LIV's big release is coming down. If nothing changes, here's what will happen
Joaquin Niemann is among the top LIV players who can't miss the upcoming events.
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When Bryson DeChambeau won the US Open two weeks ago he took home a few important prizes in addition to the trophy. He claimed the first check for $4.3 million. He earned enough world ranking points to climb back into the top 10. And he took another five years off his championship eligibility.
When Tyrrell Hatton won the LIV Nashville event by six strokes the following week as well, he received the first check for $4 million. But he did not get the ranking points, he remained at number 22 in the world. And by the time next year's majors arrive, his three-for-four eligibility will be in the air.
None of this is breaking news; the question of OWGR has been hanging over LIV since its inception. And while some players who have joined the Saudi-backed startup circuit are guaranteed to score points, that hasn't happened yet – and earlier this year LIV abandoned its quest altogether. Because majors have long used OWGR to build their courses, this poses a problem for LIV pros who want to compete in golf's most prestigious events.
In his post-tournament press conference at the US Open DeChambeau struck a chord, suggesting that the world of men's golf should get back together. That's a reservation echoed by some on both sides of the LIV-PGA Tour divide, including Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood in recent weeks. That may happen; negotiations between the Tour's funding source and LIV's funding source, the Saudi PIF, are ongoing, and there is a future that could include world ranking points for all. But if nothing else, DeChambeau and Hatton's divergent tales tell a different story: While LIV's most famous players remain highly relevant, some of its rooms are declining.
Good news for LIV
LIV's declining presence in the majors is partly explained by the fact that many of its big names have retained their major relevance. A major win gets you into every other major for the next five years, meaning Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters), Phil Mickelson (2021 PGA) and Cam Smith (2022 Open Championship) were in no danger of missing the majors while Brooks was. Koepka (2023 PGA) and DeChambeau (2024 US Open) have won since joining.
LIV is also guaranteed a regular presence at the Masters because the Masters offers lifetime invitations to winners and LIV has taken a number of green jacket winners; that group is titled Jon Rahm (2023) and includes Sergio Garcia (2017), Reed (2018), Charl Schwartzel (2011) and Bubba Watson (2012, 2014) – along with the aforementioned Johnson and Mickelson.
LIV players have other exemptions from a few prominent tournaments. Martin Kaymer is exempt from the PGA Championship until he's 60 (thanks to his 2011 win), while Louis Oosthuizen (2010) and Henrik Stenson (2016) can play the Open until they're 60 as champions those who passed. Richard Bland's latest Senior PGA title puts him into next year's PGA Championship. And Hatton earned his way into next year's Masters by finishing T9 this season, while Dean Burmester will return to the PGA thanks to a T12.
This year they proved that there are other ways, too. Sergio Garcia was among those who qualified for the US Open, while other top players from around the world completed the Open Championship in Burmester, Joaquin Niemann and David Puig.
So one thing's for sure: There will be talented, top-level LIV golfers at the 2025 majors.
Bad news for LIV
One certainty is that, if nothing changes, there will be fewer next year. Due to the decline in world-class points, LIV's top pros have already played fewer majors over the past two years than they would have if they stayed on the PGA Tour. Abraham Ancer did not play a significant role in 2024. Paul Casey didn't play either. With Marc Leishman, Mito Pereira, Thomas Pieters, Ian Poulter, Brendan Steele, Harold Varner III and Matthew Wolff. Others saw reduced starts: Talor Gooch, Joaquin Niemann and Patrick Reed were among the big names not to be missed at the recent US Open.
Let's check out the chart with refined stathead Robopz, who was very focused on the release and posted this on Twitter (he's worth a follow for the golf minds among you, here). Check out those numbers highlighted in yellow: Of the players on the current LIV roster, 25 have played the Masters in 2022 but only 13 have played this year and 11 have guaranteed invitations in 2025. The numbers are even bleaker for the other three majors: 42 now-LIV-players have played the PGA in 2022, 16 have played this season and nine are currently pledged for next year. In the US Open those numbers go to 30 (in 2022), 13 (this year) and six (in 2025), while things look the same in the Open Championship: 31 (in 2022), 14 (until now this year) and eight. (until next year).
Even those invited are not necessarily the best of LIV. Take the Masters field, for example: Schwartzel and Reed are No. 19 and 20 on the LIV rankings, Mickelson is ranked No. 43 and Watson is ranked No. 50. Meanwhile No. 1 (Niemann) 4 (Oosthuizen) and 5 (Burmester) ) in that list have not yet been released. Other long-releases include Stenson (No. 36) and Kaymer (No. 38) while Carlos Ortiz (No. 9) and Abraham Ancer (No. 10) have nothing committed moving forward.
This is not the last; more LIV experts will end up in those fields. The Masters invited Niemann this year based on his world-class game. The PGA invited Puig, Burmester and Gooch. And USGA head Mike Whan has teased the idea of an exemption category at the upcoming LIV. There will be other ways to enter through DP World Tour events, Asian Tour events or special invitations. But those invitations are still likely to be limited and LIV pros are unlikely to earn world-class points unless, ironically, they play in every major.
LIV way back
If you think about the big picture there are two realistic ways to get back to the majors for LIV professionals without the current big release. What they might like is if the top players suddenly decided to have a large list of exemptions in LIV, like, the top 12 players in the league go into each category. Another route would involve some form of association with the PGA Tour, the opportunity to play in world-class events and play well enough to make it back through the qualifying stages.
But there has been little to suggest that pro golf will take one of those paths, say, next season.
In the meantime LIV players will continue to reap the financial benefits of their decision to jump into their new circuit. But in the case of sophisticated golf, these are the consequences: fewer chances to earn world-class scores, fewer chances to win the game's major events. Time will tell how those big events react.
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