LIV Golf has big plans for the future and structure of its league.
According to a report from SI.com’s Alex Miceli, the new breakaway league will add relegation and a qualifying tournament in its third season; the qualifier, called its “Promotions” event, will essentially play out like Q-School.
It’s set to begin in October 2023, at the end of LIV’s second season.
LIV has eight events scheduled this season and 14 next year. According to the report, the top 24 finishers at each tournament will earn points for a season-long ranking and after the 2023 finale the bottom four players in the 48-player field will be relegated — i.e., lose their tour card.
The 20 players who finish outside of the top 24 (but not in the bottom four) could be in danger of losing their spot if their team captain doesn’t renew their deal. Some captains might be exempt from relegation depending on their contracts with LIV, which is also the case for more high-profile contracted LIV players.
The Promotions event will be a three- or four-day tournament and could have a 36-hole finale. It will finalize the LIV field for the next season, which in this case would be put in place for 2024. There are several ways players can get into the qualifying field, including the International Series money list, a major win in the last five years and by being a top 75 player in the World Ranking. Also exempt would be any players who won on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour in the past year, amateur champs from the previous year, members of the most recent Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams and relegated LIV players from the previous two years.
The top-three finishers in the event, plus the leading money-winner of the LIV Golf International Series (co-sanctioned by LIV and the Asian Tour in 2023), will be promoted.
Earlier this month, LIV Golf applied for inclusion in the Official World Golf Ranking. Qualifying events such as what’s proposed for 2023 would likely help strengthen its case for accreditation, which is crucial for the long-term future of the league.
LIV Golf kicks off its third event of 2022 beginning on Friday at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey.