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’Not a Member’: Jay Monahan Reveals Anthony Kim’s PGA Tour Chances, Hints at a Non-Privilege Return

Jay Monahan subtly indicates how Anthony Kim would not have received any sort of privilege if he had made a comeback to the PGA Tour.

Allan Abe

6 days ago

Jay Monahan Anthony Kim Collage

“[PGA Tour] Don’t Even Stand Up Against LIV”: Rory McIlroy’s Former Agent Chubby Chandler Makes a Bold Claim

In an exclusive talk with EssentiallySports, Rory McIlroy's ex-manager, Chubby Chandler weighed in on the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf battle.

Nikki Sharma

6 days ago

PGA: PGA Championship – Second Round

Despite Anthony Kim’s Arduous Attempt to Revive Career, He Will Not Catch Upto Tiger Woods Soon

Even after committing to his career more than Tiger Woods, Anthony Kim might never catch up to Woods's world glory.

January 20, 2012: Anthony Kim sits on his golf bag while waiting for slow play during the second rou

Phil Mickelson’s Critic Spells Doom for LIV Golf; Dubs the PGA Tour as a Nurturer of ‘Developing Superstars’

Phil Mickelson’s online rival and staunch LIV Golf critic slams LIV Golf, calling the PGA Tour the star league.

PGA: U.S. Open – Practice Round

Anthony Kim Update: Golf’s Prodigal Son Raises Hopes to End Disheartening LIV Journey

Anthony Kim ignites comeback hopes at LIV Golf Hong Kong 2024 with a standout performance, sparking anticipation for his golfing resurgence.

Aryan Sharma

1 week ago

Ryder Cup rookie, Anthony Kim signed autographs between holes during the practice round for the Ryde

Phil Mickelson’s $200M LIV Legacy Gets a Massive Tiger Woods Reality Check- Palmer & Nicklaus Adds More Salt

Unlike Tiger Woods and the Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson's dream of becoming the top 10 richest players doesn't come through.

Phil Mickelson Tiger Woods Collage

2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong: Prize Money Breakdown and Winner’s Payout

How much will Abraham Ancer earn at LIV Golf Hong Kong if the Mexican can hold onto his lead in the final round?

LIV Golf Mayakoba

Abraham Ancer Wins 2024 LIV Golf Hong Kong Over Disgruntled Cam Smith; DeChambeau Enjoys Glorious Two-peat

A thrilling end to LIV Golf Hong Kong came with a three-way playoff between Cameron Smith, Paul Casey, and Abraham Ancer.

PGA: WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational – Second Round

“Every Single Aramco Event Is Set Up as a Major”: LPGA Pro Olivia Cowan Hails Golf Saudi With Latest Revelation

Olivia Cowan seems to enjoy what the Saudi money has done to women golf on the European Tour. Read to find out!

Nikki Sharma

1 week ago

Olivia Cowan of Germany during the first round

Did Sergio Garcia Convince Jon Rahm to Join LIV Golf? 44-Year-Old Spaniard Finally Clears the Air

Sergio Garcia opens up about Jon Rahm shedding light on rumors of his influence on the new joiner's LIV Golf move.

Aryan Sharma

1 week ago

Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia

Is Abraham Ancer Dating Someone? LIV Golf Pro’s Love Life Explored

Does Abraham Ancer has a support system and partner who supports him on the greens? Especially when he has taken a lead in Hong Kong.

PGA: WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational – Second Round

Tyrrell Hatton Admits He Hates LIV Golf’s Shotgun Format Weeks After $65M Jump: ‘I’m Not in Love’

As the latest golfer to join LIV Golf, Tyrrell Hatton describes one thing that he does not like about the breakaway league.

PGA, Golf Herren World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play – Third Round, Mar 25, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA;

Who Is Dean Burmester’s Caddie? Meet Jason Reynolds, LIV Golf Pro’s Veteran Looper

Who is looping for Dean Burmester at LIV Golf Hong Kong? All you need to know about the South African golfer’s current bagman.

Golfer Caddie Silhouette Collage

Tyrrell Hatton Recalls Dark, Devastating Phase After LIV Golf Switch: ‘Everyone’s Just So Negative’

Tyrrell Hatton recounts the unpleasant experience of battling online abuse after joining LIV Golf in January.

PGA, Golf Herren FedEx St. Jude Championship – First Round, Aug 11, 2022; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Tyrrell Hatton reacts

‘Traditionalist’ Rory McIlroy Arrives Too Little Too Late in the Dubious Times of the Post-LIV Era

Rory McIlroy said he was too traditional to enjoy LIV Golf. But his words come at a time when words have lost their value.

PGA: PGA Championship – Second Round

‘More Money to Ruin Professional Golf’: Yasir Al-Rummayan and Co Blasted on Social Media as $160B Move Comes to Light

As the PGA Tour strides towards new investments, the sole investor in LIV Golf, the PIF, also becomes $100 billion richer.

_Al-Rumayyan LIV Golf Collage
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In 2022, the golf world became a bit more chaotic as compared to what is has been throughout the years. Why? Because a new golf league, with a format that has never been seen before known as LIV Golf, was introduced. LIV was backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, and many former PGA Tour pros decided to switch to it creating havoc in the golf fraternity.

Though the league became the center of a lot of backlashes, it has stayed on and has shown tremendous growth. As LIV Golf continues to grow and thrive, let's discover some remarkable factors about the league.

A Brief History of LIV Golf and its Origin

Although the Saudi League was founded in 2021, its early framework came into limelight in 2019. The earlier suggested name for LIV golf was Premier Golf League. The inaugural season of the rebel league was played in 2022. The name is inspired by the Roman numeral number 54.

LIV Golf is financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. It is said that the golf league is part of the efforts of the Saudi monarchy, which has been criticized for its corruption and human rights issues. And that was one of the main reasons why it always faced heavy backlash from golfers, critics and fans alike.

via Imago

Yasir Al-Rumayyan acts as the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, and Greg Norman, the former PGA Tour legend, is the commander of the league and was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer.

A peek into the format of LIV Golf

The first season of the LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022 featured eight tournaments wherein the unconventional format of 54-hole no-cut stroke play was adapted. One final Team Championship was also organized at the end of the season signifying the prominent team element of the Saudi league.

For 2023, the format of the league changed a bit, and it released a schedule with a 14-event schedule and 48 contracted players. The 14 events are organized throughout the year to keep fans and golfers engaged. The Saudi League does not organize any events on the same weekend as major tournaments.

The team element has been a crucial standpoint of LIV. There are a total of 12 teams with 4 players in each team.? Along with individual golfers, the teams also go head-to-head with each other at every tournament. At the end of the weekend, an individual LIV star emerges victorious, and one team out of the 12 teams also wins and takes home the part of $5 million set aside for team prize money.

The tournaments are held at some of the best golf courses in the world. During its inaugural season, all the events were played on American golf courses, but in 2022, with the vision to take the league to the international level, the tournaments are organized at foreign locations such as Mexico, Australia, Spain and Singapore.

via Imago

The growth spurt of the Saudi League

In its two years of existence, LIV Golf has seen tremendous growth. When the league was inaugurated in 2022, everyone was skeptical about it, and everyone bashed the CEO, founders, and players alike. People were not happy with the league?s founders and called out every golfer who became part of the league.

Despite all the hardships, LIV Golf persevered through and added many feathers to its hat. LIV Golf was able to sign a multi-year deal with Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore; it maintained a cordial relationship with the United States? former President, Donald Trump; and so on. As a cherry on top, Brooks Koepka became the first LIV golfer to win a major championship in 2023.

The most recent and groundbreaking success was its merger with its former rival, the PGA Tour. Under this merger, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf will form another golf entity altogether.

The most successful golfers in LIV Golf

Although the league has many legendary golfers on the roaster, not all of them are turning out to be very successful. One of the only LIV golfers to win two back-to-back individual titles is Talor Gooch. His first victory came in Australia and then he went ahead and won in the league's next event in Singapore as well.

USA Today via Reuters

Brooks Koepka is another one of the most successful and popular LIV golfers. In 2023, he became the first LIV player to win a prestigious major title, the PGA Championship. His victory showed to everyone that LIV players are just as talented as golfers of the other tours and his victory was like a stepping stone into the league's even more successful years ahead.

There are plenty of notable golfers on LIV Golf, such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau, and so on! All of these players have been playing a significant role in making the league huge as it is today.

How is LIV Golf different from the PGA Tour?

LIV Golf and the PGA Tour are very different from each other. Let us take a look at the difference between the two.

BasisLIV GolfPGA Tour
Number of holesThe LIV tournaments are played on 54 holes, and they are three-day tournaments.The PGA Tour follows the traditional 72-hole style of events that goes on for four days.
No CutLIV events don?t have a cut. All the golfers who play in a LIV event play all three rounds.Regular PGA events have a cut after 36 holes, and the top 65 players on the leaderboard make the cut.
Limited fieldsLIV Golf events feature a field of just 48 players.PGA Tour events will feature a field of 132, 144, or 156 players.
Shotgun StartsLIV Golf events tee off using a shotgun start.

All the golfers who are competing start at the same time at different holes on the course.

The PGA Tour does not follow the shotgun rule, and it takes from relatively longer time to finish a single round.

On the contrary, the golfers on the PGA Tour tee off from the 1st or 10th hole for the first two rounds.

PayoutsLIV Golf offers humongous payouts to its players. LIV events carry a purse of $25 million, out of which $20 million is for individual competition.

Even the last player on the leaderboard receives a part of the purse.

The payout for the PGA Tour players is significantly less. The designated events offer a purse of $20 million.

Only the top 65 players who make the cut receive a payout in the PGA Tour events.

Team elementLIV golf has a team format in its play. It has 12 teams with four players each. The prize money of $5 million is set aside for the winning team and the runner-up team in every tournament.The PGA Tour has no team element in its regular events.

But it does have two teams playing events: the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup.

ParticipationLIV Golf features 48 players who have signed up.Competing in the Feeder tours helps the golfers to move up the ranks and earn the status on PGA Tour.
Number of eventsFor 2023, LIV Golf has planned to host 14 events.The PGA Tour has more events than LIV Golf.
World Ranking PointsLIV Golf events currently carry no World Ranking points and as a result, the LIV golfers are often at the bottom of the OWGR leaderboard.PGA Tour events offer Official World Golf Ranking points to its players.

LIV Golf and world ranking points

LIV Golf does not meet the criteria to be eligible for the world ranking points, and this is the reason why the ranks of LIV golfers have been plummeting in the OWGR leaderboard ever since they joined the league. Like PGA Tour pros, LIV golfers do not get points on the OWGR leaderboard for every tournament they play, except for major tournaments.

In July 2022, LIV Golf officially applied to be included in the Official World Golf Ranking. the approval takes anywhere from 1.5 - 2 years to get approval. As a result, the Saudi-funded league is still waiting for its pending approval for becoming a recognized league as per the world ranking system.

via Imago

The international expansion of the Saudi-funded league

In 2022, the LIV Golf tournaments were limited to all of America, but for its second season, in 2023, the Saudi League had expansion plans. While revealing its 2023 schedule, Norman revealed that the league has plans to expand its footprint across North America, Latin America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe. LIV Golf will also expect players to compete in "numerous" International Series events on the Asian Tour, where LIV and the sponsors have invested a huge amount of $300 million.

Other than the USA, the countries that have hosted the LIV Golf events are Singapore, Australia, and Mexico. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the UK have yet to host LIV events in 2023 under the international expansion scheme.

LIV Golf is on its path to success and has a lot of growth potential in the future, now that it has merged with the PGA Tour. In the end, it will be the game of golf that will be thrive and evolve.