LIV and learn.
Over the past few years, the PGA Tour has learned the hard way about the cost of doing business — especially when millions of dollars are being given out like candy. LIV Golf has successfully taken on the role of disruptor and has played it perfectly.
The idea of an alternate tour initially felt like a good joke, one that would get the PGA to fork over more cash. Instead, the Saudi-backed tour gained steam and credibility as some of the PGA's best changed teams. In the summer of 2023, a bombshell came out of nowhere that the two rivals would soon merge or become partners.
While a concrete deal hasn't yet come to fruition, LIV hasn't stopped trying to grow. They secured the services of Jon Rahm in December, with many reports indicating LIV paid at least $300 million. Considering Rahm was initially a critic of LIV, the No. 3 ranked golfer in the world's departure represented a seismic shift in the attitudes of professionals throughout the sport.
It's no secret that money talks, and some of golf's best are more than willing to listen. As the two tours continue to work toward an apparent solution, there is a wedge driven between them.
Here's who you can catch on the LIV Golf tour in 2024:
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LIV Golf players 2024
LIV Golf has continued to poach players from the PGA as the sport moves toward an apparent merge in the future.
There is plenty that is still up in the air, but Rahm became the latest big name to join the new kids on the golf block. Some of the other new arrivals include Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk.
There are 52 players that make up LIV now, with five reserve or wild card players.
Here's the list of participants for 2024:
| Player | Country |
| Abraham Ancer | Mexico |
| Richard Bland | England |
| Dean Burmester | South Africa |
| Ben Campbell* | Australia |
| Laurie Canter** | England |
| Paul Casey | England |
| Eugenio Chacarra | Spain |
| Bryson DeChambeau | USA |
| Sergio Garcia | Spain |
| Talor Gooch | USA |
| Branden Grace | South Africa |
| Tyrrell Hatton | England |
| Lucas Herbert | Australia |
| Sam Horsfield | England |
| Charles Howell III | USA |
| Dustin Johnson | USA |
| Matt Jones | Australia |
| Martin Kaymer | Germany |
| Anthony Kim** | USA |
| Brooks Koepka | USA |
| Jason Kokrak | USA |
| Jinichiro Kozuma | Japan |
| Anirban Lahiri | India |
| Danny Lee | New Zealand |
| Marc Leishman | Australia |
| Graeme McDowell | Northern Ireland |
| Adrian Meronk | Poland |
| Phil Mickelson | USA |
| Sebastián Muñoz | Colombia |
| Kevin Na | USA |
| Joaquin Niemann | Chile |
| Andy Ogletree | USA |
| Louis Oosthuizen | South Africa |
| Wade Ormsby* | Australia |
| Carlos Ortiz | Mexico |
| Mito Pereira | Chile |
| Pat Perez | USA |
| Thomas Pieters | Belgium |
| Ian Poulter | England |
| David Puig | Spain |
| Jon Rahm | Spain |
| Patrick Reed | USA |
| Kalle Samooja | Finland |
| Charl Schwartzel | South Africa |
| Cameron Smith | Australia |
| Brendan Steele | USA |
| Henrik Stenson | Sweden |
| Caleb Surratt | USA |
| Hudson Swafford** | USA |
| Cameron Tringale | USA |
| Peter Uihlein | USA |
| Harold Varner III | USA |
| Kieran Vincent | Zimbabwe |
| Scott Vincent | Zimbabwe |
| Bubba Watson | USA |
| Lee Westwood | England |
| Matthew Wolff | USA |
* — reserve player
** — wild card player
MORE: Jon Rahm to LIV Golf: Why World No. 3 golfer is leaving PGA Tour for Saudi-backed league
LIV Golf teams 2024
Rahm's arrival into LIV Golf comes with the captaincy of his own team — Legion XIII. The team is a new addition to the tour this year and makes up one of the 13 teams that will compete against each other all season long.
Here's how that breaks down:
| Team | Captain | Players |
| 4Aces | Dustin Johnson | Pat Perez Patrick Reed Harold Varner III |
| Cleeks | Martin Kaymer | Richard Bland Adrian Meronk Kalle Samooja |
| Crushers | Bryson DeChambeau | Paul Casey Charles Howell III Anirban Lahiri |
| Fireballs | Sergio Garcia | Abraham Ancer Eugenio Chacarra David Puig |
| HyFlyers | Phil Mickelson | Brendan Steele Cameron Tringale Andy Ogletree |
| Iron Heads | Kevin Na | Danny Lee Scott Vincent Jinichiro Kozuma |
| Legion XIII | Jon Rahm | Tyrrell Hatton Kieran Vincent Caleb Surratt |
| Majesticks | Ian Poulter | Lee Westwood Henrik Stenson Sam Horsfield |
| RangeGoats | Bubba Watson | Peter Uihlein Matthew Wolff Thomas Pieters |
| Ripper | Cameron Smith | Lucas Herbert Matt Jones Marc Leishman |
| Smash | Brooks Koepka | Talor Gooch Jason Kokrak Graeme McDowell |
| Stinger | Louis Oosthuizen | Dean Burmester Branden Grace Charl Schwartzel |
| Torque | Joaquinn Niemann | Sebastián Muñoz Mito Pereira Carlos Ortiz |
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Why Jon Rahm joined LIV Golf
Rahm's apparent change of heart is notable because it came after the Spaniard won the coveted green jacket at the Masters in 2023. Thanks to that, he receives an exemption for golf's three other majors — The Open, The US Open, and the PGA Championship.
In addition, Rahm is also automatically eligible to play at Augusta National every year for as long as he lives. With all the leverage in his hands, Rahm was able to take a big payout without having to really sacrifice anything going forward. At its core, we can chalk this up as a classic business transaction.
Rahm discussed the timing of his move on "The Pat McAfee Show" after the news broke:
“This year we thought it was good timing, with winning a major, being exempt to the majors, having made quite a bigger name for myself with the golf I’ve played through the last few years, we thought it was good timing and that’s when they brought it up to me. The landscape of golf is ever-changing right now, especially the last few years. And after seeing LIV Golf in action and seeing what they have to offer, and being part of a team is so nice — then it became a possibility.”
The money, as expected, played a big role in the final decision.
“Obviously the money is very very nice, I’m not gonna give you the whole spiel,” Rahm said. “I don’t play golf for money but as a father, as a husband, as a family man I do owe it to my family to set them up the best I can and luckily I have that possibility, so yeah. That was a big part of it.”
Ahead of the 2024 Masters, Rahm said he hoped his departure from the PGA would help expedite the process of healing the sport.
"I understood my position, yes," Rahm said Tuesday at Augusta National. "And I understood that it could be a step toward some kind of an agreement. Unfortunately, it's not up to me."
Even though that hasn't become reality, Rahm said he made the right decision.
"I still did what I thought was best for myself," Rahm said. "I've had a lot of fun playing in those events. It's been fun to be part of a team."
Time will tell whether Rahm's move proves to be the tipping point in the sport. If nothing else, at least the checks are cashing.