Archive of posts tagged LIV Golf

Poulter at risk of relegation: future uncertain

Posted by on

Bubba Watson

A registered letter with no return receipt was sent by the new CEO of LIV Golf, Scott O'Neil, to Ian Poulter. No exceptions: either The Postman places in the top 48 of the 2025 rankings or he's out of a permanent spot on the Saudi tour. With two events remaining in the season, Poulter sits in 51st place.

Ian Poulter, news

The former Ryder Cup star is playing the 2026 event in Chicago this weekend and in Indianapolis next weekend. His hopes are slim: in 2025, the Englishman has a best finish of 13th in South Korea. In total, he has earned 4.5 points in the LIV rankings. Chilean Niemann, the dominant player this year, has a remarkable 206.8.

Scott O'Neill has made things clear, trying to regain his virginity and get LIV players back into the world rankings (and thus back into the Majors). This year, his tour will be played solely on merit on the green. No exemptions.

No exceptions like twelve months ago when, for unspecified "commercial reasons," then-boss Greg Norman fished out Bubba Watson. The American professional, captain of the Range Goats team, finished the 2024 season ranked 53rd. The same treatment was reserved for South African Branden Grace.

More than a hundred professionals from around the world are participating in this never-ending playoff, all chasing a contract. Plan B involves winning the International Series, the minor circuit of the Asian Tour: too bad Ian isn't even in the top 100 today.

According to The Telegraph, the Englishman's contract with the PIF expires on August 24th, at the end of the Grand Team Finals in Michigan. If things go badly (or even terribly), the Englishman could be limited to being the manager or non-playing captain of his team, the Majesticks, next year.

The full Majesticks team: Sam Horsfield, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Henrik Stenson (Photo by Cliff Hawkins / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
The Majesticks are not doing well. Also on the team with Poulter are Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood. The Swede is currently 47th in the LIV ranking, while the Englishman is 46th. Both are on the knife's edge.

It's sad to think of the most bitter scenario: three giants of world golf (Westwood was once number one in the ranking) and of the Ryder Cup competing against each other in the Qualifying Schools for a place in the sun.

In this evolving scenario, the DP World Tour is standing by. Poulter, Westwood, and Sergio Garcia left Europe two years ago, slamming the door, complete with written resignations. Henrik Stenson went further: first he accepted the appointment as European Ryder Cup captain, then he moved to the circuit, a sworn enemy of the DP and PGA. That confrontation now seems a long way off, thanks to a struggling European circuit jostling for greater visibility and sponsorship. Three players like Ian, Lee, and Henrik would still be very useful.

Jon Rahm reveals what LIV Golf might do to gain world ranking points

Posted by on

202223 MENA Tour

Jon Rahm is a golfer who does not shy away from publicly sharing his views and speaking honestly about LIV Golf and their unique system. It is known that LIV has a significantly different format than the PGA Tour, as they want to offer the world of golf a completely different experience. 

While some believe that this will bring benefits to LIV Golf and make them more interesting, it seems that the majority still do not view it positively. 

The leaders of the Saudi-backed Tour have once again applied for points on the world ranking list, and they may receive an answer soon. This will probably mean that the LIV leaders will have to change the system, with tournaments with 72 holes, which will also include cuts. 

Jon Rahm believes that once they get the green light from OWGR there are some things they could change. 

On the other hand, he does not want the essence of LIV to be destroyed by such changes.

“I think the way I see it, at least right now, there’s a process to hopefully enter those world ranking points and at least get our foot in the door, and then once we’re allowed, we can see what changes can be made to earn as many as possible, keeping the integrity of what LIV Golf is about.

Examples of that would be, let’s say with whatever we’re doing currently we get 20 points. If you add a fourth round, you go to 25. Is that worth it, is that not worth it. If you add a cut, things like that. Right now with as little players as we have, I don’t see a cut working very well, and with the teams I think it would be a little odd.

But if the league were to expand and let’s say you go to 15 teams, you have 60 players, now you can actually possibly make something work."- he said, as quoted by The Golfing Gazette.

What can we expect?

The 31-year-old golfer believes that there are steps they can take if they want to have more points on the OWGR list, but he also stresses that there are probably other things that people from OWGR can inform them about, to give them more strength to the field of players. 

The Spanish golfer has an interesting vision, but the question is whether his visions will be implemented in the end. 

There are many factors that will determine the path of this controversial league.

LIV Golf star out-earns Scottie Scheffler in shock 2025 money list twist

Posted by on

Best Golfer ESPY Award

Scottie Scheffler is the dominant figure of the PGA Tour this year as well, and it seems that he will remain so in the long run. While it is clear that Scheffler has earned a huge amount of money, the public is shocked that the American is not the highest-earning golfer this year.

Namely, Joaquin Niemann, LIV Golf member, earned an incredible $21,212,762 this year. 

While Scottie collected 19,202,883 dollars this year, the Chilean golfer surpassed his earnings, being the dominant figure of the rival Tour. 

It is important to point out that Niemann did not excel at the Major tournaments this year, having mostly lackluster performances. Playing on the PGA Tour, Joaquin won twice, the Greenbrier in 2019 and the Genesis Invitational in 2022, after which he decided to open a new chapter in his career and join the LIV project in 2022. 

Joaquin Niemann

Joaquin Niemann© MirrorSport / X / Fair Use

 

A victory at a LIV tournament typically guarantees $4 million, which is nearly three times more than most PGA Tour events.

Niemann excelled this year on the Saudi-backed Tour, achieving as many as five victories. 

Fans reacted

Fans couldn't help but immediately ask the question: Would Niemann be dominant playing on the PGA Tour? Answering such questions is ungrateful and challenging, but if a merger happens, we will have a real picture of how the PGA and LIV golfers are doing. 

It seems we will have to wait a long time to see two rival Tours under the same roof. The public is not happy, but the main figures on both sides clearly want to take a bigger piece of the pie, while on the other hand there are obstacles in other areas.

For Niemann, the most important thing is to be a dominant figure on the controversial Tour, with his ambitions for the rest of the season being just as strong. It seems like he will succeed in that.

Time will tell whether Joaquin will continue to be the leader in terms of earnings by the end of the year.

Joaquin Niemann reveals his main focus after LIV Golf UK victory

Posted by on

Bryson

Joaquin Niemann is aware that he is well on his way to lifting the trophy at LIV Golf this season. Holding the leading position, the Chilean golfer is well on his way to winning the LIV Championship this season, but the next two events could be crucial for him. 

While Niemann is still enjoying his victory at LIV Golf UK, the famous golfer feels a bit of pressure regarding the next two events that will define the season. 

When asked by a reporter about his goals and thoughts on team and individual victories, Niemann emphasized that he stays focused on the present and doesn’t worry too much about the future or upcoming challenges.

" Yeah, more than looking back, whenever I get old and look at my career, I feel like it's not much I could do whenever I get older. I feel like all I'm thinking about is right now.

I'm really competitive. I don't want to obviously lose. I think most of the people on this tour are the same way.

Yeah, I mean, obviously I want to win the season. I think there is a lot of golf to play yet. Jon, we know how good of a player he is, also Bryson."- he said.

Niemann's mindset

Aware of how important a role mindset plays in a golfer's career, Joaquin stresses that his focus is on how to improve and show the best of himself.

It will be interesting to follow the next two LIV tournaments, and see if the Chilean golfer will finish the season in the right style. 

The pressure is there, but Niemann tries to distance himself from it.

"There is not much I can think about other than worry about what I'm doing, how I can improve and get better and play my best golf for the next two weeks.

I feel like that's all I'm worry about it right now.."