For Phil Mickelson, the three-time Masters champ, the 2025 season has been a mixed bag. His 2 top-10 finishes did little to boost his OWGR ranking, and his poor performance at the Masters (missed cut) dramatically dropped him to the bottom of his career: he fell out of the top 1000 for the first time and now ranks 1,025th. For a golfer who believes “any win is a huge accomplishment right now,” a win is almost a necessity, especially with the latest developments at LIV Golf.

At the end of April, the golf world buzzed with news of “advance talks” between LIV Golf and OWGR. This was a significant feat. In 2024, former CEO Greg Norman stopped appeasing the OWGR after continuous rejection. The result? Top golfers like Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed had to play in the DP World Tour and Asian Tour to secure spots in the majors. Given these issues, the April news relieved LIV golfers, but the recent LIV Golf move to appease OWGR may pose challenges for some, including Mickelson.

This has everything to do with Mickelson’s performance last year. In 2024, marred by a series of poor performances, HyFlyers GC captain, Phil Mickelson, dropped to 44th in the LIV Golf Standings, also known as the “drop zone.” According to the rules, he should have faced relegation; however, since captains couldn’t get relegated, Mickelson managed to remain in the league. Even in 2025, he had nothing to worry about until this recent development at LIV Golf.

To appease the OWGR, despite chairman Trevor Immelman claiming earlier this month, “They [LIV Golf] have not put any application in. Whether that happens or not, I guess time will tell,” the LIV Golf League is considering changing its rules so that all players in the “relegation zone” must play in a qualifying event to regain their spots, even if they are team captains. This poses a risk for HyFlyers GC’s captain, Phil Mickelson.

Before LIV Golf confirmed in the 2024 season that team captains could be relegated, the golf world largely believed that only the other teammates needed to perform well to stay above the drop zone (above 49th in the LIV Golf standings). However, Bubba Watson and Branden Grace fell into the relegation zone due to poor performance and were brought back only for “business reasons.” So, what happens to the relegated players? They lose their spot in their teams and have to earn their way back in through LIV Golf Promotions events. Over the past year, LIV had only two available spots: one from its Promotions event and another from the Asian Tour’s International Series. Mickelson currently ranks 15th in the standings, but he needs to improve his game to avoid a similar fate.

Moreover, six LIV players have gained exemptions to the PGA Championship. Will these six players face relegation as well? According to the latest update, the relegation changes will also impact the PGA Championship exemptions.

Earlier this month, Trevor Immelman said, “The ball is in their [LIV Golf] court,” suggesting that the Saudi-backed league may introduce similar changes soon. Additionally, Scott O’Neil’s efforts to secure world ranking points for LIV Golf represent a shift from last March, when the league announced it would stop discussions after the OWGR turned it down in October 2023, without presenting new proposals. The OWGR board plans to meet during the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July, and there are signs that LIV will aim to have a new application prepared by that time. The ball is indeed in LIV Golf’s court.

While the OWGR is slow to respond to LIV players, the Saudi-backed league has found success in other areas. For example, Scott O’Neil has already secured exemptions for LIV players in the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. However, while Mickelson is safe for now, two LIV Golf captains aren’t.

The two team captains that are in danger of being relegated this season

If LIV Golf proceeds with its decision regarding the latest changes, many golfers are likely to face relegation at the end of the season. According to the latest LIV Golf standings, a total of 11 LIV players currently find themselves in the “drop zone,” including Majesticks GC co-captains Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.

Westwood is in 53rd place after a lackluster start to the season by his own high standards as a 25-time European Tour winner. The Englishman ranks an astonishing 4,552nd in the OWGR and has not yet recorded a top-20 finish in any of the limited-field LIV Golf events this season. Westwood joined LIV Golf in 2022 and later gave up his membership with the European Tour.

Majesticks co-captain Ian Poulter is also close to relegation, sitting just four spots above the ‘drop zone’ in 45th place. Poulter was another notable European Tour player who relinquished his card in 2023. He currently ranks 1,476th in the OWGR. Last season’s relegated player, Branden Grace, is once again in the drop zone, at 49th place.

Who do you think the development will hurt the most?