The Ryder Cup means many things to many people. For some, it’s the greatest moment of their career, only comparable to majors. For others, it’s closest to Olympic glory. For Belgian LIV Golf Pro Thomas Pieters, the Ryder Cup is a thrill, only comparable to his other passion: car racing. But do LIV Golf’s team events offer the same thrill? 

The short answer is no. The long answer: it’s a bit more complicated. Pieters’s Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine was nothing less than a dream. He became the first European to win four points in his debut. That, however, has been his only Ryder Cup appearance. And nothing really comes close to what he experienced eight years ago. 

On a regular day, LIV Golf essentially follows the stroke play format. While there is a team leaderboard, it’s actually a cumulative score of each player. Moreover, a $4M paycheck waits for the individual champion compared to the $5M that’s distributed between the top three teams. Whereas, in the Team Championship, there is no individual prize money. 

Not even the LIV Golf Team Championship. It certainly offers a team ‘vibe’. Pieters explained how the final week in the LIV season feels different than the rest. “You are still competing for yourself every other week. But then that last week, (you are) kinda just doing it for the team and you feel that environment… kind of feels a lot like the Ryder Cup.” 

Host Drew Stoltz of the Fairway to Heaven podcast refrained from comparing the team aspect with the Ryder Cup. Apples and oranges, Stoltz said. Picking the thread from there, Pieters elaborated, “But like you said it doesn’t come close to the actual Ryder Cup. to me. Like feelings-wise, atmosphere-wise stuff (like that). [I] think [LIV] still have ways to go.” 

The Belgian international joined LIV Golf in 2023. With his latest comments, Pieters dismantled the notion of LIV Golf and Ryder Cup comparison. At the same time, he hinted at something more.

Thomas Pieters hits bullseye on LIV Golf’s future

The Ryder Cup comparison comes in part because of LIV Golfers’ uncertainty about Ryder Cup eligibility. To be eligible for the biennial showdown, European pros have to be a member of the DP World Tour, which Pieters isn’t. Secondly, his LIV Golf colleague, Talor Gooch, once compared the atmosphere with the Ryder Cup to widespread public ridicule. 

Nevertheless, Pieters’s comments evince that despite Greg Norman banging the drums for team play, the essence of individual stroke play still remains strong. That’s despite the new joiners like Jon Rahm citing the team format as a key reason behind joining LIV Golf. 

In its fourth season, the PIF-funded side needs to figure out a way through which the team aspect will come into play more. Even if that means introducing a 48-hole cut that depends not on the individual score but on how a team performs overall. Undoubtedly, LIV Golf’s way of improving TV ratings lies in leaning on its unique format.