16 November 2023 , 15:47
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LIV Golf star Carlos Ortiz has opted to turn down a contract offer from Sergio Garcia's Fireballs, after the breakaway league's first ever free agency opened on Thursday.
Ortiz had spent a season-and-a-half with the Fireballs, finishing the 2022 season off with Garcia's setup, before spending the whole of 2023 on the four-man roster. Following the end of the the campaign last month, Ortiz was offered a year extension with the Fireballs, but decided to turn it down.
The Mexican national will be one of a number of players now entering free agency, as he looks to earn a spot on one of the other 11 LIV Golf teams, with the 2024 season right around the corner.
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The Saudi-backed series announced plans for its first ever transfer window earlier this month, which takes place in three stages. Phase one included players from the 'Locked Zone', who finished in the top 24 of the individual standings, guaranteeing a right to return for 2024.
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Stage two - which kicked off this week - is named 'Free Agency', which allows those who finished between 25 and 44 the chance to regain a spot for next season, by negotiating with the 12 teams. Finally the roster for 2024 will be completed at LIV Golf Promotions, with a 72-hole qualifying event rewarding the top three players with a spot on the breakaway league.
Carlos Ortiz is on the look out for a new LIV Golf team (Getty Images)As well as Ortiz's decision to leave the Fireballs, LIV revealed there had been a whole host of updates during phase one of the offseason. Anirban Lahiri was re-signed by Bryson DeChambeau's Crushers for another year, after the Indian helped secure the Team Championship in Miami last month.
2022 team champions the 4Aces also re-signed one of their stars, with Peter Uihlein returning to join Patrick Reed and team captain Dustin Johnson ahead of season three. Johnson does have a decision to make though, with teammate Pat Perez released into free agency after finishing in the open zone in 2023.
In total 10 spaces on the 48-man roster remain vacant, with three going to those who succeed via LIV Promotions, and another by Andy Ogletree who regained his place by winning the Asian Tour's International Series last week. Like Garcia, Phil Mickelson will also be on the look out for a new player.
Mickelson's HyFlyers currently have three of their four places filled, after American youngster James Piot was relegated at LIV Jeddah in October. Brooks Koepka is in the same boat, after his brother, and Smash GC teammate Chase was also dumped from the league following a disappointing 2023.
For now LIV have confirmed that Koepka's teammate-turned-rival Matt Wolff will remain apart of his team. Koepka infamously took aim at his teammate earlier this year ahead of LIV London, after telling Sports Illustrated he had 'given up' on the American, who he believes is 'talent wasted'.
The five-time major champion once again reignited his feud with Wolff at the Team Championship We don’t have much interaction, no,” Koepka said about their relationship. “I’ve tried. I’ve spent the majority of the beginning of the year trying to help and trying to figure that out. But I think it’s past its point. I’ve tried. I’ve been very open with it. Sometimes you can’t help people that don’t want help.”