Has LIV Golf lost the plot due to TGL’s successful launch? A few hours ago, fans witnessed the exciting launch of Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy‘s league at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It seemed like a very successful event as both, the fans and the players seemed to enjoy it. Despite the steep score difference between the teams, it didn’t seem like the New York GC players were particularly disheartened as they enjoyed the light-hearted fun after a grueling challenge in The Sentry 2025.

But it seems that where one league flourished, the other was seen trying to find ways to stay relevant. LIV Golf has often been criticized for deflecting from traditional golf and trying to change too much too quickly. The 54-hole format doesn’t quite sit well with the PGA Tour loyalists and the fact that some of their favorite players have jumped ship for money infuriates them even more. The crux is that LIV has not been widely accepted.

This time, the PIF-funded circuit is under fire again after its surprising decision for the upcoming 2025 season. It seems that LIV Golf has signed back a previously relegated player, Branden Grace to the main scene. Even Bubba Watson, after being in the drop zone is back. Well, there were reports earlier that he could be brought back for business purposes. This didn’t sit well with golf insider; Alan Shipnuck.

He compared the two team-format leagues and praised TGL for co-opting golf, but in a louder space, and in a digital way. Then, he trolled LIV for their “non-sensical” approach of resigning players who were relegated. He claimed that this makes “LIV look utterly unserious.” Shipnuck has often been quite critical of Phil Mickelson, and was not pleased with the move, especially after the last 3 seasons saw them attract new top players from the PGA Tour to fill the spots every year.

But is Branden Grace truly deserving of Shipnuck’s criticism, or is the report just dragging the golfer along because of his feelings toward Phil Mickelson? Let’s take a look at the pro golfer’s record at LIV Golf before getting relegated to understand his journey better.

Did Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf make a mistake by signing back Branden Grace?

During his first season in the PIF-funded league, Grace was considered one of the top players. The individual standings were led by the 4Aces GC captain, Dustin Johnson. However, Grace finished 2nd on the leaderboard with 46 points fewer than his adversary. What’s even more impressive is that he missed an event in the 1st season, LIV Golf Bangkok due to an injury. Overall, in the 6 out of the 7 events Grace played, he managed 1 victory and another 3rd place finish.

In 2023, the South African golfer became a regular for Stinger GC. It was LIV’s first full season. He played every event and had 3 top-3 finishes in 13 events. He had a few more finishes in the top 10 rankings ensuring that he ends the season 9th on the table. Sadly, he couldn’t match his form from the first 2 years in 2024 and fell to 51st. However, his success in 2022 and 2023 still can’t be overlooked. Maybe it wasn’t that bad of a decision for Stinger GC to sign back Branden Grace. Only time will tell if Grace can replicate his past success in the 2025 season.

Do you agree with what Alan Shipnuck had to say about Branden Grace & LIV Golf? Share your views in the comments section.