the cyst with a syringe instead of undergoing an operation.

During the offseason, his hand became so sore that he saw a specialist in South Africa. Testing indicated there were issues with two ligaments in his wrist, and Grace has been receiving cortisone injections and other medications in hopes of alleviating the problem. The pain has gone away but his hands may not be 100% golf-ready.

“With cortisone, you never really know because you can’t feel anything,” Grace said. “So that’s played maybe a part of it. I wouldn’t be able to tell you for sure. But from what the scores in the golf has been, I would think yes.

“But I’m still out here, still playing, still practicing. Still out here giving my all.”

While disappointing in his individual performance, Grace is even more concerned about the impact on the all-South African Stingers’ results.