Archive of posts tagged Saudi Super League

Rahm reforms the LIV: a possible expansion

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Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago

The possibility of the LIV becoming part of the world ranking system seems closer than ever, given that last month the Saudi Super League reapplied to join the system. The system now has new leadership in South African Trevor Immelman and a more favorable context for evaluating the case amid the lull that has dominated the relationship between the circuits for some time now.

Jon Rahm spoke on the matter this Wednesday before taking part in this year's 12th leg of the circuit (6:15 p.m., Movistar Golf) at the Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago (USA). Whether more or less veiled or more explicit, the Basque native has gradually hinted that he would welcome certain modifications to the LIV format, particularly in terms of world ranking points, which would facilitate access to the top players for its players, currently limited to qualifying, invitationals, and the few exemptions its members still retain. But also, even though he hasn't said it publicly, the truth is that the tournament structure is more suited to his style of play on the PGA and European tours.

Rahm, statements

“There's an open process to enter the rankings, and once we're in, we can see what changes can be made to get the maximum number of points possible without losing our core. Let's say we currently have 20 points. If you add a fourth round, you'll go down to 25. It may or may not be worth it. It could also be a cut or something, but with the number of players we currently have and the team situation, I don't see it happening. Another thing would be to expand the league, say to 15 teams and 60 players. You can make it work. There are many possibilities I'm thinking about, but all of this is completely hypothetical because I haven't talked about it with anyone on the tour. But there are things we could do to get more ranking points if necessary, and surely the world ranking guys and Scott (O'Neil, CEO of LIV) have even more in mind that I can't think of,” Rahm commented on the matter.

Because the truth is that, if he were to make the cut, the number of points that the LIV tournaments could award would initially be rather small, given that the system assigns one point or another based on parameters such as the number of golfers playing, the number of rounds in the tournament, and the ranking of its participants, which in this tour's case has been severely affected by years of being unable to score points beyond their occasional appearances in tournaments on the Asian Tour, the European Tour, or the majors.

On the other hand, Rahm again addressed his situation regarding his eligibility for the European team that will face the US in the Ryder Cup next September. "There's nothing I can confirm or deny. Luke (Donald, European captain) communicates with me just as he does with others. I don't think he's assured anyone anything yet. It's too soon for that. He'll be waiting until the end of August, and in my case, I think I'm just another name on his list."

On a strictly sporting level, Rahm faces the need for a strong showing this week, combined with a poor performance from Joaquín Niemann, as he attempts to catch the Chilean at the top of the LIV annual standings. With the last three tournaments remaining, just over 37 points separate them, a surprising figure given that Joaco has been the clear dominator this season, in which he already has five wins to the Spaniard's none, who, in contrast, has been a prodigy of consistency when it comes to scoring top-10 finishes. He has achieved this at every stop except one, in Dallas, including two second places. In the team standings, his Legion XIII does rule the roost, having won four titles and well on track to reach the team final in Michigan in first place.

Jon Rahm returns where he robbed the bank

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Adelaide

Joaquín Niemann, in full swing, has won five of the 11 LIV Golf tournaments this year, and Jon Rahm remains at zero, but with only two events remaining, the Spaniard can still take the season's No. 1 ranking from the Chilean and thus retain his 2024 crown.

The points system of the multimillion-dollar Saudi Super League and Rahm's consistency, finishing in the top 10 on every course except one, explain why the Basque player can still overtake Niemann, champion in Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico, Virginia, and Great Britain, the last tournament he played.

Jon Rahm, statements

"This is how the points system works right now. I think they should probably give more points for winning, that would be great for me, but it could be the other way around next year: if I'm not going to win and I still have a chance to win with two tournaments left, I'm fine with that. It all depends. In the current situation, I'd obviously love to have more points for winning, but this is how the system is set up now," reflected Niemann, 26.

The Chilean admitted that being consistent is "the hardest thing in this game" and, since "Jon Rahm is the most consistent player in the world," he understands why the Spaniard remains so close to him in the standings: Niemann has 206.80 points, 37.64 more than Rahm (169.16). American Bryson DeChambeau, third with 136.24, is the other golfer still with a mathematical chance of reaching the throne, albeit a very remote one.

Each victory at LIV Golf awards 40 points, second place earns 30, and the points continue to decrease from there, with the last players to earn a point being those who finish between 21st and 24th. No points are awarded outside the top 24.

Rahm's assault on the No. 1 ranking will begin this Friday at LIV Golf in Chicago, at Bolingbrook GC, where the Basque golfer will defend his title from last year, hoping to get closer to and even surpass Niemann in the overall standings if he wins.

“Someone told me that in the weeks he hasn't won, Joaquín hasn't been at his best or scoring many points, so with my consistency, I've had a chance to stay close,” conceded Jon, whose team, Legion XIII, leads the standings (218.66 points) ahead of the Crushers GC, captained by DeChambeau (172.00).

Rahm raided the bank last year in Chicago, which closed out the Saudi Super League season. The Spanish golfer won the four million reserved for the tournament champion and was crowned No. 1, also taking home the $18 million bonus. Jon pocketed $22 million in one day, about €19 million at current exchange rates.

The LIV confirms its return to Virginia in 2026

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Adelaide

The 2026 LIV schedule continues to take shape. This Wednesday, the Saudi Super League announced that Virginia (USA) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) will once again be among its stops next season. The former will take place from May 8-10, and the latter will once again serve as the opening venue, from February 5-7.

Liv Golf, calendar

The new development is that this time the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club will not be the venue for the LIV Virginia, which will also have a new sponsor in Maaden, the Saudi state mining company. Instead, a property owned by Donald Trump, with whom the organization has maintained good relations since its inception, was chosen not far from there: Trump National in Washington, D.C.

“I'm excited to welcome the LIV. The last time it was here, we broke attendance records, and next year it will be even bigger. I'm looking forward to once again showing the world one of the most iconic courses in existence and welcoming the best golfers in the world,” said Eric Trump, Donald's third son and one of the heads of the family's businesses.

Virginia and Riyadh are the sixth and seventh stops, respectively, confirmed for the LIV's upcoming schedule. The LIV will also travel to Adelaide (February 13-15), South Africa for the first time (March 20-22), Mexico City (April 17-19), the United Kingdom (July 24-26), and Singapore (March 13-15).

The Rules of Golf are a set of standards and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association. An expert committee composed of members of the R&A and the USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision took effect on January 1, 2016. Amendments to the Rules of Golf are generally divided into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that reduce penalties in certain cases to ensure balance. The rulebook, entitled "Rules of Golf," is published regularly and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy, the Italian Golf Federation is responsible for overseeing competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R&A, ensuring that these rules are observed by clubs, associations, and their members, and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.