Recently axed LIV Golf star Hudson Swafford earned well clear of a million dollars from the Saudi-backed league before he was kicked out. The American golfer was shown the door earlier this week after a disappointing 2024 season.
The 37-year-old finished tied for 36th in the first LIV event of the year and the Florida native was unable to improve upon that result for the next 12 events of the season. His dismal form led bosses of the breakway tour to decide against renewing his contract, according to Flushing It.
Unfortunately for the golfer, a potential return to the PGA Tour will have to remain a dream for at least another 12 months as he’s ineligible to re-join due to his participation in LIV, which they brand an ‘unauthorised event’ as he had his PGA Tour membership indefinitely suspended. He had played on the Tour for eight years before departing for the rival league in 2022.
Despite his lack of success on the tour, Swafford played in 19 events during his time in LIV and earned a respectable figure of £1.8million ($2.4million). While the huge amount certaintly leaves many bawking, it ranks only the 61st highest out of the 84 golfers that have played on the tour.
In regards to Swafford’s next move, the golfer is essentially in limbo. But one option that remains is to play on the Asian Tour’s International Series, which serves as a pathway to LIV for whichever player who ranks first in the standings. One golfer that took that route was reigning amateur champion Jacob Skov Olesen.
The Dane talked up the tour’s credentials and even claimed we’ll see more players from America and Europe opt to join him in the league. “It’s a real opportunity for me and I’m very open-minded,” said the 25-year-old earlier this month. “There are a lot of people that are looking this way, especially with The International Series now, with bigger prize pools. And yes, this seems to be run extremely well.
“If you know that the tournaments are run well, with good courses and destinations, people will want to play. When you see this, and you hear from other guys that have done it, then it becomes an option. And I definitely think you’re going to see a lot more guys from America and Europe coming over here to play.”
Prior to his LIV move, Swafford enjoyed some success on the PGA Tour, opening his account in 2017 when he won California’s CareerBuilder Challenge. He had to endure a three-year wait before claiming his next title when he claimed victory at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. His third and so far final triumph came at The American Express in 2022.
