When LIV Golf was denied the OWGR for its players last month, the main reason highlighted for the decision was the nature of selecting golfers without undergoing a qualifying tournament. And after LIV CEO Greg Norman first made the promise of introducing free agency in golf, it became increasingly evident that the Saudi-funded league had to come up with a structure to streamline its relegation process. This year, LIV Golf has finally come up with a relegation system and inter-team trading, due to take place in its off-season.
According to the free trading arrangement, players in the drop zone, i.e., players who had mediocre performances throughout the season, will likely be bounced off. So, who are these golfers whose places in the league are currently at stake?
Players in Danger of Being Relegated from the League
LIV golfers who displayed average performance this season are in golf limbo right now. These are players who failed to secure a place in the top 24, i.e., the Lock Zone. These are the drop zone golfers and the free agents, whose contract renewal is uncertain.
According to sources, some names that fall into this category and have been most talked about recently are:
Chase Koepka: While Brooks Koepka had a stellar season, adding several accolades to his name, his brother Chase Koepka had a mediocre year with no wins to flaunt. He stands in the 48th position on the leaderboard and thus falls under the Drop Zone. As per the verdict of Brooks Koepka in a past interview, it seems that he has already accepted the departure of his brother. “There’s nothing I can do. At the end of the day, it’s up to him.”
Jediah Morgan: Another drop zone golfer on the list, Jediah Morgan, has been relegated from Ripper GC team for his sub-par performance in the LIV tournaments, having absolutely no top-10 finishes. He currently stands in 46th place.
Pat Perez: The golfer has been one of the vocal advocates of LIV Golf and one of the first batch of golfers to sign a deal with the Saudi-backed league. But his three top-10 finishes weren’t enough to get into the Lock Zone. Perez currently stands at number 28 and is in the Open Zone.
Bernd Wiesberger: The golfer has been struggling throughout the season with no top-10 finishes. Currently, he stands at 41, and quite likely, a captain wouldn’t want to select a player in poor form.
Graeme McDowell: The performance graph doesn’t seem good for this Cleeks GC teammate. He secured no wins for the team. He is in at the 42nd position on the LIV Golf leaderboard and an inch away from the Drop Zone.
With LIV Golf wrapping its season following the Team Champonship event in Miami, the league is now focused on its team setups, which are to be confirmed as the off-season trading progresses through to the LIV Promotions event before the 2024 season kicks off.
