It was a party for the Spaniard at the Bolingbrook Golf Club as he celebrated his individual championship victory, and that too in his debutant year on the LIV Golf. It was indeed a special moment as he checked with $37.9 million from his year-long run on the breakaway circuit, But while it was rainbows and sunshine for Jon Rahm, the condition of LIV Golf Chicago was not a celebratory moment for those sitting inside the drop zone.

Unlike the PGA Tour, as we all know, LIV Golf keeps its count in the field to 54. To have a variety of golfers in its field, every year, the PIF-funded league drops off a couple of names if they end up in the drop zone (49th to 54th on the LIV Golf season-long standings). This year, five golfers have found themselves in the danger zone: Bubba Watson, Scott and Kieran Vincent, Kalle Samooja, and Branden Grace. What will happen to these pros now? Last year as well four golfers were relegated from the league and they had two options via which they could continue the path on LIV Golf.

The first one was the introduction of LIV Golf Promotions. This event was held in Abu Dhabi in early December and gave three spots to the top three at the end of the event. The two were Samooja and Kieran Vincent and they will probably have to go back to the LIV Golf’s Q School to secure a card for the 2025 season. Last year’s relegated players, Sihwan Kim, Chase Koepka, Jediah Morgan, and James Piot all tried their luck at the promotion event but failed. So what’s the other pathway?

Interestingly, Saudi Arabia’s PIF has also invested $300 million in the Asian Tour. So those who are out of the Greg Norman-led circuit get a direct membership to play on the Asian Tour for the subsequent season. The International Series are the events particularly that the PIF invested and the winner of the season-ending list on that gets the LIV Golf card for the next year as Andy Ogletree did for the 2024 season.

The players, though, would not be allowed at the PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour events for the next 12 months since they last played a LIV Golf event. But they could still tee up on the DP World Tour by going through the Q-School or via sponsor exemption and other international leagues may invite them, too. So that relegated would no more have the privilege to play only 3 days and have a guaranteed paycheck.

Now as the only captain in the drop zone, what will happen to Bubba Watson?

What will be Bubba Watson’s fate after LIV Golf relegation?

After the 2023 season ended, two captains were in the drop zone, Majesticks GC’s co-captain Lee Westwood, and Cleeks GC’s captain, Martin Kaymer. Were the two captains out of the league? Surprisingly, no. Last year, LIV Golf exempted the captain from being relegated from the league, but this is different. The Greg Norman circuit has changed the rules and the captains will be related in the 2024 season. Thus, Bubba Watson may not be playing on LIV Golf form next year.

However, despite being in the relegation zone and the rule change, there is a chance that LIV Golf may sign a golfer again because of the business they attract. However, the team captains are not just captains because the breakaway circuit has made them one. These captains actually have equity in their teams, so even if Watson was out from playing professionally on LIV Golf, he would still be the one reigning his team, the RangeGoats GC.

Up until now, no captain has ever been relegated from LIV Golf, so it is a little uncertain as to what will happen to Bubba Watson, but he will surely still be a part of LIV Golf, probably more from the business side.