Golf News

LIV Golf makes big changes to format for 2024 season

Bubba Watson shows he’s healthy and ready to make a comeback

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Changes are afoot for LIV Golf.

Now in its second year (third unofficially if you include the eight-event invitational series), the 14-event global league led by Greg Norman and financially supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will still feature 54 holes, shotgun starts and hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money in 2024. But this year, there’s a twist.

A 13th team – Legion XIII – captained by world No. 3 Jon Rahm with new players like Tyrrell Hatton and 19-year-old Caleb Surratt will debut this week at the season opener at Mayakoba’s El Camaleon Golf Course in Mexico, and so will various new elements to the league’s format.

“The competition updates for 2024 reflect a natural evolution of the LIV Golf League format and illustrate our commitment to further enhancing an exciting product for the players and the fans,” said LIV Golf SVP of Competition Management David Benne. “League leadership will continue to work with our world-class players and teams to strengthen LIV Golf competition as we move the sport into the future.”

From an increased field size to tweaks in the final round scoring and prize money distribution, check out all the changes in store for LIV Golf in 2024.

Bubba Watson plays his shot from the eighth tee during the final round of the LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. (Photo: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)

This is the big one: no players will be able to hide on Sunday. Just like the last two years, each team’s top three scores will count for the first two rounds, and the worst score will be dropped. However, come the final round, all four player scores will count for each team in the final round of each event. It’s a simple tweak that will surely make the final round all the more interesting with increased pressure to perform.

Kevin Na

Captain Kevin Na of Iron Heads GC hits his shot from the fifth tee during day one of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club on August 11, 2023 in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Speaking of pressure, not every team will advance to the lucrative season-ending team championship. The top 12 teams following the final regular season event of the year will be seeded based on their point total for the year, but the team that finishes in 13th place will not compete (but will still attend).

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