Jon Rahm’s departure has left the PGA Tour heartbroken. He was the asset of the tour, clinching the Masters trophy this year. His move to LIV Golf came up as nothing less than a shocker, given that his past statements about the Saudi-backed league didn’t match his final decision. Last year, Rahm affirmed that he’d never play for money. He also went on to criticize the format of the league.
But in December, when he came up live wearing a LIV jacket, all those promises seemed vague. He backed his decision, stating that he did this for his family and sees growth in the Greg Norman-backed league. His departure took place at a crucial juncture when the PGA Tour was in negotiations with LIV for the framework agreement. T he PGA Tour has already lost a gem and it cannot afford to lose more talented golfers anymore. Hence, let’s see the top five golfers who are a vital part of the PGA Tour going into the next season, whose loss would bring the PGA Tour to a standstill.
Top Five PGA Tour Players For the 2024 Season
While it’s obvious that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are supreme loyalists of the tour, a few other names have been committed to the tour as well, whose performaces have witheld the very spirit of golf and the Tour:
Viktor Hovland: Sitting right after Jon Rahm in the OWGR rankings, Viktor Hovland is one of the prominent players on the PGA Tour. Hovland is the reigning FedEx Cup playoffs champion, having celebrated three event wins throughout the season. He also had a total of nine top-ten finishes on the PGA Tour and two top-ten finishes in both DP World Tour events he participated in. His performances make him one of the most prominent players on the PGA Tour. A few days ago, when stories circulated regarding Hovland’s move to LIV Golf, he turned down the rumors, stating that he doesn’t find the no-cut format impressive.
Ludvig Aberg: Aberg turned professional in 202,3 and since then he has already clinched two victories in both tours. Moreover, the highlight of the year was Aberg’s performance at the Ryder Cup. There, he defeated World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, with 9&7 in Saturday’s matches. Thus, this golf prodigy might mark the upcoming generation of the PGA Tour. He recently went on to reveal that he received an offer from LIV Golf but turned it down for the PGA Tour and to play with the best golfers.
Jordan Spieth: Spieth has recently replaced Rory McIlroy as the player director of the policy board to serve the remainder of McIlroy’s tenure, following his withdrawal. In his performances, the golfer had eight top-ten finishes including a major. In the Masters Tournament, he finished at T4 with 7-under 281. Spieth has been a powerful asset of the PGA Tour and losing him would mean losing a gem.
Scottie Scheffler: With World No. 3 Jon Rahm moving to LIV Golf and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, sternly rigid with the PGA Tour, the next target might be World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler. Scottie had three triumphs this year, with the most recent at the Hero World Challenge with 20-under-268. Also, he had a total of fifteen top-ten finishes, making him the most consistent performer of the year.
Justin Thomas: Justin Thomas has not been in his peak form this year but he has been a supporter of the PGA Tour throughout. His captain’s selection to the US Ryder Cup team and his performance as compared to his teammates was, in fact, commendable. Him moving on to the LIV league would be a strong arm of the PGA Tour being amputated for good.
These are presently some of the vital names of the PGA Tour, whose losses might cost a fortune to the PGA Tour. Will they transition into the LIV league? Only time will tell.
