(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Last April, LIV Golf announced a series of rule changes that will have a significant impact on the 2024 season. The most impactful novelty on the League structure is the introduction of relegation and the establishment of qualifications to enter the field of starting players.
In recent days, the LIV executives have adjusted the shot, introducing the first adjustments to the new rules. The relegation of the players who will occupy the last four positions of the ranking at the end of the season is confirmed (currently they are Chase Koepka, James Piot, Sihwan Kim and Bernd Wiesberger).
The four will play the return of the “starters” in a qualifying tournament, played over the length of 72 holes, which will take place immediately after the final event of the season, which this year will be held from 3 to 5 November at the Royal Greens Jeddah Golf & Country Club.
LIV Golf, rules
In addition to the four “relegated”, players who fall into different categories will have access to the qualifying tournament: players ranked second to 32nd in the International Series Rankings;
winners of a DP World Tour or PGA Tour tournament in the current season:
players in the top 200 of the OWGR as of the closing date for tournament entries;
the top 20 players in the World Amateur Golf Rankings as of the close of entries for the tournament;
the members of the teams of the last editions of the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup;
Majors winners from 2018 onwards;
the winners of the last editions of the following tournaments: U.S.
Amateur, British Amateur, NCAA Division 1 Individual Stroke Play, Latin America Amateur, Asia-Pacific Amateur, European Amateur, Eisenhower Individual.
Going back to the final ranking, there are fourteen players recognized for automatic exemption, i.e.
the Captains of the Teams. There are fourteen, although there are currently twelve teams, as Team Majesticks GC has three (Westwood, Poulter and Stenson) who rotate the post. As for the other players, those occupying positions 15th to 24th will receive the same full exemption as the Captains.
Players from 25th to 44th position will enter what LIV executives have defined as an “open zone”, becoming, to all intents and purposes, free agents, who will be able to change teams or even leave LIV Golf if they don’t find an engagement in one of the Teams (this is a very important novelty, NDR).
The top three players qualifying from the tournament and the winner of the International Series Order of Merit will receive cards for the 2024 LIV season. LIV executives estimate that the new regulation will generate a turnover among players of between 20 and 25%. It is certainly an ambitious project, and it seems well structured.
