LIV Golf News for 2024: What to Expect Heading into Next Year

Written by: Tony Schwartz

Last Updated: October 22, 2023

2023 has been one heck of a year for LIV golf, the PGA Tour, and generally the future of professional golf across the globe. We witnessed players committing to the PGA Tour as a legacy institution and to the most important tournaments in the world such as The Masters, US Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship. In addition to that, PGA Tour players have taken recognition of the pay and compensation dynamics taking place within the PGA Tour, and some players feel as though they deserve more, that they deserve to be compensated for the skills and abilities as a PGA Tour member with guaranteed compensation and benefits.

The topic of pay has been a contentious one to say the least. Most recently, Ryder Cup players requested to be paid for their participation in the international tournament of the sport's most elite competitors as reported by SI.com. Patrick Cantlay went hatless at the event as a symbolic gesture that players should be compensated in tandem with their participation in the Ryder Cup. He may have a point!

Pay is not the only topic for how LIV is reshaping the sport of golf, we also have the ever-looming negotiations occurring between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund for a combined international league. This has been one of the hottest topics of the season with players such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and more weighing in on the negotiations. PGA Tour Commission Jay Monahan took a leave of absence, citing anxiety from the negotiations as a main contributor for why he needed to step away. So how have the negotiations been progressing?

The short answer is they really haven't.

Heading into the self-imposed deadline of December 31, 2023, neither side has made meaningful progress towards mutual agreement, and it seems somewhat likely that the deadline will be extended, per sources at Bleacher Report. If mutual agreement is not reached ahead of the deadline then it appears as if LIV Golf will continue as an independent league in 2024 with sanctioned events taking place all over the world. In total, 14 events were confirmed by LIV CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman in a recent interview where one of the preeminent figureheads in LIV golf broke his silence since the deal between LIV and the PGA Tour was announced.

LIV Golf's initial goal for the 2024 season was to enlist 15 total teams competing in 14 events around the world. It appears that they will fall short of the goal, but the entity is moving forward as if LIV Golf will have an independent season next year. The events will span from Hong Kong, Mexico, South Korea, Australia, England, and the US. So who can qualify for these events?

The question a lot of journalists and enthusiasts are asking themselves is who will be competing on behalf of LIV vs. PGA Tour. One of the latest details coming out of LIV is the qualifying school scheduled for Dec. 8-10 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. A three-day, 72-hole event will offer a prize purse of $1.5 million, with $5,000 paid to any entrant eliminated after the first round, $10,000 after two, and a minimum of $17,500 for those qualifying for the final round.

“The next couple of months is probably going to be my most exciting time, believe it or not, because we’re going through this relegation, and trade process, building out the teams, getting the teams to a position that each captain wants to do, negotiations, all that,” Norman said and reported by The Athletic. “All that stuff that really going to energize it.”

The LIV qualifying school is as exciting for the league and sport as the possibility of new signings to LIV. Marquee players like Phil Mickelson have said that 2024 signings could be abound for LIV Golf and that players are considering the move based on a highly incentivizing franchising structure for team captains and other pay details. The money is playing a role here, no doubt, but I also believe that there is more at stake here, something perhaps more complex.

Golfers are seeking attribution for what they provide to the game of golf. Without golfers, and specifically the best golfers in the world showcasing their seemingly effortless talents of putting the ball into the hole for fans all over the world, the game ceases to exist as we know it. In other words, professional golfers are beginning to understand their leverage. And with entities like LIV Golf and the PIF looking to provide players with pay, recognition, atmosphere, and sponsorships, professional golfers have more to consider. When professional golfers understand the leverage they have in this equation, and to the extent they want to use it, they are in a much more compelling seat than they've ever sat in. We're bearing witness to the understood leverage becoming more clear for the people at the table, and that's creating complexity. It's also creating more value for the skills put on display by the best players in the world, and that seems fair to me!

Now, the most prestigious and notable tournaments in the world that lead to legends and legacy exist within the framework of the PGA Tour, so their leverage is also something to be considered. Golfers want to mostly be remembered for their wins, their accomplishments, their contributions to golf history, and all of that still sits with the PGA Tour. But as DJ mentioned on a Netflix documentary series, if your boss asked you to work less hours at your same job and for more money with a family at home relying on you, the decision is nuanced and complex. So legacy plays a role, but it clearly isn't the only factor here.

With LIV Golf entering into the 2024 season, plans are abound to continue trailblazing the professional sport of golf. Many opinions exist about LIV, its partnership with the PGA Tour, and what the future holds for professional golf in the world. In my opinion, we exist as a global community, and yes it's important to be vigilant of the humanitarian actions of any partner seated at the table. That's a non-negotiable from my standpoint. Institutions must treat people as humans first, with rights, with liberties, and with compassion. As a global golf community though, it nearly seems inevitable for a day when a global league exists, with players from all over the world competing for glory in the world's most notable tournaments. In my humble opinion, the PGA Tour major tournaments will continue to play a central role in golf's future, but for now, no mutual agreement has been reached to push forward the negotiations between PGA Tour, DP World Tour, or the PIF. That leaves a big lingering question heading into 2024, which is "What does golf's future look like?"