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This week, the PGA of America published its field list for the 2024 PGA Championship , and 16 LIV golfers will be teeing it up at Valhalla Golf Club next week, headlined by defending champion Brooks Koepka.

The 16 LIV participants at the PGA matches the number who competed at Oak Hill last year, and is three more than the 13 who competed at Augusta National last month (the Masters’ field size is substantially smaller).

While LIV players remain eligible for majors, no governing bodies to date have offered a direct pathway through performance on LIV, meaning qualification is very difficult for those without previously existing exemptions.

The PGA of America did keep with its past practice of inviting players inside or around the top 100 of the world rankings who were not otherwise in the field, and several LIV players fell into that category this week: Adrian Meronk (63 rd ), Lucas Herbert (89 th ), Patrick Reed (92 nd ), David Puig (106 th ), and Dean Burmester (130 th ).

Talor Gooch, LIV’s individual champion last season, was also invited despite being ranked 644 th .

This post tracks future major eligibility for all 55 golfers who have made a LIV start this year (the 52 players assigned to a team plus the 3 individuals who have competed so far). Updates will be made as necessary throughout the spring:

Past major champions with full major access (6)

Bryson DeChambeau (Won 2020 U.S. Open)

• U.S. Open through 2030
• Masters, PGA, The Open through 2025

Dustin Johnson (Won 2016 U.S. Open; 2020 Masters)

• Masters for life
• U.S. Open through 2026
• The Open through 2025
• PGA through 2024

Brooks Koepka (Won 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open; 2018, 2019 and 2023 PGA Championship)

• PGA for life
• Masters, U.S. Open through 2028
• The Open through 2027

Phil Mickelson (Won 2004, 2006 and 2010 Masters; 2005 and 2021 PGA Championship; 2013 Open)

• Masters, PGA for life
• The Open through 2030 (when he will be 60 years old)
• U.S. Open through 2025

Jon Rahm (Won 2021 U.S. Open; 2023 Masters)

• U.S. Open through 2031
• PGA, The Open through 2027

Cameron Smith (Won 2022 Open)

• The Open until age 60
• Masters, PGA, U.S. Open through 2027

Past major champions with some major access (7)

Sergio Garcia (Won 2017 Masters)

Martin Kaymer (Won 2010 PGA Championship; 2014 U.S. Open)

• U.S. Open through 2024

Louis Oosthuizen (Won 2010 Open)

Patrick Reed (Won 2018 Masters)

• PGA Championship in 2024 (special invitation)

Charl Schwartzel (Won 2011 Masters)

Henrik Stenson (Won 2016 Open)

Bubba Watson (Won 2012 and 2014 Masters)

Past major champ whose exemptions have expired (1)

Graeme McDowell (Won 2010 U.S. Open)

Note: McDowell’s last major appearance came in 2020. The champion exemption for the U.S. Open is 10 years – by far the least favorable exemption for a past major champ. The Masters and PGA are “for life,” while The Open allows past champs to play until age 55 (reduced from age 60 starting in 2024 for all future Open champions).

Left for LIV in 2024 with exemptions already sealed (2)

Tyrrell Hatton

• 2024 Masters: Qualified for 2023 Tour Championship; OWGR top 50 at the end of 2023
• 2024 PGA: Finished T-15 in 2023 PGA
• 2024 U.S. Open: Qualified for 2023 Tour Championship
• 2024 Open: Top 30 in 2023 Race to Dubai and FedExCup standings

Adrian Meronk

• 2024 Masters: OWGR top 50 at the end of 2023
• 2024 PGA: Special invitation
• 2024 U.S. Open: Top 2, not otherwise exempt, from 2023 Race to Dubai
• 2024 Open: Top 30 in 2023 Race to Dubai standings

Exemption(s) earned while on LIV through non-OWGR based criteria (4)

Dean Burmester

• 2024 Open: Won Joburg Open on DP World Tour in Nov. 2023 (part of Open Qualifying Series)

Talor Gooch

Joaquin Niemann

• 2024 Masters: Special invitation
• 2024 Open: Won ISPS Handa Australian Open on DP World Tour in Dec. 2023 (part of Open Qualifying Series)
• 2024 Open: Won IRS Prima Malaysian Open on DP World Tour in Feb. 2024 (part of Open Qualifying Series)

Earned invitation through OWGR criteria (2)

Lucas Herbert

Andy Ogletree

• 2024 PGA and Open: 2 nd on OWGR International Federation Ranking exemption (top 3 are exempt into 2024 PGA and top 5 are exempt into 2024 Open)

Not currently exempt into any majors, slim prospects outside of open qualifying (33)

• Abraham Ancer
• Richard Bland
• Laurie Canter
• Eugenio Chacarra
• Branden Grace
• Sam Horsfield
• Charles Howell III
• Anthony Kim
• Jason Kokrak
• Jinichiro Kozuma
• Anirban Lahiri
• Marc Leishman
• Sebastian Munoz
• Carlos Ortiz
• Mito Pereira
• Thomas Pieters
• Ian Poulter
• Kalle Samooja
• Brendan Steele
• Caleb Surratt
• Hudson Swafford
• Cameron Tringale
• Peter Uihlein
• Harold Varner III
• Kieran Vincent
• Scott Vincent
• Lee Westwood
• Matthew Wolff

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LIV Golf announces teams, players for 2023; Four PGA Tour players, Pieters officially join league

Charlie Crowhurst/LIV Golf

LIV Golf is rolling out its teams and rosters this week on the eve of the circuit’s second season.

Rather than announce its members at once for the 2023 campaign, the Saudi-backed league sent out a press release stating its players and squads will be trickled out just days before the 14-event season begins in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The team names and captains have been previously announced, and nearly all of the LIV’s marquee attractions from its inaugural season are expected to return.

Unlike last season, it is not expected that players and teams will change every event. There are at least two team name changes, with the Niblicks turning into Range Goats GC and Punch going to Ripper GC.

Torque, captained by Joaquin Niemann, was the first team announced on Wednesday, with Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz and David Puig rounding out the team. Golf Digest has previously reported that Pereira and Munoz were expected to join the league in Year 2, but their moves became official on Wednesday. Smash GC, headlined by Brooks Koepka, added Matthew Wolff to the roster, after Wolff played last year with Phil Mickelson’s team. Brooks' brother Chase Koepka and Jason Kokrak are also on the team. The Majesticks, led by Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter, are bringing back the same team as last year with Lee Westwood and Sam Horsfield. The 4 Aces return with Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez, with Peter Uihlein taking the place of Talor Gooch.

In total four new players from the PGA Tour signed with LIV Golf ahead of its second season, as Danny Lee and Brendan Stelle joined Munoz and Pereira in defecting. Former Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters, who earlier in the week complained about not getting invited to the Genesis Invitational, has also jumped to LIV. Pieters, No. 34 in the world, played mostly on the DP World Tour.

RELATED: Inside the LIV Golf-PGA Tour battle

Below are the team names, team captains, rosters and schedule for the 2023 season. The names and rosters will be updated as they are announced. Both individual and team competitions similar to the inaugural season will return to LIV Golf in 2023. Last month the league announced a multiyear media deal with the CW, giving LIV Golf its first traditional television broadcast partner in the United States.

LIV Golf Teams and Rosters

Torque GC : Captain Joaquin Niemann, Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz, David Puig Majesticks GC : Captains Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield Smash GC : Captain Brooks Koepka, Chase Koepka, Matt Wolff, Jason Kokrak 4 Aces GC : Captain Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Peter Uihlein Fire Balls GC : Captain Sergio Garcia, Abe Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Chacarra HY Flyers GC : Captain Phil Mickelson, James Piot, Brendan Steele, Cam Tringale Iron Heads GC : Captain Kevin Na, Scott Vincent, Danny Lee, Sihwan Kim RangeGoats GC : Captain Bubba Watson, Talor Gooch, Thomas Pieters, Harold Varner III Ripper GC : Captain Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Jed Morgan Cleeks GC : Captain Martin Kaymer, Bernd Wiesberger, Richard Bland, Graeme McDowell Crushers GC : Captain Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri, Charles Howell III Stinger GC : Captain Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester, Charl Schwartzel

Feb. 24-26: El Camaleón Golf Club, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico March 17-19: The Gallery Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz. March 31-April 2: Orange County National, Orlando, Fla. April 21-23: The Grange Golf Club, Adelaide, Australia April 28-30: Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore May 12-14: Cedar Ridge Country Club, Broken Arrow, Okla. May 26-28: Trump National Golf Club, Washington, D.C. June 30-July 2: Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain July 7-9: Centurion Club, London, England Aug. 4-6: The Old White Course, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Aug. 11-13: Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, N.J. Sept. 22-24: Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Ill. Oct. 20-22: Trump National Doral, Miami Nov. 3-5: Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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What is LIV Golf? Players, field, tour schedule, news for league with Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson

Everything to know about the pga tour's newest rival.

LIV Golf is now more than halfway through its inaugural season after completion of play in Chicago. Making headlines both on and off the golf course, LIV Golf has taken its battle to the courtroom, social media and beyond. While the actual play in LIV Golf has been compelling at times, the overall structure, presence and future of the organization remains its most intriguing component in the context of men's professional golf.

Plenty of questions have been answered since its inaugural event in London from June 9-11, but still more remain without a response. What will the future of this rival tour look like? How will the team aspect of the competition clash with the individual side? Will LIV Golf be able to recruit some of the best players in the world with its Official World Golf Rankings status in the air? Is a court date with the PGA Tour inevitable?

At every step along the way, answers about this league have only produced more questions and clarification has only made the future more complicated. 

The breakdown below is our attempt to share with you everything that's known to this point as we head into the whatever LIV Golf is going to look like in the future. Whether this turns out to be a fork or bump in the road of professional golf remains to be seen (only the future will retroactively determine that), but it does feel monumental in the moment.

LIV Golf, empowered by its unlimited war chest of resources to throw at the best players, is officially at odds with the PGA Tour. It's a period of time that has been promised for a long time, and is finally taking place. Let's take a look at what we know and what we can expect in the weeks, months and years ahead as LIV Golf wraps up its first season at the end of October.

What is LIV Golf?

LIV Golf is a rival golf league to the PGA Tour where the tournaments consist of 54 holes, the fields are limited to 48 golfers and the purses are an astronomical $25 million. Twelve, four-man teams will compete in each event, and the individual purses will be $20 million while the other $5 million will be divided up among the best teams each week.

Who leads LIV Golf?

LIV Golf Investments runs the league, and its CEO is two-time major champion Greg Norman. It is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which is effectively the financial arm of the Saudi Arabian government. These funds are seemingly limitless as the league has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to players just to guarantee their appearances at the LIV Golf Invitational Series events.

Who is playing for LIV Golf?

It began with Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson headlining the London event and has since grown into a respectable roster. Major champions Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed quickly followed the lead of their fellow Americans. 

More recently, and more importantly, world No. 3 and Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith made the leap after the completion of the 2022 Tour Championship. He was joined by young Chilean Joaquin Niemann as two international players who chose to forgo the Presidents Cup in lieu of playing in the LIV Golf event in Boston. While the initial demographics skewed towards older players like Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Mickelson, there has been an influx of younger talent with Abraham Ancer and Harold Varner III among others.

Here's a look at the 49 men who currently play for LIV Golf and their Official World Golf Rankings (Bubba Watson is a non-playing captain and is set to compete once fully recovered from injury).

What is going on legally between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour?

Originally, 11 LIV Golf players were a part of an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. This suit also sought a temporary restraining order for Hudson Swafford, Matt Jones and Talor Gooch to participate in the 2021-22 FedEx Cup Playoffs -- which was ultimately denied and barred them from playing in the PGA Tour postseason.

Since then, slowly but surely, more and more of the original members have removed their names from the lawsuit. Previously, Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Jason Kokrak and Pat Perez left the suit. More recently, Talor Gooch, Mickelson, Poulter and Swafford followed in their footsteps. 

This leaves only three players seeking punitive damages in a legal battle with the PGA Tour: Bryson DeChambeau, Peter Uihlein and Jones. The trial is set to begin in January 2024.

The Tour has over and over again pointed back to its rules and regulations in this matter and remains set on keeping those who have played on LIV Golf off the PGA Tour. Commissioner Jay Monahan was asked at the Tour Championship if there was any chance LIV Golf members would be welcomed back onto the PGA Tour to which he blatantly answered, "no."

How has the PGA Tour reacted to LIV Golf?

After a players-only meeting at the BMW Championship led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, sweeping changes have been made to the PGA Tour schedule and the treatment of its star players. Here are the spark notes of this new-look PGA Tour starting this season.

• Top players will commit to at least 20 PGA Tour events:  These tournaments will include the eight elevated events as previously designated, four additional elevated events with purses of at least $20 million (to be announced), The Players Championship, the four major championships and three other FedEx Cup events of players' choosing.
• The PIP will be expanded:  The PIP has been increased from the top 10 players to the top 20 for 2022 and 2023. Not only has the player pool expanded, so has the prize pool, which will now total $100 million, double the $50 million previously announced. It is from these top 20 lists that "top players" will be defined.
• Modifications  made for Lifetime Membership:  No longer will 15 seasons of membership be necessary. Once a player reaches 20 wins, he will be eligible. With this change, McIlroy has secured his lifetime membership with Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth only being a handful of wins away.

Will LIV Golf receive Official World Golf Rankings points?

LIV Golf is still awaiting the status of its OWGR application despite its best attempts to expedite the process. All 49 players recently sent a letter to the OWGR chairman requesting that world ranking points be retroactively applied to its events. Comparing the OWGR without LIV to college football without the SEC or FIFA without Belgium, it is unlikely this holds any merit. 

Meanwhile, players have begun to tee it up on the DP World Tour with some consistency on weeks in which there is no LIV Golf event. The top 50 players in the OWGR at the end of the calendar year will be invited to the 2023 Masters making it a mad dash for players to accumulate as many points as possible before then.

Will the majors allow golfers to play?

That's an even better question that has at least some clarity.  The answer in the short term is: yes . The major organizations -- PGA of America, USGA, R&A and Augusta National -- likely won't announce suspensions or bans of players who participate. There is a potential that qualifying criterias are modified in the future, however as of now if a LIV player gains entry through previous exemptions or the adequate OWGR (points which LIV has yet to secure) he should be able to compete.

What is the LIV Golf schedule?

Five events have already taken place in 2022, with three remaining. Here's a look at what's left on the schedule for the inaugural season.

• Bangkok, Thailand: Oct. 7-9
• Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Oct. 14-16
• Miami, Florida: Oct. 27-30

LIV Golf has released a tentative schedule for 2023 with 14 stops around the globe spanning Washington D.C., Spain and Australia.  This is unofficial as details have yet to be confirmed.

• February: Florida (course TBD)
• February: California (course TBD)
• March: Tucson (Dove Mountain or the Gallery)
• April: Australia (Sydney or Queensland)
• April: Singapore (Sentosa)
• May: Washington D.C. (CBS Sports can confirm Trump National DC the week after PGA Championship)
• June: Philadelphia (course TBD)
• July: London (Centurion)
• July: Spain (Valderrama the week before The Open)
• August: New Jersey (Trump National Bedminster)
• August: West Virginia (The Greenbrier)
• September: Chicago (course TBD)
• September: Toronto or Mexico (course TBD)
• September: Florida (Trump National Doral)

What does LIV Golf's season finale look like?

It will not look like the Tour Championship, that is for certain. Taking place from Oct. 28-30, the top four teams in LIV will receive a bye on the first day while teams 5-12 will compete in match-play competitions with the higher-ranked teams selecting their opponents. For each matchup, three matches consisting of two singles matches and one alternate-shot match will take place.

The same format will be used for Day 2 of competition with the four victors from Day 1 and the four teams which received a bye all playing. From there, the four winners from Day 2 will advance to the final stage which will be different.

The four winning teams will compete in stroke play on the final day of competition. All 16 players will compete and all four scores will count towards the team's score. The lowest team score will be crowned the LIV Golf Invitational Series Team Champion.

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LIV Golf Invitational Series: Players, teams, results and all you need to know from inaugural season

Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson have won the first four LIV Golf events, while Johnson's 4 Aces side - also containing Patrick Reed, Pat Perez and Taylor Gooch - have topped the team competition three times already this season

Tuesday 13 September 2022 12:55, UK

The inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series has reached its halfway point, with the fifth of the eight scheduled events set to take place at Rich Harvest Farms in Chicago this week.

The Saudi-backed circuit has caused controversy within the golfing world since its launch this year, with the PGA Tour suspending indefinitely players who elected to compete in LIV Golf events.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were among the first wave of players to join the series, consisting of 54-hole events limited to a 48-man field, with Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith all signing since.

• PGA Tour: 'Top players' commit to 'elevated' events
• PGA Tour, DP World Tour expand and strengthen 'strategic alliance'
• Keith Pelley defends DP World Tour over 'nonsense' feeder tour claims

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Eligible LIV Golf members can currently still compete on the DP World Tour, with Poulter one of 15 golfers to travel from the LIV Golf event in Boston to play at the BMW PGA Championship last week, with fines and sanctions for joining the breakaway tour temporarily lifted until a hearing next February.

There have been no additional signings for this week's LIV Golf event, with 46 of the 48-man field returning from the Boston tournament earlier this month and the two changes being golfers who have already competed on the tour this season.

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The field is set ✅ #LIVGolf #LIVGolfChicago pic.twitter.com/j8zq0y33Gw — LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) September 12, 2022

Henrik Stenson returns from injury to replace Shergo Al Kurdi in Majesticks GC, while David Puig comes in for Spain's Adrian Otaegui in the roster and joins Torque GC after turning professional this week.

The story so far

The series launched in June at Centurion Club near London, with South Africa's Charl Schwartzel winning the individual event as well as being part of Stinger GC who cruised to victory in the team contest. Schwartzel's double success saw the former Masters champion pick up a total of $4.75m in prize money, including $4m for the individual prize.

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Another South African, Branden Grace, prevailed in the second tournament at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland with 4 Aces GC, consisting of Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Pat Perez snaffling the team prize.

The big controversy ahead of the third tournament at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster was the decision of Henrik Stenson to switch to the Greg Norman-fronted tour, with the Swede being stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy as a result.

Stenson's move paid instant dividends for him, though, as he earned a bumper $4m payday by winning the tournament by two strokes, with 4 Aces once again taking the team honours.

The series remained in the United States for the fourth tournament, with another six new names in the field, the most controversial of them being Open champion Cameron Smith, who had confirmed his long-rumoured switch after the Tour Championship.

Smith tied for fourth place at The International in Boston, finishing just one shot behind Johnson, and two fellow newcomers in Anirban Lahiri and Joaquin Niemann, with Johnson prevailing after the first play-off in the series. The American also added $750,000 to his $4m pay packet with another victory for 4 Aces in the team event.

The win elevated Johnson to the top of the individual standings with 94 points, ahead of Grace (77), Carlos Ortiz (48), Talor Gooch (48) and Matthew Wolff (47). The top three finishers at the end of the seven-event regular season will receive bonuses from the $30m purse, with the winner taking $18m and the runner-up earning $8m.

2022 event-by-event teams and results

Event One - June 9-11 - Centurion Golf Club, England

Individual winner - Charl Schwartzel (-7). Team winner - Stinger GC (-20)

4 Aces GC - Dustin Johnson, Shaun Norris, Oliver Bekker, Kevin Yuan

Cleeks GC - Martin Kaymer, Pablo Larrazabal, JC Ritchie, Ian Snyman

Crushers GC - Peter Uihlein, Richard Bland, Phachara Khongwatmai, Travis Smyth

Fireballs GC - Sergio Garcia, David Puig (AM), James Piot, Jediah Morgan

HY Flyers GC - Phil Mickelson, Justin Harding, Ratchanon 'TK' Chantananuwat (AM), Chase Koepka

Iron Heads GC - Kevin Na, Sadom Kaewkanjana, Hideto Tanihara, Viraj Madappa

Majesticks GC - Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield, Laurie Canter

Niblicks GC - Graeme McDowell, Bernd Wiesberger, Turk Pettit, Oliver Fisher

Punch GC - Wade Ormsby, Matt Jones, Ryosuke Kinoshita, Blake Windred

Smash GC - Sihwan Kim, Scott Vincent, Jinichiro Kozuma, Itthipat Buranatanyarat

Stinger GC - Louis Oosthuizen, Hennie du Plessis, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace

Torque GC - Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, Adrian Otaegui, Andy Ogletree

Event Two - June 30-July 2 - Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Portland, USA

Individual winner - Branden Grace (-13). Team winner - 4 Aces GC (-23)

4 Aces GC - Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch, Pat Perez

Cleeks GC - Martin Kaymer, Scott Vincent, Ian Snyman, Turk Pettit

Crushers GC - Bryson DeChambeau, Shaun Norris, Justin Harding, Peter Uihlein

Fireballs GC - Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Chacarra

HY Flyers GC - Phil Mickelson, Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Wolff, Itthipat Buranatanyarat

Iron Heads GC - Kevin Na, Sadom Kaewkanjana, Phachara Khongwatmai, Sihwan Kim

Niblicks GC - Graeme McDowell, Hudson Swafford, Travis Smyth, James Piot

Punch GC - Wade Ormsby, Matt Jones, Jediah Morgan, Blake Windred

Smash GC - Brooks Koepka, Adrian Otaegui, Richard Bland, Chase Koepka

Stinger GC - Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Henni du Plessis

Torque GC - Hideto Tanihara, Ryosuke Kinoshita, Yuki Inamori, Jinichiro Kozuma

Event Three - July 29-31 - Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, USA

Individual winner - Henrik Stenson (-11). Team winner - 4 Aces GC (-25)

Cleeks GC - Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Laurie Canter, David Puig (AM)

Crushers GC - Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Shaun Norris

HY Flyers GC - Phil Mickelson, Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Wolff, Justin Harding

Iron Heads GC - Kevin Na, Sadom Kaewkanjana, Phachara Khongwatmai, Scott Vincent

Majesticks GC - Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Sam Horsfield

Niblicks GC - Graeme McDowell, Hudson Swafford, James Piot, Turk Pettit

Punch GC - Wade Ormsby, Matt Jones, Travis Smyth, Jediah Morgan

Smash GC - Brooks Koepka, Jason Kokrak, Richard Bland, Chase Koepka

Event Four - September 2-4 - The Oaks Golf Course at The International, Boston, USA

Individual winner - Dustin Johnson (-15, play-off). Team winner - 4 Aces GC (-32)

Cleeks GC - Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Laurie Canter, Richard Bland

Crushers GC - Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri

HY Flyers GC - Phil Mickelson, Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Wolff, Cameron Tringale

Majesticks GC - Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sam Horsfield, Shergo Al Kurdi

Niblicks GC - Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford, James Piot, Turk Pettit

Punch GC - Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Wade Ormsby, Matt Jones

Smash GC - Brooks Koepka, Jason Kokrak, Peter Uihlein, Chase Koepka

Stinger GC - Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Shaun Norris

Torque GC - Joaquin Niemann, Scott Vincent, Adrian Otaegui, Jediah Morgan

Event Five - September 16-18 - Rich Harvest Farms Golf, Chicago, USA

Torque GC - Joaquin Niemann, Scott Vincent, David Puig, Jediah Morgan

What are the future plans?

Stonehill Golf Club in Bangkok will be the venue from October 7-9 and Royal Greens Golf Club - the site of the Saudi International in recent years - hosts the following week, with the season-ending Team Championship at Trump National Doral Miami from October 27-30.

The format changes in the Team Championship, which is a seeded four-day, four-round, match play knockout tournament. The top four seeds automatically receive a bye through the first round, with the remaining eight teams playing against each other to see who reaches the quarter-finals.

LIV Golf has announced that the LIV Golf League will officially launch in 2023 with 48 players and 12 established team franchises competing in a 14-tournament schedule.

The full slate of events will be announced at a later date and is expected to expand LIV Golf's global footprint across North and Latin Americas, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

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LIV Golf Now Has 26 Of The World’s Top 100 Golfers. Here’s Who They Are.

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At 29 years old, Cameron Smith has six wins on the PGA Tour.

LIV Golf has landed another superstar.

On Tuesday, the breakaway Saudi-backed tour announced the signing of six new golfers. Headlining the group is Australia’s Cameron Smith, the No. 2 ranked golfer in the world who won the British Open in July. He will be joined by fellow countryman Marc Leishman, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, India’s Anirban Lahiri and Harold Varner III and Cameron Tringale of the United States.

Financial details for any of the signings were not immediately available. However, The Telegraph previously reported that Smith has a $100 million-plus agreement with LIV, which is now well known for offering players enormous guarantees. Forbes estimates that upfront payments from LIV Golf boosted the earnings of the world’s ten highest-paid golfers by $370 million this year.

Like Smith’s reported figure, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka all reportedly landed upwards of $100 million from the new tour, with half believed to be upfront. Mickelson’s $138 million haul before taxes and agents’ fees over the last 12 months is $8 million more than what the highest-paid athlete in the world, soccer legend Lionel Messi, was paid over the 12 months through May.

After much speculation, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Cameron Young of the U.S. will both still call the PGA Tour home for now. Matsuyama reportedly had a $400 million guarantee on the table from LIV. Young reaffirmed his decision while speaking to reporters at the Tour Championship, but didn’t shut the door entirely. “Frankly, throughout the whole process with them I was very interested,” Young said. “I think they have a bunch of good ideas.”

With $2.4 billion in backing from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund over the next couple of seasons, LIV aims to reshape the professional golf landscape. The outfit hired Greg Norman as CEO and Commissioner in August 2021, after the former No. 1 golfer in the world had toyed with a similar idea for nearly 30 years .

Much remains to be sorted out, including how LIV can balance its exorbitant spending with potential profitability.There’s also a legal battle playing out. In August, a contingent of LIV golfers led by Mickelson sued the PGA Tour in antitrust court over the latter’s decision to ban any LIV defectors. Several players have since dropped the suit, but LIV officially joined as a plaintiff on Friday, alleging that its “ability to maintain a meaningful competitive presence in the markets will be destroyed.”

So far, LIV has held three of its eight scheduled events for 2022. Smith and the other new signings will debut at the next event in Boston on September 2.

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LIV Golf players list: Everyone who has quit PGA Tour and DP World Tour to play in the 2023 series

Cameron smith, dustin johnson and phil mickelson are among other players to have pledged their commitment to liv golf.

When the highly contentious LIV Invitational Series resumes in 2024, it will boast reigning Masters champion and world No 3-ranked Jon Rahm as the latest of golf’s most famous players who have signed up to play .

Rahm , a four-time winner on the 2023 PGA Tour, member of Europe’s Ryder Cup -winning team and prior critic of the LIV format , joins the league bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in a deal reportedly worth up to £450m.

Rumours had begun to swirl over the Spaniard’s future, including when he was notably absent from the line-up of golfers committed to the PGA Tour’s American Express stop in January, as well as withdrawing from the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy -backed TGL league’s inaugural season last month.

And despite admitting his decision to join LIV was a “risk” in terms of his future participation in the Ryder Cup – the 29-year-old will need to remain a member of the DP World Tour to be eligible for the biennial USA vs Europe showdown – Rahm told Fox News : “Things have changed a lot in the game of golf over the past two years and I’ve seen the growth of LIV Golf and the innovation.

“That’s why I’m here today. This decision was made for many reasons and what I thought was best for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great deal.”

The 2024 LIV Golf schedule will feature 14 stops, including new events in Las Vegas, Houston and Nashville.

2024 LIV Golf Schedule 2-4 February:  LIV Mayakoba — El Cameleon Country Club 8-10 February : LIV Las Vegas — Las Vegas Country Club 1-3 March:  LIV Saudi Arabia — TBD 8-10 March:  LIV Hong Kong — Hong Kong Golf Club 5-7 April:  LIV “USA” — Location and course TBD 26-28 April:  LIV Adelaide — The Grange Golf Club 3-5 May:  LIV Singapore — The Serapong Golf Club 7-9 June:  LIV Houston — The Golf Club of Houston 21-23 June:  LIV Nashville — The Grove Golf Club 12-14 July:  LIV Andalucia — Real Club Valderrama 25-28 July:  LIV UK: Staffordshire — JCB Golf and Country Club 16-19 August:  LIV Greenbrier — The Old White Course at the Greenbrier TBD:  LIV Golf Individual Championships TBD:  LIV Golf Team Championships.

Who played in the 2023 LIV Golf series and how did it work?

The financial package put forward by LIV Golf seduced Dustin Johnson , Lee Westwood , and Sergio Garcia from the get-go last year, with Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter and plenty of others signing up soon after.

Mickelson was reportedly paid $200m (£159m) just for turning up, while Johnson, the top-ranked player to have joined so far, earning $150m (£119m). Johnson announced his resignation from the PGA Tour in order to concentrate fully on the new tournament fronted by former world No 1 Greg Norman, but the PGA has since suspended all players to have made the switch.

Besides the eye-watering signing-on-fees, the prize money on offer is staggering. There is a $25m (£19.9m) purse to be split between the 48 players per tournament in the eight-event series, with the winner pocketing $4m (£3.2m) and the loser earning $120k (£95k).

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The format is also very different from traditional majors. There are 54 rather than 72 holes for a start – “LIV” is 54 in Roman numerals – there is a “shotgun” start where players tee off at the same time, and golfers are grouped into teams of four.

Johnson is captain of the “4 Aces”, Mickelson is leading the “Hy Flyers” and Poulter is affiliated to “Majesticks”.

The first 2022 tournament was held in England, with subsequent events taking place in Portland, Bedminster, Boston, Chicago, Bangkok, Jeddah and Miami.

In the build-up, players faced questions about “sportswashing” and whether Saudi Arabia is seeking to deflect attention from its human rights record by investing so heavily in the sport. Mickelson previously called the Saudis “scary motherf**kers” before backtracking.

“I don’t condone human rights violations at all,” he said. “I’m certainly aware of what has happened with Jamal Khashoggi and I think it’s terrible. I have also seen the good that the game of golf has done throughout history and I believe LIV Golf is going to do a lot of good for the game as well.”

Graeme McDowell said “we’re not politicians, we’re professional golfers,” in regards to the country’s human rights record and Talor Gooch responded “I’m a golfer, I’m not that smart”. Poulter and Westwood both said they would not answer “hypothetical questions” when asked whether they would have played in a tournament held by Vladimir Putin or in South Africa during Apartheid.

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, former US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and ex-Masters champion Patrick Reed signed up to the breakaway competition after the first event, while Paul Casey was also confirmed in early July.

Open champion Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann were then among a fresh wave of players unveiled by LIV Golf.

The 2023 series kicked off in Mayakoba in February, followed by tournaments in Tucson, Orlando, Adelaide, Singapore, Tulsa, DC, Valderrama, London, Greenbrier, Bedminster, Chicago, Miami and Jeddah.

2023 LIV Golf players list A-Z

Here are all 48 players who competed in the 14-event series in 2023.

There were 12 teams in total, with 13 major champions in the field, 16 nations represented, and a combined 125 Ryder Cup appearances.

Four players – Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka and Lee Westwood – have held the title of world No 1. Scroll down for the teams and more analysis.

• Abraham Ancer
• Richard Bland
• Dean Burmester
• Laurie Canter
• Eugenio Chacarra
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Sergio Garcia
• Talor Gooch
• Branden Grace
• Sam Horsfield
• Charles Howell III
• Dustin Johnson
• Martin Kaymer
• Brooks Koepka
• Chase Koepka
• Jason Kokrak
• Anirban Lahiri
• Marc Leishman
• Graeme McDowell
• Phil Mickelson
• Jediah Morgan
• Sebastian Munoz
• Joaquin Niemann
• Andy Ogletree
• Louis Oosthuizen
• Carlos Ortiz
• Mito Pereira
• Thomas Pieters
• Ian Poulter
• Patrick Reed
• Charl Schwartzel
• Cameron Smith
• Brendan Steele
• Henrik Stenson
• Cameron Tringale
• Peter Uihlein
• Harold Varner III
• Scott Vincent
• Bubba Watson
• Lee Westwood
• Bernd Wiesberger
• Matthew Wolff

LIV Golf 2023 team names and roster

• 4Aces – Dustin Johnson (captain), Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Peter Uihlein
• Cleeks – Martin Kaymer (captain), Graeme McDowell, Richard Bland, Bernd Wiesberger
• Crushers – Bryson DeChambeau (captain), Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri
• Fireballs – Sergio Garcia (captain), Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Chacarra
• HyFlyers – Phil Mickelson (captain), Cameron Tringale, James Piot, Brendan Steele
• Iron Heads – Kevin Na (captain), Sihwan Kim, Scott Vincent, Danny Lee
• Majesticks – Ian Poulter (co-captain), Henrik Stenson (co-captain), Lee Westwood (co-captain), Sam Horsfield
• RangeGoats – Bubba Watson (captain), Harold Varner III, Talor Gooch, Thomas Pieters
• Ripper – Cameron Smith (captain), Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Jed Morgan
• Smash – Brooks Koepka (captain), Matthew Wolff, Jason Kokrak, Chase Koepka
• Stinger – Louis Oosthuizen (captain), Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester
• Torque – Joaquin Niemann (captain), Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz, David Puig

Analysis: LIV Invitational is morally bankrupt and won’t revitalise golf

By Matt Butler

The name is quite clever: LIV. In Roman numerals it is 54 and the players in this new incarnation of golf kicking off in the exotic locale of Hemel Hempstead will play that many holes. Neat, huh?

Of course, you might say that a new sporting franchise bolstered by limitless petrodollars would be expected to be creative with its branding.

But the new kid in town is a sign that golf is in desperate need of some love. Whether that love comes from a despotic regime with a dreadful record on human rights is something for Phil Mickelson , Dustin Johnson , Lee Westwood and, err, James Piot to ponder as they chase a ball around a course for a share of 20 mill a tournament.

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And if you put aside the ickiness of the Saudi regime behind Jamal Khashoggi ’s killers providing the lipstick and mascara to the game, the concept of a quickfire bunch of tournaments with a set season and eight-figure sums of cash riding on each one sounds intriguing – even if the reason why players joined appears to be all about the money. Not that cold hard cash as a motivator is news, especially in the world of golf.

The rules are thus: everyone tees off at once. It is called a shotgun start, which sounds a little violent, given the paymasters, but I guess bonesaw start would have been too much. Twelve teams of four play in a match-play format, with individual members also competing in a strokeplay competition. There is no cut to miss. So far, so mildly diverting.

However, toe-curlingly twee “Camden Market-style” stalls, a Craig David and Jessie J gig and Sporty Spice on the decks post-match does not sound like much of an answer to the organiser’s promise to “supercharge” golf.

Read Matt’s full analysis here

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LIV players coming back to PGA Tour? That depends on whether they want to return

Frog-X Parachute Team members are seen on the first hole during the first round of LIV Golf Las Vegas at Las Vegas Country Club on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via AP)

Brooks Koepka hits from the 10 tee during the first round of LIV Golf Las Vegas at Las Vegas Country Club on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via AP)

Paul Casey watches his shot from the 12th tee during the first round of LIV Golf Las Vegas at Las Vegas Country Club on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via AP)

From left to right, Kieran Vincent, captain Jon Rahm, Caleb Surratt and Tyrrell Hatton, of Legion XIII GC, first-place team champions, celebrate with the trophy after the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba at El Camaleón Golf Course, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf via AP)

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — The video board at Las Vegas Country Club showed 4:29 as it counted down the time to when the range would close and LIV Golf Las Vegas could start. In the sky, a group of parachuters floated their way to the first fairway, adding to the spectacle.

A man approached and asked, “Where do I find Jon Rahm?” He was on the second hole, not unusual, except the tournament still had not started.

LIV Golf is different — and yes, louder, but only because of speakers set up near tees and grandstands for a constant beat of music throughout the day.

This is the life 54 players chose when they signed up for the Saudi-funded league, some of them for enormous signing bonuses. Rahm was the most recent when the Masters champion donned a black letterman’s jacket to pose with LIV CEO Greg Norman in December.

And they appear to like it — 54-hole tournaments, shotgun starts, no cuts, $20 million purses, $50,000 guaranteed for last place (down from $120,000 when the field was 48 players).

Golf has never been more fractured than now. But even as the conversation turns to punishment — if any — for players who took the Saudi cash should they want to return starts with whether they even want to come back to the PGA Tour.

It’s hard to find many who are in a big rush.

The notion LIV was going away when the PGA Tour agreed to a commercial deal with the Saudi backers of the rival league has given way to the realization LIV isn’t going anywhere soon.

There’s also the question whether the tour, which last week signed Strategic Sports Group as a minority investor for as much as $3 billion, will ever strike a deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the original partner in the June 6 framework agreement.

“We could throw around ideas here forever and not get to a really good outcome,” Adam Scott, one of six players on the PGA Tour board, said last week at Pebble Beach. “The first thing I think of when I hear, ‘Just bring them all back,’ is well, they want to play on LIV. They don’t want to play here. So what if they don’t want to come back and play? So what happens then?”

Scott was asked if unification was necessary to meet PGA Tour business goals.

“I personally don’t think so,” he said. “And obviously, SSG don’t either, because they’ve been willing to do this deal not contingent on anything to do with PIF.”

And on it goes, LIV in Las Vegas during the Super Bowl, the PGA Tour in Phoenix, great players on both tours going about business in their own way, emotions driving each side.

Among the curious spectators Thursday in Las Vegas was Tommy Fleetwood, his long hair hidden by a hoodie in the frigid weather. That should be worth at least two days of rumors that Fleetwood would be next to leave for LIV, and this brought laughter from the Englishman.

He was in Las Vegas for two days to work with Butch Harmon and figured he would go to LIV event to see what it was like for himself, nothing more. There was no indication LIV Golf appealed to him. He was delighted to see old friends.

Rory McIlroy wants the game whole again, no punishment for anyone if they are eligible. Few others share that view. Scott, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler are among those who are adamant that players who defected — some of whom sued the tour — should not just walk right back in.

Key to this entire divide are the majors.

The only pathway for LIV is to have won a major or the world ranking, and the league doesn’t get world ranking points. Abraham Ancer was No. 20 in the world when he joined LIV in June 2022. Now he’s at No. 155 and is not eligible for any majors. Regrets? Not many.

“Personally, I’m happy where I’m at,” Ancer said Thursday. “I knew the possibility of not getting world ranking points. I was OK with it, and I’m not going to be crying about it. The competition, we have a great field every week. It’s not easy to win out here. I’m just focused on getting better. That’s all I can do. And I want to play the majors. I’ll do anything I can to qualify.”

Rahm said it was emotional for him to drive past the TPC Scottsdale and realize he would not be at the Phoenix Open. He also misses Torrey Pines, his favorite spot and site of his first major win in the 2021 U.S. Open. He was confident in his decision to leave for LIV. He wouldn’t mind returning for a few PGA Tour events of his choosing.

“I’m hoping that in the near future I can be back playing some of those events,” Rahm said. “I would certainly love to go back and play some of them.”

But all of them? Bryson DeChambeau has played only one other tournament outside LIV, the Saudi International. Dustin Johnson hasn’t played anywhere but LIV and the majors.

“It’s professional golf that’s some of the best players in the world,” Johnson said. “I think it’s a little bit different than obviously the PGA Tour. We have teams. But I think the fan experience here is a lot more fun. I think the player experience is more fun. We’ve got the music out on the range, some music out on the course. It’s kind of just trending to where golf is going right now.”

Charles Howell III played 609 tournaments in his PGA Tour career. He misses some of his favorites, like the Sony Open and Bay Hill and the John Deere Classic. Otherwise, he’s perfectly content with LIV except for seeing the big picture.

“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I want golf in some way, shape or form to be together at the top,” Howell said. “I don’t think that means going back. I think that means golf is together at the top. And people smarter than me can figure it out.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Every New Player To Join LIV Golf In 2024

LIV Golf had a busy off-season, signing five new players and adding four new faces via the Asian Tour and its own Promotions event

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LIV Golf had a busy transfer window with nine new faces joining the league after five departures and an entire new team being created.

The Saudi-backed series has undoubtedly strengthened its roster for 2024, so who are all of the new faces?

We take a look at all nine of LIV Golf's new players for the new season...

New LIV Golf Players 2024:

Jon Rahm is arguably LIV Golf's biggest signing to date, after the Spaniard joined in December for a huge deal reported to be worth over $500m .

Rahm got his own team, named Legion XIII , and signed two brand new players while taking one of the Promotions graduates.

Rahm is a two-time Major winner, former World No.1 and Ryder Cup stalwart, and his signing will have been a huge loss for the PGA Tour, which has just agreed a $3bn deal with private equity group, Strategic Sports Group .

Tyrrell Hatton

Rahm managed to persuade his Ryder Cup partner Tyrrell Hatton to join LIV Golf. Hatton came in to join him on Legion XIII after agreeing a deal widely reportedly worth around $60m.

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The Englishman is a one-time PGA Tour winner, having won the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational, and a six-time DP World Tour winner. He and Rahm have each played in three Ryder Cups.

Adrian Meronk

Rahm and Hatton's signings are both huge boosts to the league, but Adrian Meronk is yet another key move from the Saudi-backed circuit.

The Pole is a three-time DP World Tour winner who was recently announced as the circuit's Player of the Year. He very nearly won the Dubai Desert Classic, too, just a couple of weeks ago, where he finished 2nd to Rory McIlroy .

Meronk somehow missed out on a Ryder Cup wildcard pick from Luke Donald but is now a staple of the world's top 50 and was set to play his first season on the PGA Tour before joining LIV and the all-European Cleeks GC side.

Lucas Herbert

Another proven winner in Lucas Herbert signed with LIV Golf this off-season, with the Aussie joining his countrymen on Cameron Smith 's Ripper GC quarter.

Herbert is a three-time DP World Tour winner and also has a PGA Tour victory to his name after capturing the 2021 Bermuda Championship.

Caleb Surratt

Caleb Surratt has joined Jon Rahm 's Legion XIII side and becomes the third player to sign for LIV Golf whilst still an amateur - after Spaniards Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig.

Both Chacarra and Puig are pro winners already, and LIV will be hoping Surratt follows in their success.

The American played college golf for the University of Tennessee and represented USA at the 2023 Walker Cup. He ranked 6th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Andy Ogletree

Andy Ogletree earned his LIV Golf League spot after dominating the Asian Tour's International Series Order of Merit in 2023. 

The former US Amateur champion has won three times on the Asian Tour, with two International Series wins coming last year. He played in the first ever LIV Golf event and is back for 2024 as a member of Phil Mickelson 's HyFlyers GC side.

Kieran Vincent

Zimbabwe's Kieran Vincent joins up with Jon Rahm's Legion XIII side after taking one of just three spots at the LIV Promotions event in December.

He came through a playoff to earn his graduation, with the 26-year-old linking up with his older brother Scott in LIV, who plays for the Iron Heads GC team.

Kieran won his maiden pro title at the 2023 International Series Vietnam.

Kalle Samooja

Kalle Samooja took the top spot at LIV's Promotions event in December.

The Finn has been a pro since 2010 and has been a regular on the DP World Tour over recent years. His one win on the European circuit came at the 2022 Porsche European Open.

He joins the Cleeks GC alongside captain Martin Kaymer, Richard Bland and new signing Adrian Meronk.

Jinichiro Kozuma

Kozuma is the third player to have advanced from the LIV Golf Promotions event and he's joined up with the Iron Heads GC to replace the relegated Sihwan Kim.

The 29-year-old has two Japan Golf Tour wins and played in the PGA Championship and US Open in 2022.

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook , Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

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Who is next to join LIV Golf? Here are 10 PGA Tour stars who might make the leap

GolfMagic has taken a look at 10 PGA Tour stars that could join LIV Golf after the rival league brought the curtain down on their second campaign.

"I know that's going to happen". Not my words, but those of Phil Mickelson  as he talked up the prospect of more PGA Tour stars signing for LIV Golf in the offseason. 

We will have to wait see whether Lefty is right, given nine months ago we were promised some high-profile names were in negotiations to join the rival league. 

Before LIV kicked off their second campaign in Mexico, their last-minute signings were - with respect - somewhat underwhelming. 

Chile's Mito Pereira finally put pen to paper with LIV. He joined South Africa's Dean Burmester and Colombia's Sebastian Munoz. 

When the landmark 'framework agreement' between the PGA Tour and LIV's financiers was announced, there was a stipulation the Saudi-backed league wouldn't raid their North American rival for any more talent. At least, for the time being. 

Some scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice put an end to that. 

Which means LIV are free to approach more golfers to try and drum up some interest going into 2024. 

GolfMagic has decided to take a look at some potential recruits.

        View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by . (@golfmagic)

Here are 10 PGA Tour players that could have their heads turned...

1. Jason Day

Day appeared receptive to joining LIV in the future. A year ago, the Aussie said he would reject any immediate offer. Although he added: "Who knows in a year's time, you might think differently."

2. Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama is said to have turned down $400m to join LIV in 2022. The Japanese golfer is also not involved in Tiger Woods  and Rory McIlroy 's TGL. Sources close to the former Masters champion suggested he was torn between money and legacy. Matsuyama has not publicly criticised any players for joining LIV and even was sympathetic to their players struggling to get into the major championships. "They have some really good players over there," he said. "And if some of those players drop outside the top 100 players in the world, that's not good for the world rankings either."

3. Brian Harman

Boasting another major champion would undoubtedly be a big deal for LIV. Could Harman be tempted? He's played more than 340 events on the PGA Tour since making his debut in 2012, winning three times. Would he regret turning down the opportunity to make a quick buck?

4. Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler isn't involved in TGL either, although that decision appears more down to logistics. Still, Scheffler wasn't happy with the lack of clarity about any future potential partnership between the PGA Tour and the PIF of Saudi Arabia. The American stated PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan had 'a long way to go' to regain the players' trust after the about-face tour management policy. 

5. Adam Scott

Scott has never criticised any LIV players in public. "All power to them" he previously said after they joined. At times he has even praised LIV's chief executive, Greg Norman . "I don't begrudge him at all," he said. He is now a member of the PGA Tour's player advisory council, which means it's unlikely he has any immediate plans to leave. But you never know. 

6. Viktor Hovland

In February, Hovland said 'nothing is ruled out' with regards to his future. "As of today, I want to play here, this is where the best players are," he said. "I think it's better for my golf if I play on the PGA Tour." It would be a major coup is LIV could land the Norwegian. 

7. Sam Burns

Reportedly turned down $100m. More importantly, he is represented by GSE Worldwide. GSE's other clients? LIV players: Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz and Eugenio Chacarra. 

8. Tony Finau

Finau has confirmed he was approached by LIV, which isn't surprising in the least. Initially, he said he 'didn't have a stance' on the rival league. Would the big-hitting American fancy a future with LIV?

9. Justin Rose

Rose previously said he wasn't willing to put a Ryder Cup appearance in jeopardy. Likewise, qualification for the majors. At 43 years old, it's not unreasonable to suggest playing in Italy was the Englishman's last hurrah in the biennial dust-up. Will LIV make a renewed offer for Rosey?

10. Cameron Young

Last August, Young made a statement stating he had 'decided to stay' on the PGA Tour. Haven't we heard that one before?

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Who are the LIV golfers? They range from the famous to the anonymous.

LIV Golf’s fourth tournament this week near Boston will feature a 48-player field of golfers who have decided to give the Saudi-funded breakaway circuit a chance. Some of these players are well known, while others are familiar only to golf fanatics. Eight golfers will be playing in their first LIV tournament, with the league letting go of eight lesser-known players who had played in previous tournaments to make room.

Twelve of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking have joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The 48 players in the field at The International can be roughly divided into four categories: golfers who still were relevant on the PGA or European tours when they joined LIV; those whose best years are behind them; grinders who have been plying their trade anonymously around the world; and younger players who are getting their first real taste of professional golf.

World rankings and ages are as of Aug. 30. Wins came on the PGA Tour, the European tour, in World Golf Championships or at majors.

Still relevant

Cameron Smith

World ranking: 2

Career top-level wins: 8

Most recent: 2022

Smith joined LIV this week, becoming its highest-ranked golfer and most recent major-championship winner.

Joaquin Niemann

World ranking: 19

Career top-level wins: 2

The LIV newcomer won in February but has never finished higher than T-23 in 15 major-championship appearances.

Dustin Johnson

World ranking: 22

Career top-level wins: 31

Most recent: 2021

The two-time major champion hasn’t won anything since his Masters title in November 2020.

Abraham Ancer

World ranking: 24

Career top-level wins: 1

Ancer tied for 11th and tied for ninth at the past two major championships, but he had just three top-10s this season before departing for LIV.

Brooks Koepka

World ranking: 26

Career top-level wins: 9

The former world No. 1 won four of eight majors played between the 2017 U.S. Open and 2019 PGA Championship, but injuries have slowed him since.

Louis Oosthuizen

World ranking: 31

Most recent: 2018

The 2010 British Open winner finished second or third at the final three majors in 2021; this year’s results haven’t been as good.

Bryson DeChambeau

World ranking: 37

The brainy, beefy big hitter ran away with the 2020 U.S. Open before dealing with a host of injuries.

World ranking: 34

Career top-level wins: 5

Na went seven years between victories before a career resurgence in his late 30s.

Jason Kokrak

World ranking: 38

Career top-level wins: 3

Before leaving for LIV, Kokrak didn’t have a top-10 PGA Tour finish since winning the Houston Open in November.

Talor Gooch

World ranking: 45

Gooch earned a spot in all four majors for the first time this year but finished no better than 14th, with one missed cut.

Harold Varner III

World ranking: 46

Varner’s lone professional win came on a miracle shot at a European tour event in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

Patrick Reed

World ranking: 50

Reed won the 2018 Masters but has dealt with on- and off-course controversies.

Cameron Tringale

World ranking: 55

Most recent: 2014

Tringale posted five top 10s this season but his lone win came at a team event eight years ago.

Marc Leishman

World ranking: 62

Career top-level wins: 7

Leishman missed the cut in 5 of 10 tournaments to close his PGA Tour season.

Matthew Wolff

World ranking: 100

Most recent: 2019

Only Ben Crenshaw, Tiger Woods and Wolff have won an NCAA championship and a PGA Tour event in the same year.

Branden Grace

World ranking: 145

Career top-level wins: 12

Grace won the second LIV Golf tournament in Oregon in early July.

On the downswing

World ranking: 33

Career top-level wins: 18

He’s one of the better LIV players to never win a major; 16 of his 18 career wins were in 2015 or earlier.

Sergio Garcia

World ranking: 74

Career top-level wins: 26

Most recent: 2020

Garcia has one win since his 2017 Masters title and has seen his world ranking steadily decline.

Richard Bland

World ranking: 79

The journeyman scored his only pro win last year at 48, when he also cracked the top 100 for the first time.

Lee Westwood

World ranking: 102

Career top-level wins: 27

The former world No. 1 has 19 top-10 major finishes without a win.

Phil Mickelson

World ranking: 109

Career top-level wins: 47

Once one of the sport’s most beloved players, the six-time major winner decided to spend his twilight golf years playing for LIV.

Ian Poulter

World ranking: 111

Career top-level wins: 15

All but one of the Englishman’s victories came in 2012 or earlier. He’s better known for his Ryder Cup prowess.

Charl Schwartzel

World ranking: 126

Most recent: 2016

Schwartzel’s final-round 66 to win the 2011 Masters was memorable, but the bulk of his success has come in Europe.

Charles Howell III

World ranking: 197

The PGA Tour veteran has earned millions over a lengthy career despite not winning all that often.

Henrik Stenson

World ranking: 179

Career top-level wins: 16

Most recent: 2017

The former British Open champion won the first LIV tournament he played in July.

World ranking: 196

Perez once was No. 16 in the world but now is better known for his collection of Jordan sneakers.

Martin Kaymer

World ranking: 338

Kaymer’s three wins on U.S. soil were impressive — two majors and the 2014 Players Championship — but he hasn’t been relevant in years.

Wade Ormsby

World ranking: 362

The Australian has split time among the European, Asian and Australian tours, never making much of an impact.

Graeme McDowell

World ranking: 399

Career top-level wins: 14

McDowell won the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, but his best years are well behind him.

Anonymous journeymen

Scott Vincent

World ranking: 81

Career top-level wins: 0

Vincent, from Zimbabwe, has won four times on Asian tours since August.

World ranking: 82

The Australian’s PGA Tour victories came nearly seven years apart — in 2014 and 2021.

Anirban Lahiri

World ranking: 92

Most recent: 2015

Both of the Indian golfer’s top-level wins came on the European tour in 2015.

Shaun Norris

World ranking: 93

Norris has played much of his career in Asia, Africa and Australia, but he won a European tour event in March.

Bernd Wiesberger

World ranking: 110

The Austrian has one top-10 finish this year and was near the bottom of the leader board at the first two LIV events.

Hudson Swafford

World ranking: 115

After winning in January at the American Express, Swafford missed seven cuts in 12 PGA Tour events before leaving for LIV.

Laurie Canter

World ranking: 139

The Englishman has 11 career top-10 finishes, all since 2019 and all on the European tour.

Carlos Ortiz

World ranking: 146

With his win at the Houston Open, Ortiz became the third Mexican golfer to win on the PGA Tour and the first since Victor Regalado in 1978.

World ranking: 157

The American has spent nearly his entire career on the European and Asian Tours.

Adrian Otaegui

World ranking: 159

Otaegui has qualified for only four majors and missed the cut in three of them.

Peter Uihlein

World ranking: 361

Most recent: 2013

Uihlein never lived up to the billing after becoming one of the world’s top amateurs.

Chase Koepka

World ranking: 1,615

Brooks’s younger brother missed the cut in seven of his previous nine tournaments before joining LIV.

Sam Horsfield

World ranking: 95

The budding English star won in Belgium this year but missed the cut in all three major appearances.

Sadom Kaewkanjana

World ranking: 91

The Thai golfer won an Asian Tour event this year, his second victory on that circuit.

Phachara Khongwatmai

World ranking: 142

Another up-and-coming Thai golfer, Khongwatmai won an Asian Tour event in December.

Jediah Morgan

World ranking: 296

Morgan won a PGA Tour of Australasia event in January in only his fourth professional tournament.

Turk Pettit

World ranking: 650

Pettit won the 2021 NCAA championship at Clemson. He finished 45th and 46th out of 48 at the first two LIV tournaments.

World ranking: 2,326

Piot turned pro in May and jumped to LIV after missing the cut at all six PGA Tour events he played.

Eugenio Chacarra

The Spaniard left Oklahoma State early — he was a first-team all-American — to join LIV.

LIV Golf tour live updates: Leaderboard, news as Charl Schwartzel wins first event, PGA Tour suspends players

The controversial LIV Golf International Series has arrived. While Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson headlined a 48-player field for the first event, Charl Schwartzel emerged as the winner by one stroke, taking home $4 million.

The PGA Tour wasted little time bringing down the hammer on golfers who choose to play LIV Golf, issuing a letter outlining suspensions that will affect some of the game's biggest stars, including Mickelson and Johnson.

What is LIV Golf, who's involved and will it be sustainable? Follow here for news, interviews, analysis and all the latest developments.

(Photo: Paul Childs / Action Images / Reuters via USA Today)

Rory Chimes in from RBC Canadian Open

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No post-round comments from Phil Mickelson

Final leaderboard from centurion club.

The top 10 finishers at the first LIV Golf event:

1. Charl Schwartzel (-7)

2. Hennie Du Plessis (-6)

T3. Branden Grace (-5)

T3. Peter Uihlein (-5)

5. Sam Horsfield (-3)

T6. Oliver Bekker (-2)

T6. Adrian Otaegui (-2)

8. Dustin Johnson (-1)

9. Talor Gooch (E)

T10. Louis Oosthuizen (+1)

T10. Justin Harding (+1)

T10. Graeme McDowell (+1)

Charl Schwartzel wins inaugural LIV Golf event

Charl Schwartzel won the first event of the controversial LIV Golf International Series and a $4 million paycheck, holding off Hennie Du Plessis by one stroke at Centurion Club in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

The 2011 Masters winner led after each round of the 54-hole tournament, shooting a 5-under 65 and 4-under 66 on Thursday and Friday before finishing with a 2-over 72 on Saturday. He had not won on the PGA or European Tour since 2016.

Read more here .

Pat Perez joins LIV Golf

LIV Golf officially added Pat Perez to its roster on Saturday. The 46-year-old, currently ranked No. 168 in the world, will join — along with Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed — at the circuit's second event in Oregon at the end of June.

A three-time winner on the PGA Tour, Perez last won at the CIMB Classic in October 2017. He most recently played at the Memorial Tournament from June 2-5, finishing tied for 26th. He last appeared in a major at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Patrick Reed: 'Portland can't get here fast enough'

Patrick Reed joined the LIV Golf broadcast on Saturday and confirmed he'll make his debut in the circuit's second event, which will take place at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore., from June 30 to July 2.

The 2018 Masters winner and Bryson DeChambeau have been announced as LIV Golf members since the start of the first event.

LIV Golf pulls from the Masters menu

Inside LIV Golf’s first event, where all the intrigue and hubris is off the tee box

Because as well as being an attempt to make golf more attractive to the TikTok generation — like cricket’s T20 format — it is also the latest chapter in the Big Book of Sportswashing and the opening shots in a battle for control of an entire sport.

Let us tackle those heavyweight issues in that order, as that is how events have played out this week.

(Illustration: Sam Richardson / The Athletic)

Q&A: Matt Jones explains decision to join LIV Golf, desire to remain on PGA Tour

As he walked off the practice green on June 1, Jones stopped to speak with four writers from The Athletic , the Associated Press, ESPN and USA Today. In an effort to give full clarity on what goes into a player making the jump to LIV, the interview is being presented here in full .

(Photo: Reinhold Matay / USA Today)

Canadian Open, sponsor RBC move on without longtime tournament face Dustin Johnson

TORONTO – Laurence Appelbaum heard the news late on May 31, three days before the reveal of the full RBC Canadian Open field.

Dustin Johnson, a two-time major champion and RBC ambassador, was joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour. His name appeared on the list of golfers playing the tour’s first event, happening the same week as the Canadian Open, June 10-12.

When he heard the decision from the PGA Tour, Appelbaum, Golf Canada’s CEO, was surprised and shocked.

“DJ had been so effusive in his commitment to the PGA Tour about 60 days prior,” Appelbaum said. “And he was such an important part of Team RBC.”

Curtis Strange doesn't hold back on LIV

Dustin johnson done with pga tour, plans to play less golf.

Johnson said Friday he'll play the LIV Golf events and majors:

PGA Tour sets viewership milestone

Despite the LIV Golf Tournament being underway, the RBC Canadian Open averaged 385,000 viewers from 3-6 p.m. ET on Thursday.

DJ has spoken with The Masters

Will he be invited going forward?

Bryson is officially official

Sponsor rocket mortgage cuts ties with bryson dechambeau, 'it's hard to turn down'.

Justin Thomas talked about his concern that others will follow to LIV thanks to the money involved.

Rory McIlroy weighs in

The former world No. 1 said Wednesday that the controversial LIV series is "not something (he wants) to participate in" and implied that those doing so are in it "purely for money." On Thursday, he said golfers at the Canadian Open are "pleased" by the sanctions handed out.

He added that he does plan to check out the LIV Golf streams.

"I think like everyone else, I'm intrigued and I'm a fan of golf. I've got quite a few guys over there that I call friends that are playing," he said. "I'll see it and watch it and see what all the fuss is about."

McIlroy is out on the team names, though.

"Certainly not going out to buy any team merchandise any time soon," he said.

Justin Thomas talks PGA Tour sanctions

World No. 6 Justin Thomas, currently playing at the 2022 Canadian Open, on the PGA Tour’s decision to suspend LIV golfers:

“I’m pleased. Anybody that’s shocked clearly isn’t listening to the message that Jay is putting out.”

What we know: More PGA Tour players defect to LIV Golf Invitational as it preps for second event

As more players are continuing to defect to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, the PGA Tour is at a crossroads. 

On one hand, a memorable U.S. Open Championship saw just how much of a draw major championships can be. But with a massive budget, LIV Golf is attracting a list of golfers that could affect the way professional golf is run for years to come. The LIV Golf Invitational Series will also continue and have its first stop in the United States at the end of June, an event that could very well be a litmus test for domestic interest in the startup.

Still, because of allegations of human rights violations  carried out by the Saudi regime, the players who have joined the LIV Golf tour continue to face ethical and moral questions about their involvement.

DROPPING THE HAMMER: PGA Tour suspends LIV Golf Series participants as Saudi-backed league gets underway

OPINION: Phil Mickelson is taking the blood money and running to the Saudis

REPORTS: Brooks Koepka to leave PGA Tour for Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series

Here's everything you need to know about the latest with the LIV Golf Invitational Series. 

What is the LIV Golf Invitational Series?

LIV Golf is a Saudi-backed golf league in competition with the PGA Tour. Greg Norman was appointed the CEO of the league. On June 19, Norman said that LIV Golf was submitting its application to the Official World Golf Rankings to try to get its event to count for points , which would make it easier for players to qualify for major championships in the future.

Why is LIV Golf so controversial?

The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth investment fund of Saudi Arabia and one of the largest in the world, has backed and is financing LIV Golf Investments, the parent company of LIV Golf. As the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman is the head of the PIF. According to a  declassified U.S. intelligence report  released in February 2021, Salman approved an operation  "to capture or kill"  Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi  inside a Saudi consulate  in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018.

The Saudi government is accused of  other human rights violations  and has  invested  in Western  athletic opportunities  in an apparent attempt to improve its image, a practice known as "sportswashing."

Who are the latest players to join LIV Golf?

According to multiple reports, four-time major winner Brooks Koepka is the latest player to defect from the PGA Tour. Koepka currently sits at 19th in the Official World Golf Rankings . 

He joins the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and others. According to other reports, Abraham Ancer, the 20th ranked golfer in the world, will also join LIV Golf. 

Collin Morikawa, the No. 4 player in the world, was a player who had been rumored to be leaving the PGA Tour as well. On Tuesday, he ended speculation he would join LIV Golf and reaffirmed his commitment  to the PGA.

As the final round of the first LIV Golf Invitational was being played earlier in June, reports emerged that Bryson DeChambeau (30) and Patrick Reed (38) would also be joining LIV Golf, potentially as soon as the second event in Portland, Oregon.

What has been the reaction to players leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf?

Almost universally , the players who have defected to LIV Golf have faced harsh criticism . Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and the more high-profile players have been the focus of the criticism.

Because the U.S. Open took place June 16-19, which was the weekend following the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational, the USGA  released a statement June 7 saying it would not penalize any player invited to the U.S. Open who had played in the LIV Golf Invitational in London.

The PGA Tour, however, has threatened serious penalties for those PGA Tour members who play in the LIV Golf Series events. The PGA Tour announced indefinite suspensions for at least 17 players who participated in the LIV Golf event, with more potentially coming in the future. Some players, like Dustin Johnson, have resigned their membership with the PGA Tour to join LIV. Others, like Phil Mickelson, have said they intend to play  in major championships.

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancée of Jamal Khashoggi at the time of his murder, told USA TODAY Sports' Josh Peter that the players who participate in the LIV Golf Invitational Series should be barred from competing in majors.

"If they still carry on and play as if everything is normal, then they should be banned from playing in the world’s major tournaments," Cengiz told USA TODAY Sports via email. "This will show that there are consequences for supporting murderers, and it will show the murderers that they are not escaping justice." 

How did prominent LIV Golf players fare in the recent U.S. Open?

Here are the  finishing scores at the U.S. Open in Brookline, Mass., of some of the big names who have agreed to join LIV Golf, are reported to have agreed to join, or played in the LIV Golf Invitational in London.

Dustin Johnson: +4; tied for 24th

Patrick Reed : +10; tied for 49th

Brooks Koepka : +12; 55th

Bryson DeCahmbeau : +13; tied for 56th

Missed the cut: Sergio García (+4); Talor Gooch (+5); Kevin Na (+5); Louis Oosthuizen (+6); Phil Mickelson (+11)

What happened in the first LIV Golf Invitational?

The first LIV Golf event was held June 9-11 at the Centurion Club in Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom, which is about 25 miles northwest of London. Charl Schwartzel  managed a one-stroke victory over his Stingers teammate Hennie du Plessis to take home the first-place prize of $4 million. With the Stingers also placing first in the team competition, Schwartzel brought in an extra $750,000 to bring his net earnings for the event to $4.75 million, making the London event the richest golf tournament in history.

"Honestly, I'm relieved," said Schwartzel, who hadn't won an event on either the PGA Tour or the European Tour since 2016. "... I'm just proud and it's a great feeling."

When is the next LIV Golf Invitational?

The second event on the schedule will be the first American stop on the calendar. It will be held June 30-July 2 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon, which is about 20 miles northwest of Portland.

What will be the format of play for the first LIV Golf season?

There will be six more regular season events in different cities on three continents — Portland (Oregon), Bedminster (New Jersey), Boston, Chicago, Bangkok, Jeddah. The season will culminate in a team championship in Florida at the Trump National Doral Miami course.

The first regular season event in London was held June 9-11.

Each event will be a 54-hole, three-round, no-cut competition. The league will incorporate shotgun starts to expedite play. A 48-person field was announced and players will be split into four-person teams.

The team championship will be a four-day, four-round event in which the teams will be seeded in a knock-out playoff bracket.

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The Majors Remain Uninterested in Rewarding Talor Gooch and LIV Golfers for Play on Their Tour

John schwarb | may 5, 2024.

Before even hitting a shot last week, Talor Gooch again set the golf world ablaze. An abrupt “I’m not,” answer to whether or not he would attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open in a few weeks both agitated and amused those who follow this ongoing saga that is part of the current golf wars.

Gooch, 32, is LIV Golf’s reigning player of the year. He led the league’s points list in 2023, capturing three tournaments, finishing second in another and banking more than $34 million in prize money and bonuses.

But to those who run the major championships, it means absolutely nothing.

That is not an opinion or hot take.

It was made clear by two credible officials in this drama: Peter Dawson, the former CEO of the R&A and now the chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking board of directors; and Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National and the Masters, whose organization has one of seven OWGR board seats.

To paraphrase, both have made clear that LIV’s 54-player “closed” tour does not fit their criteria. Dawson said it when LIV’s bid for OWGR accreditation was denied last October. Ridley said when asked last month at the Masters if he could envision the Masters or any major giving direct spots to LIV golfers based on their season-ending Order of Merit or any kind of in-season points list.

“I think it will be difficult to establish any type of point system that has any connection to the rest of the world of golf because they're basically, not totally, but for the most part, a closed shop,” Ridley said of the LIV Golf League structure. “There is some relegation, but not very much. It all really depends on what new players they sign.

“Those concerns were expressed by the OWGR, but I don't think that that prevents us from giving subjective consideration based on talent, based on performance to those players.”

Ridley praised LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann, who won the Australian Open and played in events for which he was eligible around the world in an effort to earn world ranking points. He was granted a special exemption by the Masters soon after winning LIV’s season-opening event in Mexico—with no mention of that victory by Ridley.

Niemann has also received an invite to the PGA Championship next week and it’s possible that David Puig, a young LIV player who has won twice on the Asian Tour and sits just outside the top 100 in the OWGR, could also get a spot. But it’s all due to their chasing points around the world with no credence giving to LIV.

Which leaves Gooch not eligible for a single major championship this year and apparently unwilling to try and qualify for the two where—given his ability—he’d have an excellent chance of making the field.

Gooch, who finished fourth Sunday in LIV Golf’s Singapore event —three shots behind winner Brooks Koepka —is getting roasted for not trying, and he does himself no favors here. As much as he feels maligned, he and his peers on LIV could not miss the signs that this was how it was going to go play out. The OWGR announcement last fall was the first clue. Ridley’s confirmation at the Masters about LIV’s format was a strong second.

What rankles Gooch and those who support LIV Golf is the fact that he was eligible for three of the major championships last year—the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open—based on having finished among the top 30 in the final FedEx Cup standings in 2022.

Gooch did this despite leaving for LIV Golf and not playing another regular PGA Tour event the rest of the year. He was ineligible for the Tour Championship, but both the Masters and the Open stayed with the original language in their qualifications. The U.S. Open did not. Last February, the USGA tweaked its wording to require a player to have been “eligible” for the season-ending Tour Championship. The Masters and Open didn’t change their wording to take place until this year.

It was an unfortunate move by the USGA and came across as petty. Gooch was the only player impacted. As long as the current rules are in place, no LIV golfer was going to be able to qualify for the majors via the FedEx Cup/Tour Championship loophole. It smacked of going out of the way to keep Gooch out, even if that was not the intent.

Gooch, of course, could have attempted to qualify for last year’s U.S. Open. He tied for 34th at the Masters but his OWGR standing was slipping to where he needed a good week at the PGA—which gave him an exemption because he was top 100 in the OWGR—to stay within the top 60 and earn a U.S. Open spot. He missed the cut, didn’t go to qualifying, missed the cut at the Open and now is looking at having no way into the majors.

Meanwhile, 35 of LIV’s 46 non-exempt players for the U.S. Open are scheduled to compete in final qualifying. That is up from the 16 (out of 38) who tried to qualify last year. Clearly, players got the message or LIV is encouraging them to try to get in.

One of those players scheduled for a final qualifier is Andy Ogletree, the 2019 U.S. Amateur champion who last year won the Asian Tour’s and International Series Order of Merit. That distinction will get him in the PGA next week as well as the Open in July. He’s not officially in yet, but in a few weeks, the U.S. Open will also put him in the field via that category (top 2 not otherwise exempt; if Ogletree were to win the PGA, for example, that USGA would give the Asian Tour another spot).

But here’s where it gets uneasy for the majors: is Ogletree a better player than Gooch? Is Puig? Is Niemann?

Gooch’s season on LIV last year might mean nothing to the majors and the OWGR but what he accomplished last year has to mean  something.  In nine tournaments as part of LIV Golf, Ogletree has finished ahead of Gooch just one time. Puig, who is being hailed for playing an abundance of Asian Tour events to try and boost his OWGR ranking, has never contended in a LIV event, never once finished ahead of Gooch and has just a single top-10 finish. Puig tied for 27th in Singapore and Ogletree tied for 45th.

Even Niemann, who has won twice on LIV Golf this year, only finished ahead of Gooch three times in 13 LIV events in 2023. He tied for seventh in Singapore.

What does this suggest? For a few players who have made their way into majors, they haven’t exactly burned it up on LIV Golf, which might not be deep, but still has a healthy number of players at the top of its roster. Nobody would dispute that Jon Rahm, Koepka, Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton and Dustin Johnson are world-class players and there are several more such as Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Sergio Garcia and others who are highly capable.

It can also mean that the Asian Tour is not particularly strong when guys who are dominating its money list and winning events are struggling to move into the upper echelon at LIV Golf.

Does that mean that Gooch should be in the U.S. Open?

That is clearly the subject of this debate. But again, beating all those guys, even in a format deemed unappealing by the major powers that be, means more than zero. Gooch, who was 624th in the OWGR, is ranked 41st in the Data Golf Rankings and 17th by TUGR.

Those systems include LIV events, so by their metrics, Gooch would be exempt. (It is important to note that Data Golf has said that its scoring-based system has too many downsides to be used as an official ranking tool. Data Golf offered an explanation here .)

And so here we are.

The OWGR and the majors believe the LIV format is not worthy of their consideration.

The LIV leaders decided not to purse OWGR accreditation by making changes that  could  lead to the league getting accredited. (Both sides are to blame for that mess. i.e., sit down and figure it out.)

And things are only bound to get worse when a few more LIV players see their major exemptions expire.

Bottom line: without some kind of deal that sees a change to the system, LIV golfers who want to compete in the majors better get used to playing even more around the world. Or heading to qualifying.

Jordan Spieth’s rocky road

He is not making excuses, even though Jordan Spieth admitted that the only thing that will ultimately help his wrist is rest. He says he can’t do further damage and knows how to play through the issues it is causing him. But you have to wonder how much it is impacting his play.

Spieth talked last week about having paused for a reset prior to the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, then proceeded to miss his fourth cut in his last six tournaments. Included in that stretch was the Players Championship and the Masters.

Still just 30, Spieth is ranked 20th in the Official World Golf Ranking and is seemingly always lurking. He’s had three top 10s this year, including a tie for 10th at the Valero Texas Open, but hasn’t really contended in months. And he admitted that three top 10s to this point is not exactly what he had in mind.

His 13 PGA Tour victories is an impressive haul, but he’s coming up on seven years since winning the third of his three majors at the 2017 British Open and since that time he’s won just twice on the PGA Tour.

It is that kind of discussion that doesn’t make the current situation any easier on Spieth.

Asked a question in his pre-tournament news conference last week about May being mental health month, Spieth responded in this way:

“I think a lot of things I struggled with that have certainly affected me mentally are a lot of comparisons,” he said, acknowledging that he, too, can’t help but compare himself to the past.

“It’s hard not to, especially when you have so much success early in your career. Not only are you compared to the outside world to that person, but I have a hard time wondering why I can’t do that every week, too.”

Spieth was asked what it’s like to see Scottie Scheffler get on the kind of roll he’s been on of late. Scheffler, 27, lives in Dallas like Spieth, and the two play a good amount of golf together. The Masters champion has won four of his last five starts and will be a big favorite to win a third major championship next week at the PGA Championship.

“I have known Scottie since he was really, really young. Not that I wasn't, but he was really, really young,” Spieth said. “I think he's a better person than he is a player, and having known somebody and seen them come up and obviously went to University of Texas, I'm nothing but extremely excited and happy for him. It's well deserved and all that.

“And then on the flip side, like it's kind of the first time I've ever looked at somebody younger than me and I've driven inspiration. Like I am inspired by what he is doing. It makes me want to go out and get better, and that's always been someone that's older than me. Kind of the first time I felt that way about somebody that's younger.

“Because I play a decent amount of rounds with him here in town. I'm constantly seeing it and trying to beat him at home, and when he's playing better than I am, it sucks. I don't enjoy it when I'm side by side because there were however many years of our life it wasn't that way.

“It's flipped and I feel like I've got plenty of runway to be able to get it back. It's inspiring at the same time to try make that happen. I have nothing in my way of being able to make that happen but my own self. I've got enough. I believe in my ceiling, and I believe my ceiling is as high as anybody's. I have to get each part of my game up towards its ceiling.”

The wrist issue first became a problem last year. It actually kept him from playing his hometown event the week after the Wells Fargo Championship. Those tournaments have switched dates this year and Spieth is set for a good bit of golf ahead with the PGA following the Wells Fargo and then the possibility that he plays Colonial. After a week off, Spieth would then likely play the Memorial, U.S. Open and Travelers Championship in consecutive weeks.

“It’s a lot of managing it,” he said. “I'm kind of doing a couple different things to help treat the symptoms that I experience and to not have some recurring problems that have happened. And so I'm doing a lot of stuff off the course, therapy side, whether it's treating tendon to treating the nerve in general. I think that that's helping.

“I kind of maybe got a little bit away from it as I got into a heavier stretch of golf the last eight weeks so I had a couple instances that weren't good. I don't plan on that happening going forward with what I'm doing off the course even though I will be playing a lot of golf.”

Signature event No. 6 ... and other notes

Everyone who is eligible for this week’s Wells Fargo Championship is competing—except for one big one. Reigning No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is a no-show. He’s got good reason. His wife, Meredith, is expecting the couple’s first child.

It should be noted that had there been no baby watch, there’s a good chance Scheffler would have skipped Quail Hollow anyway. He didn’t play the tournament last year. And he almost assuredly would have played his hometown Byron Nelson tournament.

In any case, the sixth of eight Signature Events it follows The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and RBC Heritage. After the Wells Fargo is next week’s PGA Championship. Following Colonial and the RBC Canadian Open is the seventh Signature Event, the Memorial, the U.S. Open and then the final Signature Event, the Travelers Championship.

And a few more things

The field of the Wells Fargo is 70 players, comprising 48 who are locked via the FedEx Cup from 2023, 10 from the FedEx Cup category, five from the swing category (Zurich Classic and Byron Nelson), four sponsor exemptions, and three players who won PGA Tour events this year not otherwise including Taylor Pendrith , who got his first victory Sunday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and will get his first signature event start. ... He will also get a spot in next week’s PGA Championship as well as next year’s Players and the Masters. ... The field size again suggests the Tour should look at this at the end of the year and consider expanding with reserves or broadening categories to get to 78 players ... Ben Kohles , who bogeyed the 18th hole to lose by a shot to Pendrith, also gets into the Wells Fargo via the Swing Five category.

Webb Simpson got one of the sponsor exemptions, and since he lives at Quail Hollow, that makes sense. But it is his fourth such free pass into a signature event and it’s just his eighth start of the year. As a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board, that is causing some concern. Adam Scott , also on the board, is getting his third sponsor invite to a signature event. The others went to Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar .

The PGA Championship is expected to finalize its field this week by inviting players otherwise not exempt who are among the top 100 in the OWGR. It can go beyond 100 and also invite those from the PGA points list, which assures spots to the top 70 via PGA Tour performance from last year’s Byron Nelson through this year’s. ... The PGA Championship begins in 10 days.

JOHN SCHWARB

John Schwarb is the Senior Editor of SI Golf. He has covered golf for the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times), PGATour.com and Visit Florida; and has also written for ESPN.com, The Golfers Journal and several magazines. He lives in Indianapolis and graduated from Indiana University.

Players - Current Rosters

2024 LIV Golf Singapore prize money payouts for each player and team

It pays to play well in the LIV Golf League, just ask Brooks Koepka .

The 34-year-old won for the fourth time on the Saudi-backed circuit on Sunday after a 3-under 68 in the final round at Sentosa Golf Club to claim the league's seventh event of the 2024 season, LIV Golf Singapore.

For his efforts, Koepka will take home the top prize of $4 million. Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith and teammate Marc Leishman, who finished T-2, two shots behind Koepka at 13 under, banked $1.875 million each.

With $20 million up for grabs, check out how much money each player and team earned at 2024 LIV Golf Singapore.

Individual prize money

Team prize money.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 2024 LIV Golf Singapore prize money payouts for each player and team

Wells Fargo Championship

Quail Hollow Club

Charlotte, North Carolina • USA

May 9 - 12, 2024

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