The LIV Golf Series will be expanding next season, with as many as seven new players taking the field next year. But who are the new rebels to defect to the Saudi-backed league? While rumors have flown around for quite some time, any piece of information should be taken with a pinch of salt. If the latest reports are to be believed, golfers Xander Schauffele and Tyrrell Hatton, ranked 5th and 28th on the player rankings respectively, are strong considerations to switch to LIV.

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New recruits in the LIV Golf Series?

While the inaugural LIV Golf season comprised 12 teams and 48 players, CEO Greg Norman has hinted at an expansion. “Basically, we’re looking for maybe seven players, something like that,” Norman revealed after the final LIV Golf round in Florida.

Read more: After Greg Norman’s Bold Statement, LIV Golf’s Rumored Big Name Recruitments Seem Far From Reality at the Moment

But who are the new names to defect to LIV Golf? The organizers have remained tight-lipped, but a majority are expected to be ranked in the top 50 in the world. Many of the new inclusions would be players who would have rejected LIV initially and voiced support for the PGA Tour. However, the Norman-headed league seems to have a huge heart (and a large fund) to provide a second chance to such golfers.

Is Xander Schauffele joining LIV?

Among the names, Xander Schauffele looks to be a promising candidate. The 29-year-old ranks 6th in the Overall World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and is a popular name on the Tour. If reports are to be believed, he has already booked his ticket to LIV Golf and will be the captain of Torque GC for the upcoming season.

The news was sourced from LIV Golf Insider, who have claimed to have an “unblemished record” when it came to breaking announcements for the LIV Golf Series. Interestingly, Schauffele was one of the few names who had rejected the proposal from LIV in its early days. In his own words, he didn’t believe their idea was “close to a finished product or a business model.” However, should he change his mind, he won’t be the first to do so.

What about ‘angry golfer’ Tyrrell Hatton?

English golfer, Hatton, has found recent success on both the PGA Tour and the DP Tour. He emerged victorious at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational and played his part in winning the 2018 Ryder Cup. However, since turning pro in 2011 as a 20-year-old, Hatton has won around $12 million in career prize money.

In comparison, LIV rebel, Pat Perez, in only 7 LIV events, has roped in $8 million as on-course earnings. That is without the reported $10 million in additional signing bonus money to switch sides to LIV Golf.

However, there have been conflicting reports on Hatton’s urge to join LIV Golf. Renowned journalists have reported differing news on the England golfer’s move. However, there is no smoke without fire, and the news seems to be palpable.

The lure of the lucrative LIV Golf Series has seen many take the unknown plunge. Will Schauffele and Hatton follow their former PGA Tour members in the second season of the LIV Golf Series? With the tentative schedule starting in February, we will find out soon enough.

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