Joaquin Niemann wins LIV Tour in Jeddah. (Foto: Getty)
LIV Golf Jeddah 2024 Live Scores
The LIV Golf Jeddah in the season 2024 is being played in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. The tournament starts at the Friday, 1st of March and ends at the Sunday, 3rd of March 2024. The LIV Golf Jeddah is part of the LIV Tour in the season 2024 with a total prize money of $20,000,000. The course for the tournament at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club plays at Par 70.
After 2023, the LIV Tour is hosting LIV Golf Jeddah for the second time in a row. In Saudi Arabia, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Co. will have to deal with a surprise guest: Anthony Kim is returning to professional golf after almost ten years.
LIV Golf League live
LIV Golf is a relatively new tournament series that differs from traditional golf tournaments. Financially supported by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, LIV Golf is characterised by high prize money and a unique format. The tournaments are shorter, often only three rounds, and include both individual and team competitions, which is a departure from traditional golf.
The tournaments are conducted in a shotgun format with all players playing at the same time. The league consists of 13 teams, each one with four players including usually one team captain. LIV Golf hosts tournaments all over the world.
LIV Golf launches golf trading cards together with Panini (Source: X @livgolf_league)
Panini’s trading cards have long been a source of joy for young sports fans, spanning generations. Now, following a deal with LIV Golf, the first golf trading cards are set to hit the shelves. Panini will serve as the exclusive trading card partner for the LIV Golf League.
Panini’s inaugural golf lineup will feature physical trading cards adorned with match-worn memorabilia and autographs from players. Panini plans to unveil the first LIV Golf trading cards featuring its popular Prizm and Impeccable brands. Additionally, Panini will launch an LIV Golf Panini Instant card program, releasing real-time cards post-tournaments showcasing some of the season’s winning moments and best shots, as well as team sets. “LIV Golf is excited to collaborate with Panini, a global brand committed to connecting with fans worldwide through a shared love of sports,” said Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman. “Just as our league continues to evolve, bringing professional team golf into the mainstream, this partnership will introduce new products to millions of passionate fans and collectors worldwide. As a former player, I am particularly excited for our players and teams to expand their platforms in this realm.”
Players are also enthusiastic about the deal: “I’m an avid collector of various types of sports memorabilia throughout my career, so personally, it’s very exciting for me to have the opportunity to work with a premium trading card brand,” said Majesticks GC Co-Captain Ian Poulter. “While trading cards are often associated with younger demographics, I believe this partnership between LIV and Panini is a great opportunity to elevate professional golf to the same level as other professional leagues by creating memorabilia for the kid in all of us.”
Team Format as an Incentive
Panini is also venturing into new territory with this partnership, marking its first foray into golf. The format of LIV Golf ultimately convinced the company to take this step. “We’ve often pondered how to introduce some of our most beloved trading card brands into golf, but the sport always presented challenges. LIV brought an entirely new dynamic to the sport. The team and league format is something that didn’t exist and creates another level of collectibles for fans,” said Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America.
Panini collaborates with many of the biggest leagues and brands in the sports and entertainment industry, including the NFL, NBA, FIFA, Premier League, LaLiga, NASCAR, and more. The Panini Group was founded in Modena, Italy, in 1961 and is the international market leader in stickers and trading cards.
The Las Vegas in the season 2024 is being played in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America at the Las Vegas Country Club. The tournament starts at the Thursday, 8th of February and ends at the Saturday, 10th of February 2024.
The Las Vegas is part of the LIV Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of $20,000,000.
The course for the tournament at Las Vegas Country Club plays at Par 70.
Shortly before the Super Bowl, sports fans can already enjoy top golf in Las Vegas. The LIV Golf Tour is playing in ‘Sin City’ for the first time this year.
LIV Golf League live
LIV Golf is a relatively new tournament series that differs from traditional golf tournaments. Financially supported by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, LIV Golf is characterised by high prize money and a unique format. The tournaments are shorter, often only three rounds, and include both individual and team competitions, which is a departure from traditional golf.
The tournaments are conducted in a shotgun format with all players playing at the same time. The league consists of 13 teams, each one with four players including usually one team captain. LIV Golf hosts tournaments all over the world.
Rory McIlroy has changed his mind about the LIV Golf League. (Source: Getty)
As the LIV Golf Tour unveiled a new team just ahead of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, boasting the likes of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy shared his thoughts on these significant player migrations. McIlroy, a staunch supporter of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, surprised many with his altered perspective on players making the transition to LIV Golf.
Rory McIlroy: “At the end of the day, everyone has to do what’s right for them.”
Days before teeing off at the iconic Pebble Beach Links in California, McIlroy delved into the topic during a press conference on Tuesday. Expressing his views on Tyrrell Hatton’s move, McIlroy emphasized the importance of each golfer making decisions that align with their personal journey. “At the end of the day, everyone has to do what’s right for them. I had a lengthy conversation with Tyrrell on Sunday, and I completely understand where he’s coming from. They’ve reached a point in negotiations where he feels comfortable. He has to do what he believes is right, so I won’t stand in anyone’s way of making a living. And if they view it as life-changing money, absolutely,” McIlroy stated.
The multiple Major-winner also touched upon the topic of potential sanctions for players looking to return to their original tours. McIlroy firmly stood against punitive measures, advocating for mutual understanding and collaboration between tours to propel the sport forward. This marked a significant departure from his earlier stance, as McIlroy emphasized his changed perspective, fueled by a desire to ensure the best for the sport as a whole.
🗣️ "I don't think there should be a punishment"
Rory McIlroy admits he has changed his tune by saying returning LIV Golf players shouldn't be punished ❌ pic.twitter.com/drKmaEp3Wo
Justin Thomas on the latest additions to LIV Golf: “I’m done with it”
Adding to the discourse, Justin Thomas shared his thoughts on the recent influx of players into LIV Golf during the Pebble Beach event. “I feel like at this point, I’m done with it. It is what it is,” Thomas commented. Reflecting on the diversity of opinions surrounding the moves, he acknowledged that people make decisions based on what they believe is best for them. While expressing disappointment over Hatton’s departure, Thomas displayed understanding and refrained from passing judgment, acknowledging the individuality of each player’s choices.
Three days before the start of the 2024 season in Mayakoba, LIV Golf announces the line-up and team name for the 13th team, which will be under the direction of Jon Rahm. Under the name “Legion XIII”, inspired by the Legion XIII Gemina in Ceasar’s Army, the new team will play with the mantra “Together we play. Together we conquer.” Captain Jon Rahm will be joined by Tyrrell Hatton, former amateur Caleb Surratt and Kieran Vincent. There are no more big surprises, the details have already been circulating in the social and traditional golf media with varying degrees of certainty. It was only on Monday that the apparently recent signing of Tyrrell Hatton attracted a great deal of attention.
LIV Golf: Jon Rahm and his 13th Legion
Legion XIII is the first new team to join LIV Golf since the tour’s inception.“We’ve come a long way in a short period of time and are extremely proud of the team and brand we are building,” said Rahm. “As we were developing the team’s brand it became clear that I wanted to fight alongside a group of guys who aligned perfectly with what the team stands for. Tyrrellis a fierce competitor, proven champion, and of course my Ryder Cup teammate. Caleb is one of the brightest next gen stars of the game. And Kieran is a steady, talented ball striker who earned his promotion to LIV and is elevating his game every day.”
Rahm explained more about the meaning he sees in the team name: “The XIII portion of the name was appealing early in the process as it fit the structure of captain (X) and the three players in the lineup (III),” said Rahm. “Plus, we are the 13th team in the league. As for the logo, that was something I was also very passionate about. The soccer team I grew up following (Athletic Bilbao) is called the Lions. It’s just a fierce animal that everybody respects and fears at the same time.”
Rahm’s Legion XIII will consist of:
Jon Rahm, two-time major winner and reigning Masters champion with a total of 20 wins in his professional career.
Tyrrell Hatton, Rahm’s Ryder Cup teammate and 6-time winner on the DP World Tour. “I’m really looking forward to this next chapter, working with Jon Rahm and Legion XIII and getting started this week in Mexico,” said Hatton.
Caleb Surratt, number 10 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking with a successful performance at the Walker Cup 2023
Kieran Vincent, who qualified for the league via the LIV Golf Promotions event and whose brother Scott is already a permanent member of the Iron Heads team.
Tyrrell Hatton could be the latest and possibly last addition for the 2024 LIV Golf season. At least that’s what the British newspaper The Telegraph reports. According to the newspaper, Hatton has joined Jon Rahm’s new LIV Golf team and signed a contract worth 50 million pounds (approx. 58.6 million euros).
Tyrrell Hatton in talks with LIV Golf
Tyrrell Hatton, ranked 16th in the world, would be a high-calibre addition to the league and has already gained experience with Jon Rahm as a team-mate, most recently at the Ryder Cup in Rome, where Rahm and Hatton competed successfully together. This is another reason why rumours about Hatton have persisted for weeks. When asked about this at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, he confirmed that he had held talks with LIV Golf, but also that he is still happy with his place on the traditional tours at the moment.
“I would say there are several people who have had conversations,” Hatton said in Dubai. “I think that’s part of golf at the moment, but I’m very happy playing on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.”
Hatton’s move would also be a very last-minute one, as the LIV golf season starts this week in Mexico. According to the Telegraph, the Briton is also set to make his debut on the new tour there. Hatton is currently still listed in the field for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. There has been no official announcement from Hatton, LIV Golf or Jon Rahm and his “Legion XIII” team regarding this new addition.
Speculation about new LIV Golf members
The same applies to almost all of the newcomers who are expected to fill the open spots in the 13 teams. Not even the team name for Rahm’s team has been officially confirmed at the moment, but there is speculation that Kieran Vincent, who qualified for the league via the LIV Promotions event, and amateur Caleb Surratt will join the team alongside Hatton.
The transfer of Adrian Meronk to LIV Golf, who is to find a place in Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks, has also allegedly been confirmed by Sports Illustrated. What is certain is that the Cleeks will be strengthened by Kalle Samooja alongside Kaymer and Richard Bland, as the captain himself confirmed in an interview with the National Club Golfer. Like Vincent, Samooja had also qualified via the promotional event. The third qualifier, Jinichiro Kozuma, is to be accommodated at Kevin Nas Iron Heads. Australian Lucas Herbert is also rumoured to be joining Cam Smith’s all-Australian Rippers team.
Most of these speculations should either be confirmed or proved wrong with the start of the LIV golf season on 2 February in Mexico.
14 tournaments are on the 2024 LIV Golf League tournament calendar. (Photo: Getty)
LIV Golf enters its third round: After the tour was launched in 2022, the third season will begin in 2024. The league recently announced the locations where the 54-hole tournaments will take place next year. From Mexico to Australia and Saudi Arabia, the tour players will travel around the world. While not all the venues have been confirmed yet, it is certain that there will be 14 tournaments at which the players will compete for an individual and team championship.
LIV Golf: old acquaintances and new courses
The new schedule was published at the insistence of LIV player Brooks Koepka. On social media, the reigning Major winner was impatient about the scheduling of next year’s tournaments. But even after the dates have been published, players and fans will have to be patient. Not all venues have been confirmed yet. In addition to the venues, the exact dates for the season finals are still open.
2/2-4: LIV Mayakoba — El Cameleon Country Club
2/8-10: LIV Las Vegas — Las Vegas Country Club
3/1-3: LIV Saudi Arabia — TBD
3/8-10: LIV Hong Kong — Hong Kong Golf Club
4/5-7: LIV “USA” — Location and course TBD
4/26-28: LIV Adelaide — The Grange Golf Club
5/3-5: LIV Singapore — The Serapong Golf Club
6/7-9: LIV Houston — The Golf Club of Houston
6/21-23: LIV Nashville — The Grove Golf Club
7/12-14: LIV Andalucia — Real Club Valderrama
7/25-28: LIV UK: Staffordshire — JCB Golf and Country Club
8/16-19: LIV Greenbrier — The Old White Course at the Greenbrier
Date, Course and Location TBD: LIV Golf Individual Championships
Date, Course and Location TBD: LIV Golf Team Championships
“LIV Golf is the truly global golf league that the sport and its fans deserve,” said LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman. “We’re thrilled to announce an exciting slate of events that reflects our commitment to bringing world-class players and premier competition to new and repeat markets every year. Launching a new league is a massive undertaking, and we’re full steam ahead building off our incredibly successful first full season in 2023. Our goal has always been to create a worldwide league that inspires progress and attracts new fans to the sport that we love. LIV Golf is stronger than ever, and next season will accomplish that goal and more.”
A look at the schedule
In addition to the courses already familiar to LIV players, such as the Old White Course in Greenbrier or the Grange Golf Club in Australia, there are some new venues on the schedule. In February, for example, the tour will make a guest appearance at the Las Vegas Country Club in the middle of Las Vegas – on the same weekend as the Super Bowl, the final game of the National Football League. The courses on which the LIV tournaments will take place in Saudi Arabia and the USA have not yet been decided. The latter venue should be particularly interesting for the players, as it is the last tournament before the first Major of the year just one week before the Masters 2024.
It is also notable that this is the first schedule that has no connection to Trump Golf. In the first two seasons, the league repeatedly played on courses owned by the former president – as things stand, the tour will not be visiting any of Donald Trump’s well-known courses next year.
Saudi Arabia, the home of the LIV Golf League, has found its place in the schedule at the start of the season. Following the recent uproar over Saudi Arabia as the venue for the team final, which was ultimately played in Miami, the LIV players will travel to Saudi Arabia in March next year. This date overlaps with the traditional Saudi International, which shows the league’s efforts to reduce the travel burden for its players in 2024.
While Dustin Johnson's 4Aces are still in search for a new player, Bubba Watson's roster is already complete. (Photo: Getty)
The first transfer period in the history of golf is entering the hot phase – free agency. In this phase, teams with open roster spots can sign unsigned players from the Lock Zone and Open Zone. Players from the Lock Zone have completed the previous season in positions 1-24 and are therefore guaranteed a place in the coming season. These players can voluntarily become free agents and negotiate a new contract. Open Zone players who finished the season in 25th-44th place are automatically free agents and must sign a new contract. At the moment, ten roster spots are still vacant – four of the 12 teams are already complete. 4Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson among others is still in search for a new player.
LIV Golf: An overview of free agency
The situation in the second phase of the LIV Golf transfer period for the individual teams is explained below.
The overview of the current LIV Golf rosters. (Photo: LIV Golf)
4Aces GC
The 2022 LIV Golf Team Champions have one roster spot available with Pat Perez no longer under contract after finishing 28th in the points list, leaving Captain Dustin Johnson with the decision to either re-sign Perez or look for another player. Peter Uihlein, who joined the team from Smash GC last offseason, secured and accepted a contract extension with the 4Aces after his 12th place finish in this year’s Individual Standings. Rounding out the formidable squad is Patrick Reed, who finished 6th.
Cleeks GC
Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks have two open roster spots after Bernd Wiesberger and Graeme McDowell finished 41st and 42nd respectively in the Individual Standing and are now free agents. Kaymer remains as captain, receiving exempt status despite finishing in the Drop Zone (45th or below). Richard Bland re-signed with the Cleeks after his late-season surge locked up a spot with a 20th place finish.
Crushers GC
The reigning 2023 Team Champions, led by Captain Bryson DeChambeau, will return their entire roster. Anirban Lahiri, the team’s only player with an expiring contract, accepted his extension offer after finishing 11th in the Individual Standings. Charles Howell III, the winner of LIV Golf Mayakoba, finished 10th while Paul Casey remains under contract after finishing 35th.
Fireballs GC
Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs have one open roster spot after Carlos Ortiz, who finished 15th in the Individual Standings, opted for free agency after declining a contract extension offer. Abraham Ancer and Eugenio Chacarra, each under contract for at least one more season, finished in 26th and 32nd respectively.
Hyflyers GC
Phil Mickelson’s team has one open spot after James Piot was relegated after finishing 47th in the Drop Zone. Both Cameron Tringale (16th) and Brendan Steele (19th) are under contract and will return. Mickelson will look to add a player through free agency or the draft.
Iron Heads GC
Captain Kevin Na will add at least one new player due to Sihwan Kim’s relegation. Scott Vincent played his way into the Lock Zone in the regular-season finale in Jeddah and accepted his extension offer. Danny Lee, winner of LIV Golf Tucson, is under contract for next season.
Majesticks GC
Co-captains Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood return, as does Sam Horsfield, who rejoined the lineup late in the season following an injury and remains under contract.
RangeGoats GC
Captain Bubba Watson’s decision to acquire Talor Gooch last offseason proved successful after Gooch hoisted the 2023 Individual Championship trophy. The addition of Gooch helped the RangeGoats finish runners-up at this year’s Team Championship in Miami. Watson’s lineup is set as both Harold Varner III (7th) and Thomas Pieters (33rd) are under contract.
Ripper GC
With Matt Jones (37th) now a free agent and Jediah Morgan (46th) relegated, Captain Cameron Smith has the option to either re-sign Jones or look to add two new players via free agency or the draft. Marc Leishman, who completes the team, finished 18th in the 2023 Individual Standings.
Smash GC
Captain Brooks Koepka has one open roster spot following Chase Koepka’s relegation while Jason Kokrak (23rd) and Matt Wolff (27th) are under contract for another season.
Stinger GC
Captain Louis Oosthuizen’s team is set with Branden Grace (9th), Dean Burmester (14th) and Charl Schwartzel (38th) under contract.
Torque GC
Four-time tournament champions and third-place finishers at this year’s Team Championship, Joaquin Niemann’s Torque has one open roster spot heading into this offseason. Mito Pereira (8th) and Sebastian Muñoz (11th) secured their spots for next year while David Puig is a free agent, having finished 31st in this year’s Individual Standings. Thus, Niemann will look to add one player via free agency or the draft
LIV Golf: The remainder of the transfer period
Free agency will conclude when four league roster spots remain. These open spots are reserved for the winner of The International Series 2023 Rankings – claimed by Andy Ogletree this past weekend in Hong Kong – and the top three finishers from LIV Golf Promotions, which will be staged December 8-10 at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club in United Arab Emirates. Following the qualifying tournament, the league will host the LIV Golf Draft through which these players will be drafted onto the remaining teams that have an open spot on their roster.
Additionally, to support opportunities for teams to strengthen their rosters once the season has begun, a mid-season trading window will take place in 2024 (exact dates to be announced) where teams and players will be free to negotiate trades as well as extensions to their existing contracts if a player is in the last year of his contract.
LIV Golfers allowed to participate in major tournaments. (Photo: Getty)
Quietly, the US Open and the 2023 Open Championship are allowing LIV golfers to participate. Back in December, Augusta National announced that it would not exclude LIV players from the Masters, and now the US Open at LA Country Club and the British Open at Royal Liverpool are following suit. The major tournaments announced their qualifying criteria in February and the lists of players who have already qualified include LIV players.
The qualified LIV players get their eligibility mostly through past major victories, for example Martin Kaymer is still qualified for the US Open after his victory in 2014. However, due to the lack of world ranking points and the exclusion from the PGA Tour, it will be harder and harder for LIV players to qualify for the majors as long as there is no separate LIV criterion. However, the way is open for them, especially for US Open and British Open, via the qualifying tournaments.
LIV players at the US Open
Prior to last year’s edition, a statement from the USGA said, “We are proud to be the most open championship in the world, and those players who have earned the right to participate in this year’s championship, both by exemption and qualification, will have the opportunity to do so.” The same is true for 2023. The following LIV players are currently qualified for the US Open: Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer (former U.S. Open winners for the past decade), Phil Mickelson (because of his 2021 PGA Championship victory), Cameron Smith (2022 Open Championship) and Joaquin Niemann (qualified for the 2022 Tour Championship).
In addition to major victories and the world rankings, there is the possibility of securing a place in the tournament via tournament victories, FedExCup and Race to Dubai, and for amateurs via various amateur competitions. In addition, the qualifying tournaments are open to all.
LIV players at the Open Championship
Also at the R&A and the Open Championship the motto of open competition is still valid. 13 current or former LIV players are qualified for the tournament in Royal Liverpool according to the current status: Louis Oosthuizen, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Cameron Smith (former winners under 60), Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau (top 10 at the 150th Open), Thomas Pieters, Adrian Otaegui, Adri Arnau, Richard Bland (top 30 in the final Race to Dubai 2022), Brooks Koepka (US Open win), Patrick Reed (Masters win), Joaquin Niemann, Talor Gooch (top 30 in the FedExCup 2022).
In addition to the qualifying criteria, there will be the Qualifying Series. There will be 16 spots across a series of Regional and Final Qualifying, as well as a total of 34 spots at tournaments on the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. Provided they are eligible to play on the tours, these tournaments are also open to LIV golfers in an attempt to gain a Major entry.
LIV Golf prize money reaches new heights. (Photo: Getty)
The sums involved can make your head spin. In its second season, the LIV Golf Invitational Series is handing out a whopping 405 million US dollars in prize money to individual players and teams. Even the last-place finisher in the individual rankings receives more for a tournament than the “average consumer” earns in a year. Four million dollars await the winners of the respective events.
25 million dollars LIV Golf prize money per event
The first of 14 events in the LIV Golf Invitational Series will start in Mexico on February 24, 2023. The Saudi circuit had already made no secret last year that the prize money would be lavish. If you add up all the prize money for the second year of the LIV Golf Tour, the total comes to 405 million US dollars. That this is significantly more than last year is due to the fact that there will now be 14 events instead of eight.
As is well known, the LIV Golf Events are played in individual and team format. Each of the 14 events will be endowed with 25 million dollars, 80 percent of which will go to the individual competition. A prize purse of $4 million awaits the winners of each individual format. By comparison, Scottie Scheffler received about $2.7 million for his victory at the 2022 Masters, perhaps the greatest of all golf tournaments. In the LIV Golf Invitational Series, there’s almost 1.5 times that for each “trade” tournament. Even 48th place, the last-place finisher in the individual standings, will receive a prize purse of $120,000 for every single LIV Golf event in 2023. In the team standings, the winning team will receive $3 million per event – so each player will get an additional $750,000 in hand money.
Bonus payments crown LIV Golf prize money
A team championship is also played out over the entire LIV Golf season. Whoever comes out on top at the end of the year will receive, who would have thought, another bonus: $16 million in prize money for the winning team – so that’s an additional $4 million for each of the four team members.
If you’re still not dizzy from all the money, you can take a look at the bonus payouts for the best individual players. Here, too, those responsible are making another 30 million dollars loose. The best player of the whole season will receive 18 million, the second best eight and the third best four. For Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson & Co., the new LIV season will bring a lot of money into the coffers.
