2022 was a year of upheaval and change in men’s professional golf with the emergence and establishment of the breakaway, Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit. A number of top-ranked players defected from the main tours to the new organisation, they included Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and even Open champion Cam Smith, who made the move later in the year.
LIV Golf is very lucrative circuit and those players who made the move were paid handsomely to sign up. They also make significant money at each of the LIV Golf events though prize money. One of the selling points of the LIV Golf circuit is that it challenges the golfing norm, it offers something new at the elite level, something different from the PGA Tour… But what exactly are the big differences?
54-Holes
A fundamental difference between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour is that LIV events are contested over just 54 holes. Strokeplay events on the PGA Tour are contested over four rounds – 72 holes. As are events on the other main world tours and, of course, the Majors.
No cut
None of this pain with LIV
(Image credit: Getty Images)
LIV events don’t have a cut. The players don’t face the stress. All those who start a LIV event play all three rounds. Regular PGA Tour strokeplay events feature a cut after 36 holes. The standard rule on the PGA Tour is that players with the top-65 scores (plus ties) make the 36-hole cut and will contest the final two rounds. There are no cuts in the three FedEx Cup playoff events on the PGA Tour (FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship.)
Limited LIV Fields
LIV Golf events feature a field of just 48 players. Depending on the time of year, regular PGA Tour events will feature a field of 132, 144 or 156 players. The FedEx Cup Playoff events on the PGA Tour feature reduced fields – From 70 in the St Jude down to just 30 for the Tour Championship.
Shotgun Starts
(Image credit: Getty Images)
LIV Golf events tee off using a shotgun start – All players begin at the same time at different tees on the course. PGA Tour events tee off from either the 1st or the 10th tees in the first two rounds then, generally speaking, all players tee off from the 1st in score order (with leaders going last) for the final two rounds.
The shotgun start means that LIV Golf rounds are completed far more quickly whereas each round of a PGA Tour event can take from dawn to dusk for all to finish.
Pay-outs
Pat Perez celebrates bagging another big cheque
(Image credit: Getty…
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