LIV Golf has been able to lure in some of the sport’s biggest names from the PGA Tour in recent years, but the league now needs to return to the negotiation table
LIV Golf signed some of the sport’s biggest names(Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown)
Three years on from bursting onto the scene and signing some of the biggest names in the sport, those in charge of LIV Golf are heading back to the negotiation table.
The breakaway league lured in the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau from the PGA Tour with mega-money deals, but these multi-million-dollar contracts are set to expire. Reports suggested that Johnson and co. had penned deals worth in excess of $100 million.
According to Golfweek, though, the same lucrative offers will not be made this time around, with contracts expiring at the end of this season and next.
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Whilst those competing on the breakaway circuit have seemingly been happy with their decision, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the league and its players when their current deals expire. Here is a look at five names who will have a big decision to make.
Dustin Johnson
Nobody took to the LIV format better than Johnson. The two-time major winner clinched both of the league’s season-long titles in its maiden season, winning the Team Championship with the 4Aces alongside the individual crown. Per last week’s report, though, Johnson’s contract is one of the first to expire following the end of the current campaign.
The 4Aces skipper has made no secret of the initial temptation of the eye-watering signing fees, but with this appearing not to be on offer this time around, his decision may prove a little harder. If he were to make a PGA Tour return, it would come with a one-year suspension from his last LIV event, per Tour rules.
He does, however, have plenty of ties to the breakaway league, including being the captain of one of its 13 franchises in the 4Aces.
Dustin Johnson is the 4Aces captain(Image: Getty)Brooks Koepka
Koepka’s contract, meanwhile, is set to come to an end a year later, but the five-time major winner’s future has become a hot topic in recent months thanks to Fred Couples. The 1992 Masters champion revealed in March that Koepka wanted to make a return to the PGA Tour after conversing with him.
And whilst he seemingly played down Couples’ comments, Koepka refused to fully commit his future to LIV. “Everybody seems to have their own opinion, and no one asks me,” Koepka said ahead of the league’s recent event in Singapore.
“Like I’ve said before, I’m not in those rooms. I’ve got a contract obligation out here to fulfill, and then we’ll see what happens.“ It remains to be seen where Koepka’s priorities lie, but there is no doubt his contract negotiations will have a big part to play.
Talor Gooch
Talor Gooch announced himself as LIV’s unlikely No. 1 player in 2023, after taking home the league’s individual crown with three wins. The run saw Gooch play some of the best golf of his career, on the way to winning three times, including in back-to-back weeks in Adelaide and Singapore.
Despite his achievements, he has often found his name snubbed from the conversation of the world’s best, especially when it comes to playing major golf. If he does one day want to stamp his authority on the flagship stage, a move away from LIV could well be required.
For now, though, the 2023 champion will continue to re-find his form on the 54-hole circuit, alongside his Smash GC captain, Koepka.
Bryson DeChambeau
DeChambeau has become the face of the LIV setup in recent years, especially after pipping Rory McIlroy to the U.S. Open title last June. Once a controversial figure, the Crushers captain has become somewhat of a fan favorite since pledging his loyalties to LIV.
Like Koepka, though, his contract will also expire at the end of the next campaign. Rumors had linked DeChambeau with a move back to the PGA Tour as early as the end of this campaign, but this has been played down. A LIV insider confirmed to Mirror U.S. Sports that DeChambeau and the team captains were “committed to the long-term success and future of their teams and the league.”
Like his fellow skippers, though, the league will need to reach a new agreement with DeChambeau to keep him on board.
Matthew Wolff
Once one of golf’s hottest prospects, Matthew Wolff finds himself at a career crossroads. Since making the move to LIV, he has failed to re-find the form that saw him announce himself on the PGA Tour stage. In a bid to revitalize his golf game, a change of scenery back to his old tour could well help, provided he meets the regulations put in place by Jay Monahan.
