Golf

Top Golfers Who Left the PGA Tour and Other Tours in Favour of LIV Golf

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7m ago

Apr 08, 2024 / 5724 Views

Evan Walker

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have yet to reach a consensus after last year’s merger announcement, and till the time a decision is reached and the acrimony subsides, it is Business as usual on the two Tours. LIV Golf recently wrapped up its Hong Kong event from March 8 to 11, and will next head to Miami, Adelaide (April 26 to 28) and Singapore (May 3 to 5). As the LIV League rolls its fifth event from April 5 to 7 at Miami’s Trump National Doral, we list the famous Golfers that went to LIV Golf instead of continuing with the PGA Tour and other major global tours.

A list of golfers who switched to LIV Golf

Dustin Johnson

Two-time Major champion Dustin Johnson was a PGA Tour member until June 2022, when he became among the first to move to LIV Golf. Johnson has won in each of LIV’s first three seasons, winning playoffs at Boston in September 2022, and Tulsa in May 2023. The 4Aces GC captain also won the inaugural edition of LIV’s 2024 season at Las Vegas in February.

Sergio Garcia

Among the biggest names from the PGA Tour to make the switch, Garcia joined LIV’s London event in June 2022. The Spaniard captained the Fireballs GC and led them atop at Bangkok in October 2022, and followed it with runner-up finishes in Singapore 2023 and Mayakoba 2024.

Peter Uihlein

The American had a fantastic debut 2022 season with 4Aces GC. His three top-five finishes, including runner-up spots in Jeddah and Chicago, propelled him to third place in the individual standings. His best result in 2023 was a runner-up finish at Mayakoba, and is representing represent RangeGoats GC in 2024.

Charl Schwartzel

As the first individual winner of the inaugural LIV London event in June 2022, Charl Schwartzel holds a special place in LIV history. His triumph also contributed to the first team title for the all-South African Stinger GC.

Martin Kaymer

2014 US Open champion Martin Kaymer joined LIV in June 2022 to become one of the first PGA Tour golfers to join LIV. As captain of Cleeks GC, Kaymer has yet to notch an individual top-10.

Louis Oosthuizen

The South African Major champion joined LIV in its inaugural season, and captained the Stinger GC to first place in London 2022, followed by a second place in Portland in July that year.

Henrik Stenson

The first male Swedish and Nordic Major champion, Henrik Stenson won the Bedminster event in 2022. Nicknamed “Iceman” for his cool temperament, Stenson is Majesticks GC’s co-captain.

Ian Poulter

The Majesticks’ co-captain Ian Poulter has featured in every event since LIV’s launch in June 2022. The Englishman has eight top-10s in Major Championships, including runner-up at the 2008 Open.

Kevin Na

In June 2022, Korean American Na became a member of LIV Golf, and currently serves as captain of the Iron Heads GC.

Bryson DeChambeau

One of golf’s brightest stars and the biggest draws on LIV, Bryson Dechambeau won twice in 2023 (Greenbrier and Chicago), and captained Crushers GC to victory in the October 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship.

Brooks Koepka

Five-time Major winner Brooks Koepka joined LIV in 2022, and made history at the 2023 PGA Championship by being the first player from LIV to win a Major. He captains Smash GC and has three individual wins till date.

Patrick Reed

A key player of the 4 Aces GC, Patrick Reed finished fourth in the individual standings in 2022. He earned five top-5 individual finishes in 2023 to help his team claim the team championship.

Paul Casey

British-born Paul Casey had a strong 2022 LIV season with three top-10s. His strongest performance in 2023 came at Mayakoba, where he was placed fourth, and played a crucial role in Crushers GC finishing second that season.

Cameron Smith

Major winner and PGA Tour star Cameron Smith was one of the Saudi-backed league’s biggest signings. At London 2023, the Aussie captain of Ripper GC won for the second time after Chicago 2022.

Joaquin Niemann

Torque GC have thrived under Joaquin Niemann’s leadership. The Chilean finished third in his first start at Boston 2022, and in 2023, Torque won four team titles to finish the season at third. Niemann won an individual title at Mayakoba 2024, and the team is second as of now.

Bubba Watson

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson joined LIV in 2022 as a non-playing team captain. He represents the RangeGoats GC, who finished third at the Las Vegas event in February 2024, to go with the team win in Singapore 2023.

Danny Lee

New Zealander Danny Lee joined the Iron Heads GC shortly before the 2023 LIV season. In March last year, he won in Tucson.

Thomas Pieters

Belgian Thomas Pieters joined LIV in February 2023 to become the fourth member of Bubba Watson’s Range Goats GC.

Mito Pereira

Mito Pereira came close to becoming the first Chilean to win a Major at the 2022 PGA Championship. He joined LIV in 2023, and has helped Torque GC to strong results.

Sebastian Munoz

Another member of the strong Torque GC, Sebastian Munoz, Colombia’s top-ranked golfer, joined LIV in February last year, and his finest performance is second at Orlando 2023.

Jon Rahm

One of the most prominent PGA Tour golfers that went to LIV, world no. 3 Jon Rahm reportedly received a whopping USD 566 million to join LIV in 2024. After winning the season opener at Mayakoba, Rahm’s Legion XIII are off to a great start.

Tyrrell Hatton

Another high-profile player to join ahead of LIV’s third season, Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, a six-time winner on the DP World Tour, rounds up Jon Rahm’s new team Legion XIII.

Abraham Ancer

Mexico’s top-ranked Golfer Abraham Ancer joined LIV in June 2022, and as part of the Fireballs GC has helped the team post some strong results. Ancer posted his first individual win in LIV’s Hong Kong outing in March 2024.

Phil Mickelson

World Golf Hall of Fame inductee since 2012, Phil Mickelson was among the first PGA Tour golfers to join LIV in 2022. The six-time Major winner is captain of the HyFlyers GC.

Lee Westwood

One of England’s most distinguished players, Lee Westwood has some low rounds on LIV, like the 62 in the final round in Boston 2022. He co-captains the Majesticks GC.

Jason Kokrak

Big-hitting Jason Kokrak’s most recent accomplishment came at Las Vegas in February 2024, where he finished seventh as part of Smash GC.

Richard Bland

Englishman Richard Bland’s best result in LIV’s 2022 season was a fourth-place in Bangkok. A member of Cleeks GC, Bland finished third at Greenbrier last year for his best finish till date.

Dean Burmester

Dean Burmester, who joined in February 2023, plays for Louis Oosthuizen’s all-South African Stinger GC. He has some strong results to show, the latest being fourth at Mayakoba this February.

Laurie Canter

Laurie Canter signed in 2022 as part of Cleeks GC. LIV retained him in 2023, but as a reserve player. In the first three events, he filled in for Martin Kaymer, captain of Cleeks, and then for Sam Horsfield in the Majesticks. This season, Canter is competing as a wildcard.

Talor Gooch

Since joining in May 2022, Talor Gooch has been among LIV’s best-performing players. With three victories in 2023, Gooch won the individual championship as part of RangeGoats GC. This season, he is with Smash GC.

Adrian Meronk

DP World Tour’s 2023 Player of the Year, Adrian Meronk was included in LIV’s 2024 lineup, and the Pole plays in the Martin Kaymer-captained Cleeks GC.

Pat Perez

Pat Perez signed with Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC for the 2023 season. Following its conclusion, where the team topped the ranking, the American became a free agent. In November 2023, he re-signed with 4Aces for 2024.

Anirban Lahiri

The only Indian on LIV, Anirban Lahiri made the playoffs at Boston 2022, but finished second in a three-man field. With three top-5s in 2023, Lahiri led Crushers GC to the runner-up spot in the team standing, and they currently rank first in 2024.

David Puig

Among the youngest players on the LIV roster, David Puig joined as an amateur in 2022. The Spaniard was a part of Torque GC in 2023, and is representing Fireballs GC this season.

View the full LIV Golf schedule here.

(Main image: Cliff Hawkins/ Getty Images; Featured image: LIV Golf/ Instagram)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which PGA Tour players went to LIV Golf?

Several Major champions and former World No 1s went to LIV, including Dustin Johnson, Sergio García, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka and Bryson Dechambeau.

Who are the other prominent golfers that chose to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf?

A number of golfers like Jason Kokrak, Charl Schwartzel, Lee Westwood, Kevin Na, and Louis Oosthuizen quit the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf.

Other prominent names across Tours include Matt Jones, Bernd Wiesberger, Graeme McDowell, Jediah Morgan, James Piot, Sihwan Kim, Carlos Ortiz, Scott Vincent, Andy Ogletree, Lucas Herbert, Harold Varner III, Charles Howell III, Marc Leishman, Cameron Tringale, and Brendan Steele.

Which golfers were dropped by LIV Golf?

Jediah Morgan, Chase Koepka, James Piot, and Sihwan Kim were dropped from the 2024 LIV Golf League after finishing lower than 44th in the league’s season-long standings.

How much did LIV pay each golfer?

Talor Gooch, who made over USD 36 million in LIV 2023, was the highest-paid player. Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and others followed with over USD 18 million, USD 17 million, and USD 14 million, respectively. Wade Ormsby, the last player on the list, earned USD 40,833.