LIV Golf Jeddah 2023: History, Format, and Composition

LIV Golf is a league that got included in the golf roster last year. This league, known for its individual and team elements, organizes tournaments on its own, and LIV Golf Jeddah is the last individual event taking place on its schedule. This event was first inaugurated in 2022; hence, this year the event is coming back to Jeddah for its second edition.

Just like other LIV events, this will also take place over three days, and the dates are already out. The event will kick off on October 13 and end on October 15. The venue remains unchanged from last year. It will take place at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction to the LIV Golf Jeddah

• Origin and Naming

LIV Golf Jeddah stands as the finale of the individual event for LIV Golf. All 48 golfers on the circuit will participate in the tournament. Moreover, like all other LIV events, this one is also named after the location where it is taking place. In this case, it is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Besides, LIV Golf Jeddah is the 13th event in the LIV timetable.

• Historical winners

The USA Ryder Cup compatriot Brooks Koepka currently plays for LIV Golf after he defected from the PGA Tour. Last year, Brooksie bagged the event title at LIV Golf Jeddah on the third playoff hole against Peter Uihlein.

While the 33-year-old won the event title, Dustin Johnson won the individual champion of the season title. Also, Johnson bagged a hefty paycheck of $18 million last season. Among the big names of LIV Golf, Johnson locked up the individual season-long contest in Bangkok, where he tied for 16th.

Apart from the matches and their winners, let's take a look at the format LIV uses generally and would be following for LIV Golf Jeddah.

2023 LIV Golf Jeddah format and prize money

• Tee times

Different from the PGA Tour, LIV Golf has its own system to start off the game. On the PGA Tour, golfers start on the same or different two holes at different tee times to avoid overlap. But in LIV Golf, the scenario is pretty different. It uses shotgun firing at the start, which means golfers will play at the same time but on different tees.

• Format of the game

LIV Golf has twelve teams in total. Each team is composed of four players. Thus, a total of 48 players will participate in the tournament. Moreover, these LIV matches are played over 54 holes instead of 72 holes. Even LIV events defy the traditional cut system, and all the players are given a considerable payout at the end of the game. Also, the events are played over three days instead of four days.

Moreover, every team has a captain who guides the other three, and whenever a team wins a tournament, the total amount of money is split. As these teams approach the final tournament, the eight teams out of the dozen who have the highest score move to the quarterfinals.

In these events, the teams will gear up for two singles matches and one two-on-two alternate shot match. Following that, the winner will move on to the next round. A similar thing happens during the semi-finals as well. They follow the match rules and also involve the four winners from the quarterfinals.

At the end of this round, there is a head-to-head face-off between the two winning teams in twosomes. Over that, the captains of both teams would have a guaranteed face-off. Then matchups between other players on the teams would be done.

• Prize money and payouts

Most of the LIV events have a payout of $25 million. Out of which, the $20 million will be divided among the 48 golfers in portions. Then, the remaining $5 million will be distributed among the top three teams. The individual triumphant in the event will bag $4 million, and the winning team will dutch the $3 million among themselves.

2023 LIV Golf Jeddah course details?

The LIV Golf Jeddah event will take place at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. The location gives one a wholesome experience, along with a top-notch exclusive offer to play on the regal grounds of King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. The clubhouse is extremely extravagant and has a beautiful layout of 18-hole championships nestled in a lush oasis. The design of the course is by European Golf Design. Also, KTGY, the architecture company, designed a modern and sophisticated exterior that goes very well with the surroundings.

Now, coming to interior design, it was structured by HBA, highlighting luxury. Royal Greens provides a variety of experiences for its visitors, starting from art galleries, boutique spas, spendthrift dining spaces, golf-view ballrooms, and the private "Oryx Club", which has a cigar room and billiards arrangement. This clubhouse was even bestowed with an award. It was named the World's Best Golf Clubhouse in 2019 by the WGA.

As far as the statistics of the course are concerned, the length stretches over 5000 yards from the front tees to 7000 yards from the back. The golf course itself covers 100 hectares of ground. Added to that, a massive mansion like a 10,000-m2 clubhouse and golf academy is situated within the facility.

2023 LIV Golf Jeddah teams

In 2022, the teams saw slight shuffles, but the changes made ahead of 2023 have stood strong for the entire season, and all 12 teams have remained constant!

The importance of the LIV Golf Jeddah event in the 2023 season

LIV Golf is popular for its experimental status, and the league took up golfers without going through the qualification process. While the league shows leniency with cutoffs and payouts, poor gameplay might drop a golfer into a lower-ranking position in the association. This year, an elimination round will take place that puts many golfers at risk. The official site of LIV Golf has announced that golfers who are non-captains ranked 45th or less than the bar will be relegated out of the league. Added to that, the LIV players in the drop zone have to put in extra effort in the LIV Golf Jeddah to regain their position. Hence, this final tournament of the season marks a definite golden opportunity for these players.

One of the players currently under speculation is Chase Koepka, Brooks Koepka's brother. If he gets relegated from the league, that means he will have no position for LIV Golf 2024 unless he finds his way back with the promotional tournament of the Q-school later this year. Even the line-up of the teams would be affected. Hence, the competition at Jeddah serves as the last chance to play their way back.

But there will be certain exemptions in the process. The team captains won't have to worry about it. Other than them, the top 75 OWGR, PGA Tour, and DP World Tour winners from the current season Also, if the golfers have represented themselves in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup, they would be exempt.