LIV Golf to Transition to League Concept, Feature 14 Events in 2023
July 1, 2022
The LIV Golf Invitational Series is switching things up one year ahead of schedule as it will transition to the LIV Golf League in 2023, according to Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig.
The success of LIV Golf's events thus far and the demand for 48 player spots pushed the Saudi-backed venture to move to a league concept, an LIV Golf official told Harig.
"The original idea was to begin the league this year, but due to considerable pushback in the spring and several players backing out, LIV Golf was forced to pivot to a more modest plan for 2022," Harig wrote.
The league will feature 12 set teams with four players each. Each team will have a captain and that player can recruit their own teammates and make trades.
The new league concept will feature 14 events, according to Harig, including stops in London, Bedminster, New Jersey and Miami. Mexico and Australia are also possibilities.
LIV Golf is currently in the midst of an eight-tournament invitational series with matches having already been played at the Centurion Club in London and Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon.
The series also has tournaments in Bedminster, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Bangkok, Thailand, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this year. The last event of the series will be held at Trump National Doral in Miami from October 27-30.
LIV Golf is competing directly with the PGA Tour and has drawn in some of the sport's biggest stars, including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, among a number of others.
The breakaway circuit's purse sizes of $25 million, with the winner of each tournament receiving $4 million, has been enticing for many competitors. However, the PGA Tour is at least trying to compete with LIV Golf by increasing purse sizes for the 2023 season.