24 LIV Golfers safe in shake-up as new players to join amid sweeping changes

28 August 2023 , 19:01

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LIV Golf still seems to have an uncertain future beyond this year (Image: Getty Images)

LIV Golf interim chief operating officer Gary Davidson insists that the end is not nigh for the tour.

That is despite its owners, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF (the Public Investment Fund), announcing on June 6th that it intends to merge commercial operations with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Almost three months on, Davidson is bullish about its prospects.

He describes it as "business as usual". That is despite the Framework Agreement between the three parties having a New Year's Day 2024 deadline.

While LIV has not announced their upcoming schedule, unlike the PGA and DP, Davidson declares they are almost ready to. He suggests it is 95% set.

As for who will be playing, bunkered.co.uk got a detailed run-down. Davidson revealed a number of players - at least four - will depart due to the relegation system, whilst he confirmed only the top 24 are guaranteed to be safe.

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"Well, we’re going to lose a number of guys to relegation; that’s a given," Davidson said. "There’s going to be a very clear, open and fair merit-based opportunity for players to either earn their way back or fill those places. We’ve always said it’s a minimum of four players that’ll change, and relegation guarantees that."

The COO continued: "As it relates to the ‘open zone’ – players that finish between 25th and 44th on the standings – whether or not they’ll stay on comes down partly to their teams and partly to what their commitment to the league might be.

24 LIV Golfers safe in shake-up as new players to join amid sweeping changes

Dustin Johnson tops the LIV individual standings (Getty Images)

"But we expect that there’ll be some trades and that there’ll be other players who come in to replace them. So, in short, the top-24 will definitely stay, but we do expect that there’ll be more player movement from 25 and down."

Andy Ogletree is one player well-positioned for automatic promotion after succeeding on the Asian Tour. The American won the International Series England at Close House Golf Club earlier this month by finishing seven strokes clear of Ian Poulter.

With that, the 25-year-old would come closer to the riches on offer to LIV members. However, Masters champion Jon Rahm has recently decried the sport's obsession with money.

"It's one of the things that frustrates me about watching this broadcast," he said during a press conference after playing in the PGA Tour Championship. "Like, we're not thinking if we miss a putt how much it's going to cost us money-wise. No chance. Like, none whatsoever. You're trying to finish as high as possible. You're trying to win a tournament."

The Spanish player continued: "It's one of my pet peeves when they make this tournament all about money because I think it takes away from it. When you win a green jacket [at the Masters]- I can tell you, right now, that any major champion this year might not remember how much money they made.

"And that's the beauty about this game, and I think that's kind of how it should be." Rahm notably turned down a lucrative offer last year to join LIV Golf.