After Jon Rahm’s $566 Million Move, Is LIV Golf Poaching More Young Stars?

Since its inception two years ago, LIV Golf has strived for one thing, and it has eluded the upstart league so far. Legitimacy. Despite having deep pockets, limitless influence, and stakes across multiple sports, the PIF-funded league failed to earn a place among golf fans and analysts.

From the very start, LIV Golf was more than just the PGA Tour plus more money. It was a radically different format with shotgun starts and no-cut events that even turned most pro golfers skeptical about the viability of the league. In fact, Greg Norman’s latest marquee signing, Jon Rahm, was averse to the idea as well. Viktor Hovland, Rahm’s Ryder Cup teammate, has also slammed the format.

Moreover, the PIF-funded league has also been accused of drawing in mostly players who are at the end of their careers or slowly reaching twilight instead of nurturing upcoming talents. So, it appears Greg Norman is looking to rope in more young players, including amateurs.

Does LIV Golf have an age problem?

The mounting criticism against LIV Golf is its lack of competitiveness. A 53-year-old golfer becoming the face of the event didn’t help either. Phil Mickelson couldn’t repeat the success of the 2021 PGA Championship, which saw him write history as the oldest major winner in the history of the sport. Lefty is also the oldest player on the roster.

Moreover, veteran golfers Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, and Henrik Stenson, most of whom are past their prime, only added credence to the criticism. Only Garcia was able to come inside the top twenty in this year’s season-long individual standings.

In 2023, Torque GC was the youngest team, with an average age of 25.50. Joaquin Niemann‘s side was also the only team to have an average age below 30. Smash GC was the second-youngest team in the upstart league, with an average age of 30.25. However, Wolff, 24, being swapped for Talor Gooch, 32, and Graeme McDowell, 44, coming in for Chase Koepka, 29, will drive their average age to 36.75 next season.

Last year, half of the twelve teams had an average age of 35 or above. Cleeks GC and Majesticks GC had an average age of 42. Clearly, that’s expected considering only eleven players on the regular 48-man roster were in the age bracket of 20–29.

LIV Golf needs to draw more youngsters into the field

As per the LIV Golf data, among the 48 players, eleven were also in their forties. The 30s were the most popular group, with a whopping 24 players between 30-39. Lefty, the oldest player in the league, garnered 17 points from his 13 outings this season, ending at the 39th spot in the season-long individual leaderboard with a lone top-ten finish at the LIV Golf Bedminster.

On the other hand, David Puig, at 21, was the youngest player on the field. Puig’s singing also indicated LIV Golf’s search for acceptability among young players. Only a handful of amateurs were even interested in having a crack at the rebel league when Puig took the courageous leap of faith.

Notably, Puig came from Arizona State University, which has one of the most prestigious golf programs in the United States of America. The Spaniard was the ninth-ranked amateur when he joined LIV Golf. In fact, his debut as a pro golfer was at the LIV Golf Invitational in Chicago.

The Spanish youngster’s bold move seems to have opened the floodgates. This year, four top-ranked amateurs teed up at the LIV Golf Promotions event.

Are amateurs interested in the breakaway league?

Bringing in young golfers and amateurs showcases the acceptability of the format among rising stars. This is why Norman was interested in advancing the LIV Golf Promotions opportunity to amateurs as well, and he kept the entry fee as low as $25. Furthermore, PIF was covering the hotel and airfare charges for the participants. On top of that, amateurs received $100 regardless of how they finished.

Read More: 2023 LIV Golf Update: Has the PIF and PGA Tour Merger Date Shifted?

Think of what you will but; young golfers are buying it. Sampson Zheng, the winner of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, spoke to Golf Week about the advantages. “If you finish top three or top 10, you get some type of status on some tour. Whereas if you play the Korn Ferry qualifying and you play all four stages, you’re burning through $20,000.” DP World Tour, on the other hand, charges €3,000 (roughly $3,284).

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