LIV Golf has a ‘huge problem’ after attracting players to join from the PGA Tour

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With many of the world’s best players now taking time away from tournament golf, LIV Golf arguably has a golden opportunity to steal the spotlight as each of their teams continue to build their lineups for the 2025 season.

In many ways, LIV Golf has done a fantastic job of pitching itself as the alternative to the PGA Tour. Regardless of how genuine their players have been, many have argued that they made the jump due to being excited about the different format.

Their events are much shorter than a regular PGA Tour tournament, while the team format ensures that there is more on the line down the stretch on Sunday. And of course, a handful of players are relegated each year, potentially losing their place in the league for the following season. Meanwhile, others in the open zone are meant to have a question mark over their futures.

LIV has sprung a number of shocks in recent years, including the signing of Jon Rahm this time last year. Meanwhile, there were claims Tony Finau had agreed to join ahead of 2025. Finau has since confirmed that those reports were wide of the mark.

As things stand, there are seven spaces to fill heading into the new year. One of those did belong to Bubba Watson. The captain of RangeGoats GC was in the relegation places, but has the opportunity to keep his spot – by making a business case to LIV Golf.

LIV Golf told it has a ‘huge problem’ as teams look to finalise 2025 lineups

No new faces have been signed so far. And, while it would be a surprise if at least one PGA Tour player did not make the jump at some stage, it does seem hard to imagine how they could possibly get close to the size of signing which saw Rahm join in 2023.

With that, it has been suggested that LIV Golf is in danger of becoming stale. Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Ryan Lavner has suggested that while LIV works on paper, there is not the depth within the talent pool for the league to realise the potential it may have.

“That’s a great point. It’s a problem, it’s not the problem. And LIV’s best assets right now are the concepts of a team play, it’s the concept of relegation, it’s the concept of free agency and trading and adding and dropping and building out these franchises. In reality, in actuality, that’s not how it’s playing out. Players want long-term security for making a move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, and so you’re getting in the situation where it’s a Bubba Watson, it’s a Phil Mickelson, it’s a Brendan Steele, it’s a Graeme McDowell, it’s a Thomas Pieters; your play and your record does not necessarily warrant consideration to be brought back. But you made this leap of faith, it has to be rewarded, and it’s sort of insular in that way. There’s not much outside influence,” he said.

“It’s a huge problem for LIV Golf, because you want that drama, but you can’t have it. You can’t have serious relegation when players are making too significant of a financial and playing status risk by joining historically, and so instead you just get the situation like we’re seeing unfolding with the Iron Heads, Kevin Na’s team, which is one of the least competitive LIV teams over the last three years. And they put on social media, ‘the clock’s ticking’, and, ‘who are we going to re-sign?’ They’re doing silhouettes of players, and they’re just running it back. They’re just running it back. Their one notable addition was a player that got through the promotions event in 2023. The concept is good, but the reality of the situation just isn’t matching up.”

The teams with spots to fill ahead of 2025

It is players in the top 24 who are guaranteed to keep their places. From there, those from 25 to 48 are available to be traded, and can be dropped.

So far, just two names from the open zone will not represent the same teams in 2025. Eugenio Chacarra has left the Fireballs, while Pat Perez’s contract with 4Aces is soon up. They have already announced the signing of Thomas Pieters.

You would expect that John Catlin will be a permanent signing for one of the teams following his impressive year on the Asian Tour as well as a substitute for various teams on LIV. But it does appear that the large majority of the teams are going to be made up of those in the open zone last year.

Perhaps LIV Golf has a few rabbits to pull out of the hat before the first event in Riyadh in early February. But a marquee signing or two does not change the fact that fans are going to struggle to buy into the jeopardy of each season if the large majority of the players are going to remain on the same teams.