What Is LIV Golf? Players, Format, Prize Money & More

The LIV Golf Invitational Collection, in any other case generally known as the LIV Golf League, is a brand new golf tour that’s headed up by former Australian golfer Greg Norman, with funding coming from the Public Funding Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.

Ever since LIV Golf was introduced, it has been met with criticism and backlash because of its supply of funding and Saudi Arabia’s historical past of human rights violations. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped a few of the world’s finest golf gamers from defecting from the well-established PGA Tour (to which LIV Golf is now a rival) in return for some significantly giant paycheques.

The PGA Tour itself has been notably direct in its stance on the LIV Golf tour, stating that any PGA gamers, each present and future, who select to hitch LIV Golf, will likely be suspended from enjoying PGA Tour occasions.

Regardless of this, a few of the world’s most well-known {golfing} stars have already signed contracts with LIV Golf, which have already seen them earn more cash only for becoming a member of than they’ve earned all through their whole PGA Tour profession. American golfer John Daly – who hoped to hitch LIV Golf himself however was turned down by Greg Norman – has stated he believes the prize cash on provide to be utterly truthful and justified.

On this LIV Golf information…

What’s the LIV Golf Match?

The LIV Golf League has been setup as an alternative choice to the PGA Tour, however presents itself in a distinct format. By this, we imply LIV Golf affords a extra arena-style of sporting occasion, because it places gamers into varied groups of 4, every with a captain.

And, due to its immense monetary backing, LIV Golf affords golfers the prospect to earn some critical cash, even when they don’t win. Whereas prize cash purses for winners could be between $20 – $25 million, gamers on the LIV Golf tour may earn cash only for their look. There may be additionally a further $5 million for the profitable staff, to be cut up between its members.

What does LIV stand for?

LIV Golf may seem to be an uncommon identify. In any case, PGA makes excellent sense (Skilled Golders’ Affiliation) however you won’t know the place the identify LIV got here from.

It’s really fairly easy. LIV is a reference to the Roman numeral for 54 (L – 50, I – 1, V – 5. IV – 1 earlier than 5 = 4). 54 is the rating a golfer would obtain if each gap on a par-72 course have been birdied (one stroke beneath par) and additionally it is the variety of holes that will likely be performed at LIV Golf occasions.

When did LIV Golf begin?

Preliminary discussions for LIV Golf started in 2019 and on the time, it was going to be generally known as the Premier Golf League. Following discussions with traders from Saudi Arabia, the Premier Golf League modified its identify to LIV Golf Investments and formally launched in October 2021.

The primary season of LIV teed off in 2022, consisting of eight 54-hole tournaments and that includes 48 gamers. Gamers are cut up into 12, four-man groups and the sector of gamers can differ from match to match.

LIV Golf format

LIV Golf gamers compete in occasions in groups of 4, with there being 12 groups in whole. Gamers compete as people and as a staff for each factors and prize cash. LIV Golf choose staff captains earlier than every occasion and these captains get to decide on with different LIV Golf gamers they need on their staff.

On the finish of every LIV Golf occasion, the participant with the bottom 54-hole stroke play whole is the person winner. The profitable staff is set by taking one of the best two stroke play scores from the primary two spherical, and one of the best three from the third and ultimate spherical. Whichever staff finally ends up with this determine being the bottom, wins.

Groups

The identical staff names are used all through the LIV Golf season, however every week they are often populated by totally different gamers and captains. The 12 LIV Golf groups are:

Niblicks GC
Fireballs GC
HY Flyers GC
Punch GC
Smash GC
Cleeks GC
4 Aces GC
Torque GC
Majesticks GC
Crushers GC
Stinger GC
Iron Heads GC

LIV Golf prize cash

As beforehand talked about, one of many interesting elements of LIV Golf (and one of many most important causes behind gamers defecting from the PGA Tour to hitch the brand new league) is the unbelievable quantity of prize cash on provide.

The overall prize cash purse throughout the eight occasions within the season stands at an enormous US$255 million. For every staff occasion there may be US$25 million on provide. $20 million of this prize purse is shared between the gamers participating in an occasion, and round $4 million of it’s introduced to the winner.

When the Crew Championship is performed, which is a ultimate occasion that LIV Golf says will likely be a seeded “four-day, four-round, match play knock-out,” to be held on the Trump Nationwide Doral Miami in October 2022, there may be US$50 million on provide as a part of the prize cash purse.

$16 million of this will likely be introduced to the profitable staff for them to share. However, even the staff that finishes final will nonetheless stroll away with $1 million.

LIV Golf vs PGA Tour

Whereas many see LIV Golf as a direct rival to the PGA Tour, former golfer and now CEO of the league, Greg Norman, has come out and stated it wasn’t devised to instantly compete with the PGA Tour.

He says the schedule of the match was rigorously thought out in order that it wouldn’t compete with main PGA Tour occasions or another worldwide staff occasions.

Regardless of this, the PGA Tour nonetheless noticed it (and nonetheless does) as a direct competitor and so took the drastic determination to announce any PGA Tour participant who defected to the sequence, can be sanctioned.

The official assertion stated, “Members who violate the match rules are topic to disciplinary motion,”

“As communicated to our whole membership on 10 Might, PGA Tour members haven’t been authorised to take part within the Saudi Golf League’s London occasion, beneath PGA Tour match rules.”

On 9 June 2022, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan took this one step additional by suspending any gamers who took half within the new sequence, saying (as per ESPN), “These gamers have made their alternative for their very own financial-based causes,”

“However they’ll’t demand the identical PGA TOUR membership advantages, concerns, alternatives and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our followers and our companions. You may have made a distinct alternative, which is to abide by the Match Rules you agreed to once you achieved the dream of incomes a PGA TOUR card and — extra importantly — to compete as a part of the preeminent organisation on this planet {of professional} golf.”

The PGA Tour in the end stated that any gamers who joined LIV Golf would not be allowed to compete in PGA Tour occasions.

LIV Golf responded to those actions by saying it, “deepens the divide between the Tour and its members.”

“It’s troubling that the Tour, a company devoted to creating alternatives for golfers to play the sport, is the entity blocking golfers from enjoying,”

“This definitely just isn’t the final phrase on this matter. The period of free company is starting as we’re proud to have a full area of gamers becoming a member of us in London, and past.”

LIV Golf gamers

Among the most notable golfers to have joined LIV Golf embrace Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. There are at the moment 61 gamers who’ve signed a contract with LIV Golf or have performed at the least one LIV Golf occasion. These gamers are:

Dustin Johnson (USA)
Cameron Smith (AUS)
Marc Leishman (AUS)
Abraham Ancer (MEX)
Oliver Bekker (RSA)
Richard Bland (ENG)
Itthipat Buranatanyarat (THA)
Laurie Carter (ENG)
Paul Casey (ENG)
Eugenio Chacarra (ESP)
Ratchanon Chantananuwat (THA)
Bryson DeChambeau (USA)
Hennie du Plessis (RSA)
Oliver Fisher (ENG)
Sergio Garcia (ESP)
Branden Grace (RSA)
Talor Gooch (USA)
Justin Harding (RSA)
Sam Horsfield (ENG)
Charles Howell III (USA)
Matt Jones (AUS)
Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA)
Martin Kaymer (GER)
Phachara Khongwatmai (THA)
Sihwan Kim (USA)
Ryosuke Kinoshita (JAP)
Brooks Koepka (USA)
Chase Koepka (USA)
Jason Kokrak (USA)
Jinichiro Kozuma (JAP)
Pablo Larrazábal (ESP)
Viraj Madappa (IND)
Graeme McDowell (NIR)
Phil Mickelson (USA)
Jediah Morgan (AUS)
Kevin Na (USA)
Shaun Norris (RSA)
Andy Ogletree (USA)
Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)
Wade Ormsby (AUS)
Carlos Ortiz (MEX)
Adrián Otaegui (ESP)
Pat Perez (USA)
Turk Pettit (USA)
James Plot (USA)
Ian Poulter (ENG)
David Puig (ESP)
Patrick Reed (USA)
J. C. Ritchie (RSA)
Charl Schwartzel (RSA)
Travis Smyth (AUS)
Ian Snyman (RSA)
Henrik Stenson (SWE)
Hudson Swafford (USA)
Hideto Tanihara (JAP)
Peter Uihlein (USA)
Scott Vincent (ZIM)
Bubba Watson (USA)
Lee Westwood (ENG)
Brend Wiesberger (AUT)
Blake Windred (AUS)
Matthew Wolff (USA)
Kevin Yuan (AUS)

Phil Mickelson was one of many earliest gamers to defect to the LIV Golf League, who signed a contract value a reported US$200 million. Phil reportedly joined LIV Golf firstly of 2022, with preliminary murmurs going down in February.

Mickelson had, earlier than this, criticised the PGA Tour however was additionally important of Saudi Arabia, telling biographer Alan Shipnuck, Saudi Arabians have been, “scary motherfuckers to be concerned with.”

And, even after he criticised the nation’s human rights report, Phil Mickelson nonetheless determined to hitch LIV Golf and performed the primary occasion in London in June 2022. On his determination, Mickelson advised reviews,

“I perceive that many individuals have very sturdy opinions and plenty of disagree with my determination, and I can empathize with that, however presently, this is a chance that offers me an opportunity to have essentially the most stability in my life going ahead and I feel that is going to do loads of good for the sport.”

LIV Golf controversy

As already talked about on this article, the LIV Golf match has been met with critical criticism. Nearly all of this criticism is aimed on the truth it’s financed by the Public Funding Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, but additionally as a result of it’s a direct rival to the long-established and much-loved PGA Tour.

Many protestors declare that LIV Golf is a main instance of ‘sportswashing,’ saying that the glitz, the glamour and the massive cash on provide for gamers is all a ploy by Saudi Arabia’s political technique to enhance its international picture.

On the centre of Saudi Arabia’s adverse picture is its human rights violations and the Authorities’s involvement – together with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman – within the homicide of Washington Submit journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who was typically important of his nation’s authorities.

It has additionally been prompt the Saudi household have been concerned within the 9/11 terrorist assaults on New York.

Will Cameron Smith be a part of LIV Golf?

Replace thirtieth August 2022

Cameron Smith has now introduced his determination to hitch LIV Golf in a deal value AU$140 million. Smith advised reporters that the cash on provide did play a component in his determination making, however stated the most important affect in making his determination was that, “[LIV’s] schedule is actually interesting. I’ll be capable to spend extra time at dwelling in Australia and perhaps have an occasion down there, as nicely. I haven’t been ready to do this, and to get that a part of my life again was actually interesting.”

Earlier info as of thirtieth August 2022

There was a substantial amount of hypothesis surrounding Australian golfer Cameron Smith and whether or not he’ll defect to the LIV Golf tour too. Following his spectacular win at The Open in July 2022, Smith was requested by reporters if he was planning to hitch Greg Norman’s LIV Golf tour. On the time, Smith stated, “I simply gained the British Open and also you’re asking about that? I feel that’s fairly, not that good.”

Hypothesis has intensified since, because the The Telegraph reported, on the ninth of August, that Smith has now signed a US$100 million/AU$140 million contract to hitch LIV Golf. The UK publication added Cameron Smith will play his first LIV Golf occasion in Boston.

Cameron Smith was as soon as once more requested, in the course of the FedEx Cup playoffs, about him transferring to LIV Golf. He advised reporters, “no remark,” and added, “You recognize, my aim right here is to win the FedEx Cup playoffs. That’s all I’m right here for,”

“If there’s one thing I have to say relating to the PGA Tour or LIV, it’ll come from Cameron Smith, not Cameron Percy,” referencing the very fact Australian golfer Cameron Percy advised reporters that Smith had certainly joined LIV.