LIV Golf

After establishing himself as one of the faces of LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson said he doesn't see himself becoming U.S. Ryder Cup captain in 2025.

"I don't feel I'm the right guy to be involved with the team because I'm a very divisive character right now, if you will, and I understand that," Mickelson said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, per ESPN. "The players on the PGA Tour, there's a lot of hostilities towards me and I don't feel I'd be the best leader for them."

Mickelson, who has played on every Ryder Cup team from 1998 through 2018, was a vice captain on the 2021 team as well. With the 2025 Ryder Cup heading to Bethpage Black, Mickelson was thought to be a prime candidate to be captain because of his previous success at the course as a two-time runner-up at the U.S. Open.

However, Mickelson began to be viewed differently when he defected from the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf in June 2022. He was briefly suspended by the PGA Tour for promoting the breakaway league. He said he's not surprised by how his defection has affected his standing in the world of golf.

"I knew I was going to take some hits going forward," Mickelson said. "I'm OK with that. And as a divisive individual, I don't think I'm the best unifier going forward for the Ryder Cup and that's that's fine because I've had so many great memories with it."

ESPN noted that while the PGA of America has yet to announce the next U.S. captain, Tiger Woods is considered to be among the frontrunners for the position. However, he hasn't indicated that he has an interest in participating in the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Europe has already announced that Luke Donald will return as captain in 2025 after leading the team to victory in September at Marco Simone in Italy.

LIV Golf player Harold Varner III was arrested Thursday night in Charlotte for driving while impaired.

According to WBTV, court records show that Varner registered a .16 blood-alcohol level on the breathalyzer test after he was pulled over, which is twice the legal limit.

Varner, who had his bond set at $500 when he was booked into Mecklenburg County Jail at about 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night, later posted bond and was released from custody.

The 33-year-old Varner, who was raised in Gastonia, North Carolina, and currently lives in Charlotte, is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 19, 2024.

Varner turned pro in 2012 after playing collegiately at East Carolina University, and he enjoyed some success on the PGA Tour.

Although Varner never won a PGA Tour event, he finished 30th or better in each of the Masters, PGA Championship and Open Championship.

He was tied for second entering the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship, but Varner shot a fourth-round 81 and ended up finishing 36th.

Varner's first significant professional win came in 2016 when he won the European Tour's Australian PGA Championship. He later won the Asian Tour's PIF Saudi International in 2022.

Varner signed with LIV Golf in 2022, making him one of several world-ranked golfers to make the leap from the PGA Tour.

In May 2023, Varner won his first LIV Golf event, securing the title in Washington, D.C.

Varner, who is on the roster for the upcoming 2024 LIV Golf season, is ranked No. 229 in the world in the official world golf rankings.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman expressed his belief Wednesday that the signing of Jon Rahm is proof that LIV's format is attractive to many of the top golfers in the world.

According to ESPN's Mark Schlabach, Norman suggested that players are drawn to the 54-hole tournaments and the inclusion of a team aspect to the tourneys:

"I think word is getting out there amongst all the players around the world, even the top players, the best players in the world. They love our format, they love our platform, they love the team spirit, the team atmosphere. And to be honest with you, I've seen it resonate very, very loudly this year. And obviously, Jon is an incredible addition to us."

Rahm was announced as LIV Golf's newest and arguably biggest signing to date last week, and Schlabach reported that the Spaniard landed a multiyear contract worth more than $300 million as part of the agreement.

Since the formation of LIV Golf in 2021, several high-profile golfers have made the leap from the PGA Tour, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, among others.

While many major champions are part of LIV, Rahm is the best current player to make the move, as the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters champion is ranked as the No. 3 golfer in the world.

Rahm acknowledged that signing a "great deal" played a role in his decision, but he also expressed hope that by going to LIV, he can help "make golf better."

It seems as though LIV Golf isn't done poaching from the PGA Tour ahead of the 2024 season, as Norman said multiple golfers have reached out to him about being part of Rahm's team.

Norman added that about eight to 12 players are in the conversation to land one of the final two or three spots on the LIV roster.

Signing Rahm is a move that calls into question the future of the proposed merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Last month, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Dec. 31 was a "firm target" date for him and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to reach an agreement on a deal between the two sides.

Back in June, the PGA Tour announced its intention to take on Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund as an investor, which would result in the PGA Tour and LIV Golf operating under the same umbrella.

Talks have not progressed as quickly as hoped, and with the Dec. 31 deadline approaching, the two sides may have to extend the timeline or scrap the plans completely.

LIV Golf is continuing to operate as it always has by signing as many top-flight golfers as it can, and with Rahm now in the fold, Norman seems to believe it could help LIV land even more notable players for the 2024 season.

Not even Tiger Woods is 100 percent sure what the future holds for the PGA Tour after June's framework agreement with the LIV Golf League, which is funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

"I would have to say there's a lot of moving parts on how we're going to play," Woods said Tuesday while also calling the situation "murky," per Mark Schlabach of ESPN.

"Whether it's here on the PGA Tour or it's merging or team golf. There's a lot of different aspects that are being thrown out there all at once, and we are trying to figure all that out and what is the best solution for all parties and best solution for all the players that are involved."

Schlabach noted LIV has released the majority of its 2024 schedule and is still recruiting PGA Tour players, making the situation all the more uncertain.

The framework agreement in place will expire on Dec. 31, although Schlabach reported it can be extended if needed.

Woods figures to be an important part of eliminating the confusion moving forward, as he became the sixth player director on the tour's board in August. Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson and Jordan Spieth are the other ones, which means the players have a majority position alongside four independent directors and one director representing the PGA of America.

That development comes after Woods and others were frustrated they did not know many details about the framework agreement prior to its official announcement.

"I was frustrated with the fact that the players were never involved," Woods said. "This is our tour, and we were all taken back by it. It happened so quickly without any of our involvement. No one knew. That can't happen again."

The 15-time major champion spoke ahead of the 2023 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, which will mark his return to competitive play. He is part of a limited field that also includes Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Spieth, Max Homa and Viktor Hovland, among others.

It will be Woods' first competitive tournament since he withdrew in the third round of April's Masters due to plantar fasciitis.

Between back issues, the significant leg injury he suffered in a car crash in 2021 and ankle surgery, the all-time great has been limited in recent years. He played just three events in 2022, and the Masters was his second and final event of the 2022-23 season.

He told reporters Tuesday he hopes to play approximately one event per month in 2024.

It sounds like another top golfer may be departing the PGA Tour in favor of LIV Golf.

According to golf insider Alan Shipnuck, Phil Mickelson "has been telling folks" in recent days that 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm signing with LIV is a "done deal."

If Rahm does make the jump to LIV Golf, it would be a shift from his stance a few months ago.

"I laugh when people rumor me with LIV Golf," Rahm told a Spanish golf podcast in July. "I've never liked the format. And I always have a good time with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia in the practice rounds of majors. Phil respects my decision, and I respect his [choice]. Mickelson has told me that I have no reason to go play for LIV, and he has told me that multiple times."

However, there have been recent indications that the 29-year-old had grown disenchanted with the PGA Tour. Earlier this month, he abruptly pulled out of TGL, the technology-led arena golf league run by Woods and Rory McIlroy that is partnered with the PGA Tour. He was also asked about potentially replacing McIlroy on the PGA Tour board, and he scoffed at the idea.

"Oh, you won't see me there," Rahm said. "Absolutely no chance. I've been asked a couple times if I have any interest. But I'm not going to spend … I don't know how many meetings they have, but they are six, seven, hours long. I'm not here for that."

Now, it appears that Rahm has joined a long line of golfers to depart the PGA Tour for LIV Golf like Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Cam Smith, among others. Those players have faced criticism for their defections due to LIV Golf's ties to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan revealed in a Monday memo that the organization plans to offer "direct equity ownership" to players in the proposed for-profit entity with the DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia.

Per Adam Schupak of Golfweek:

"Tour management has designed a program that would align the interests of our members with the commercial business of the Tour via direct equity ownership in PGA Tour Enterprises. At the point we secure outside investment, this would be a unique offering in professional sports, as no other league grants its players/members direct equity ownership in the league's business. We recognize – as do all of the prospective minority investors who are in dialogue with us – that the PGA Tour will be stronger with our players more closely aligned with the commercial success of the business."

The entire memo can be read here, via Rex Hoggard of Golf Channel:

Tour continues "negotiations toward a definitive agreement with PIF" and "unsolicited interest from numerous outside potential investors," according to memo sent to players. pic.twitter.com/NPpIkzU6qf

— Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) November 14, 2023

On June 6, the PGA Tour announced a "Framework Agreement" on a "three-party subsidiary" with the DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, which is currently being referred to as "PGA Tour Enterprises."

As Monahan noted, the PGA Tour is "focused on our negotiations toward a Definitive Agreement with PIF and the DP World Tour as our priority."

Per ESPN's Mark Schlabach, the framework agreement is set to expire on Dec. 31, although the deadline can be extended.

In the meantime, the PGA Tour is still searching for outside investors in the for-profit enterprise. Eamon Lynch of Golfweek provided an exclusive report on Nov. 4:

"The five companies still under consideration are: Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which is partnered with investors Steven Cohen and Arthur Blank; Liberty Strategic Capital; Acorn Growth Companies; Eldridge Industries; and a group of influential individuals being referred to as Friends of Golf. Beyond the five groups bidding to be the Tour's main private equity partner, several other companies remain in the conversation as potential investors of additional capital."

Roadblocks exist en route to a deal. Per Schlabach, talks have reportedly slowed down with PIF "for a variety of reasons, including PIF officials wanting more control of the new for-profit enterprise." Schlabach also reported concerns that a "Saudi-only deal might not be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division."

For now, however, negotiations continue with the Dec. 31 deadline still a month-and-a-half away.

The Augusta National Golf Club does not plan to change its criteria for admittance into the 2024 Masters tournament in light of the Official World Golf Ranking board's recent decision to reject LIV Golf's application for world ranking points.

Club chairman Fred Ridley offered insight into the matter on Thursday.

"As you recall last year, there was some speculation as to whether or not we would invite LIV golfers, and we stayed true to our qualification criteria and we invited everyone who was eligible," Ridley said, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

"And so, while we do not at this time anticipate making any changes in 2024, you know, we do always look at them and we will continue to do that. I would just answer by saying that, you know, that our qualifications are very much dynamic, and we adjust to what we feel is the best interests of the tournament representing the best players in the world, so we always look at that."

The OWGR's decision has presented a massive roadblock for LIV golfers looking to qualify for the Masters.

The two most inclusive ways for a player to qualify for the Masters are finishing top 50 on the final OWGR for the previous calendar year and landing in the top 50 on the OWGR during the week before the current year's Masters tournament.

A handful of golfers don't have to worry about finishing top 50 by virtue of qualifying in other ways. For example, winning the Masters offers a lifetime exemption into the field. Taking home the U.S. Open, Open Championship or PGA Championship provides a five-year exemption, while a Players Championship victory leads to a three-year exemption.

Brooks Koepka (No. 18) and Cam Smith (No. 19) are the only two LIV golf players in the top 50, although six others (Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson) are in for life by virtue of winning the Masters. Bryson DeChambeau is in through 2025 after winning the 2020 U.S. Open.

On the other hand, golfers who have found great success playing in LIV Golf have a hard time making into the Masters. The biggest example is Talor Gooch, who won three times in LIV Golf last year. He is No. 214 on the rankings.

OWGR chairman Peter Dawson explained why LIV Golf tournaments are not considered for points, per comments relayed by the Associated Press' Doug Ferguson.

"We are not at war with them," Dawson said. "This decision not to make them eligible is not political. It is entirely technical. LIV players are self-evidently good enough to be ranked. They're just not playing in a format where they can be ranked equitably with the other 24 tours and thousands of players trying to compete on them."

LIV Golf notably plays 54-hole, no-cut tournaments in which players compete on four-person teams that are largely set for each season barring a player injury. The "closed shop" issue is apparently the biggest issue preventing LIV from getting those OWGR points.

For now, LIV golfers will have struggles qualifying for majors unless they have already managed previous success at those tournaments.

Ridley did note that the club's "qualifications are very much dynamic," so perhaps changes could come down the road. That won't be the case in 2024, however.

Bryson DeChambeau, Anirban Lahiri and the Crushers sealed their first team championship Sunday at the Trump Doral golf course in Doral, Florida with a two-shot win over the RangeGoats in the LIV Golf team championship.

The Crushers won $14 million from the $50 million purse. Out of that money, 60 percent goes to the team and the players split the rest—making it $1.4 million per player.

Lahiri hit a 7-under 65 and DeChambeau managed to come up clutch on the back nine to finish of the LIV Golf season strong and go home with some hardware despite struggling for much of the afternoon.

DeChambeau made only one par on the back nine and shot 67 while Charles Howell III netted a 72, and Paul Casey had a 73 to round out the scores for the Crushers.

"I was really pumped up," Lahiri said via the Associated Press. "I had a couple of Sundays where I let myself down. I wasn't going to let the team down today."

As part of the final event of the second LIV season, the scores from all four players on every team counted on Sunday. The Crushers were comfortable for most of the day and held a four-shot lead as the final group reached the 18th hole.

The RangeGoats were still in striking distance as they approached the final few holes, only 2 shots behind the Crushers. However, Talor Gooch put his tee shot on the 18th into the water, making a bogey and leaving DeChambeau's squad sitting pretty.

DeChambeau's best hole of the event came on the 16th, where he sank a clutch 18-foot putt for birdie, coming up big despite his struggles.

As for Lahiri, he didn't have a bogey the entire round and had the lowest score among the four teams playing for the title.

Joaquin Niemann and Torque wound up finishing third in the standings while Dustin Johnson and the reigning champion Aces finished last in the season finale.

Last June, the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund-backed LIV Golf announced a proposed union that would combine their "commercial businesses and rights into a new, yet-to-be-named for-profit company," as noted by Lillian Rizzo of CNBC.

Four months later, it appears that quest is in "significant doubt" of getting done before their self-imposed Dec. 31 deadline to complete the move, per A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, who wrote the two sides "have barely progressed since the June announcement."

"While the parties could extend the deadline by mutual agreement, sources with knowledge of the situation told Front Office Sports there is so little progress by this point that extending the deadline would likely be pointless," Perez stated.

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf had previously agreed to drop all litigation against each other amid what has been a bitter rivalry ever since the latter league was founded in 2021.

That's a big step in itself, but there's apparently far too much disagreement and work to be done otherwise before the end of the calendar year.

Perez also explained the primary issue at hand:

"Two sources said that the main roadblock is the PGA Tour's policy board, which wasn't presented as such to PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan," Perez wrote.

"When the framework was announced, there was an even split between players and independent members on the policy board."

That was before Tiger Woods joined the board of members which also includes Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, and Webb Simpson. In addition, those players reportedly weren't happy with the merger framework in mind.

"The players weren't involved in creating that framework, so they basically wanted to start all over," a source told Perez.

In addition, Perez wrote that one source relayed that the PGA Tour reportedly hasn't even "signed the preliminary paperwork" as of yet.

Per Josh Kosman of the New York Post in June, the Saudi Public Investment Fund "could fork over about $2 billion" for the union.

Three months after that was reported, Nikey Nashant of Reuters relayed on Sept. 28 that both Endeavor Group and Fenway Sports Group "have expressed interest in investing in the PGA Tour," per a source.

With that in mind, Perez noted that the PGA Tour has been working with those groups and others "to replace the up to $2 billion PIF would have committed if the deal were completed."

Needless to say, the PGA Tour-LIV Golf saga has been nothing short of a mess in various ways, and now the proposed union between the two sides looks to be on the brink.

It appears that LIV Golf isn't quite done trying to add players from other tours.

Following revised agreements between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson said that the door has been opened for for other PGA Tour players to join LIV and he believes the tour's roster will see a significant improvement next season.

"The reality is, I've been fielding calls, as we all have, from players that are agents to PGA Tour players, to DP World Tour players that want to come over," Mickelson said at a news conference on Wednesday. "It's probably going to be filled by the time the qualifying tournament is here. If I'm just being truthful, that's a very real possibility."

In the original agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV back on June 6, there was a provision included that the latter would stop recruiting players from the other tours. However, that had to be removed after the two sides received pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.

The expectation is that there will be at least three open spots for players to join LIV next season.

And now, with their huge payouts and lesser stigma following the agreement, the appeal to join LIV may never be greater.

Mickelson feels exactly the same way.

"When players look at LIV, they are wanting to be a part of it," Mickelson said. "Everybody here is happy and enjoying what we are doing and enjoying the team aspect of it and enjoying each other and the camaraderie and enjoying playing golf globally and all the benefits that come with playing this tour.

"There's a lot of players that see that and want to be a part of it. The question is how many spots are available? There's a lot more players that want to come than there are spots."

However, there are still several drawbacks to joining the Saudi-backed league.

Back on Oct. 10 Official World Golf Ranking chairman Peter Dawson sent a letter sent to LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman and COO Gary Davidson saying that the OWGR's governing board had unanimously rejected LIV Golf's application for world-ranking points.

The reason being was that the circuit was "too much of a closed shop."

"We are not at war with them," Peter Dawson, chairman of the OWGR board, said when contacted by The Associated Press. "This decision not to make them eligible is not political. It is entirely technical. LIV players are self-evidently good enough to be ranked. They're just not playing in a format where they can be ranked equitably with the other 24 tours and thousands of players trying to compete on them."

LIV currently has a system in which it has the same 48 players for the entire season (with alternates in case of injury), which is not enough turnover for the OGWR's liking. Only 24 players are assured a spot in the following season.

There are also several players who are on such lucrative contracts that they remain on the roster no matter what. Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Bubba Watson, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter are all a part of that group.

Most tours around the world typically have a turnover rate between 20 to 25 percent.

LIV is expected to add three more players through its promotions tournament.

As a result of the OWGR's rejection, LIV players are only able to gain world ranking points through their performances in major tournaments and several of its top players like Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau aren't even ranked in the top 100.

Cameron Smith (No. 15) and Brooks Koepka (No. 18) are the only LIV players in the top 50.

A lack of ranking points also costs LIV players when it comes to qualifying for majors, which Mickelson, DeChambeau and others are working to rectify.

"I think that the majors need to protect their product, and there's probably other ways that they can do that by creating slots," Mickelson said. "If they want to make sure they have the best fields in golf, they could create vehicles for players on LIV to play in majors where they don't have to use the OWGR, which would undermine the TV contract and revenue of the PGA Tour if they gave points to LIV."