LIV Golf quickly became a force in the golf world in 2022 by instantly filling its small roster with players who built their reputations from impressive runs on the PGA Tour. Making them a serious competitor for the legendary golf circuit.
The new tour backed by the Saudi Arabian government’s finance department was able to pull many of those stars away with outrageous signing bonuses and guaranteed tournament purses. Two things the PGA Tour does not offer current members.
Another key factor in LIV’s rise is that PGA great Greg Norman is serving as their CEO and has been hugely beneficial in adding a certain prestige to the new tour. Making the player’s decision to defect to the rivals a bit easier — along with the money, of course.
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With LIV Golf set to begin its second season, they have added several more stars from the PGA Tour for 2023. Let’s take a look at the 10 best players to walk away from the PGA to become members of LIV’s ever-growing roster over the last year.
Sergio Garcia
While the 2017 Masters winner is no longer a top 20 or even top 50 player in the PGA Tour, his value to LIV can not be understated. Garcia remains one of the most famous European golfers in the sport today, and branding is as important as relevancy when trying to build a tour that can actually compete with the PGA.
Few players have the casual fan appeal that Garcia has, or his ability to expand LIV’s legitimacy in Europe. Garcia isn’t there to be a top earner, he is there to make LIV relevant.
Taylor Gooch
The addition of Taylor Gooch to the rival tour was a major coup for the Saudi-backed circuit. He is a player that adds current relevancy and can be one of several building blocks for LIV long-term. At 31 years old, Gooch is in the prime of his career and is a rock-solid player who can help carry the LIV flag to build the tour’s legitimacy for the next decade.
Lee Westwood
One of the best European Golfers of the last two decades, Lee Westwood, joined LIV in 2022. While the 49-year-old is far removed from his prime, he is one of several greats of the game that have been added to improve the prestige of LIV, along with the likes of Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.
Bubba Watson
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson is the latest major acquisition for LIV. While he is currently ranked towards the back of the top 100 in the world, he is a prestige signing that helps to bolster the roster and bring it more in line with the star-studded membership of the PGA.
The five-time veteran of the United States Ryder Cup team is a popular player that can also pull in some casual American golf fans to LIV.
Bryson DeChambeau
Bryson DeChambeau was a major get for LIV Golf earlier this year not because he is a top 10 player currently, but because the 28-year-old has the potential to be. The 2020 US Open winner is a gifted golfer on the rise who is quickly gaining a notable fan base that he will now take with him to the Saudi-backed tour. Plus, just like the chicks dig the long ball in baseball, they also love power strokers in golf. And DeChambeau is one of the biggest hitters in the sport today.
Brooks Koepka
If not for a spat of injuries in recent years, Brooks Koepka would be ranked among the 10 best golfers in the world. While he resided in the 20s of the world rankings when he left the PGA, he remains a top-shelf player in the sport right now. The former No. 1 ranked golfer won four of his majors between 2017 and 2019, and if he can get healthy long-term he could be the perfect blend of name value and relevancy as he hits his prime years at 32.
Abraham Ancer
Abraham Ancer is an important signing for LIV Golf because of his potential as a top 20 golfer who could become a weekly anchor for the tour’s tournaments. While he has only had a decent 2022 season — with three top-10 finishes before joining LIV — his upside is serious. Furthermore, the Mexican talent helps to expand the LIV brand to a new market in Mexico.
Phil Mickelson
Despite not having anywhere near as many wins as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson is one of the most famous active golfers in the world. He may not be a player competing often for LIV tourney titles, but it doesn’t matter. Signing “Lefty” is one of the biggest acquisition coups in sports history.
Mickelson gives the tour a superstar and poster boy for casual and diehard fans alike. Furthermore, he is the sort of brand that can help the fledgling league sell tickets to any of their events around the world. Simply put, Mickelson joining LIV was a paradigm shift in the world of pro golf.
Dustin Johnson
Next to Mickelson, Dustin Johnson is the most important signing LIV has had thus far. Despite not having won a tournament in close to two years, he still remains one of the best players in the sport and his jump from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf sent shockwaves through the industry. Along with Ancer, DeChambeau, and Koepka, Johnson will be a major part of LIV’s competitive backbone for years to come.
Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith, one of the top golfers in the world right now, and the 2022 Open champion officially took his services to LIV in August. While players like Johnson and Mickelson offer major value to the new tour, Smith is the first truly elite golfer right now to join LIV. Adding even further relevance to the new tour as not only an alternative to the PGA but one that does have some of the best in the world today.