The 2024 LIV Golf League season is almost upon us, with the first tournament getting underway at Mexico’s El Camaleon Golf Club on 2 February.
However, despite it being just around the corner, there are still several important pieces of the jigsaw to put into place. Here are five of the things we still don’t know about how the 2024 season will shape up.
What Will Jon Rahm’s Team Look Like?
It’s now seven weeks since the Spaniard became arguably LIV Golf’s highest-profile signing to date, and ever since his big-money move to the circuit, it’s been anticipated that he would form a new team.
That was as good as confirmed when Rahm appeared on the LIV Golf podcast Fairway To Heaven and admitted he was struggling to come up with a team name. It is now widely reported that it will be called Legion XIII, but we’re still no closer to finding out who his teammates will be.
One of the players who earned a contract via the LIV Golf Promotions event, Kieran Vincent, has been touted as a possible signing, with reports building over another potential arrival, amateur star Caleb Surratt.
With time running out before the start of the season, confirmation of the three teaming up with Rahm is expected imminently.
How Many Players Will Be In The Field?
While it's anticipated that Rahm will form a 13th team, there remains the possibility he will become captain of a rebranded existing team. However, if there is to be a new team that would mean the field size for each of the regular tournaments would need to increase from 48 to 52 players.
It may not even be that simple, though, with some suggestions that LIV Golf could be about to introduce a 54-player field in its shotgun starts.
LIV is also expected to expand the field to 54 players for each event this year, by adding 2 spots for individuals, as well as the extra team. If it happens, the spots could be filled by travelling reserves who will play for the purse and league individual points but not for a… https://t.co/7UpdQedOeWJanuary 16, 2024
Who Will Fill The Vacant Spots?
As well as three new players needed for Rahm’s team, there are still some slots to fill in existing teams.
After Matt Jones was re-signed by Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC, it leaves him needing one new player. That is expected to be fellow Australian Lucas Herbert after it was reported that the PGA Tour winner had signed for Smith’s team, but there’s still no confirmation of the deal.
Meanwhile, Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks GC remains two players short after Bernd Wiesberger’s decision to rejoin the DP World Tour and Graeme McDowell’s switch to Smash GC. Elsewhere, Kevin Na’s Iron Heads GC also needs one new player after Sihwan Kim’s relegation.
Assuming Herbert is Ripper GC-bound, that leaves three places to fill. They could go to the three players who earned contracts via the LIV Golf Promotions event, Kieran Vincent, Jinichiro Kozuma and Kalle Samooja, but that’s complicated by the speculation linking Vincent with Rahm’s new team.
Nevertheless, even after their destinations are determined, that would still leave three new signings required for a 52-player field. If the rumours of Surratt joining Rahn's team are correct, that leaves two, while Adrian Meronk is also reportedly set to join LIV Golf. That would still leave one more new signing required for a 52-player field, while if it becomes 54, it's been suggested that the remaining two spots could go to reserve players.
Where Will The Two Season Closers Be Held?
The LIV Golf League season 3 schedule was announced back in November, but there were four gaps that needed filling – two regular events and two season closers.
The third and fifth events on the schedule had originally been listed as merely “Saudi Arabia” and “USA,” with the latter being held the week before The Masters. Earlier in the month, LIV Golf confirmed that the events will take place in Jeddah and Miami, with Jeddah’s Royal Greens Golf & Country Club and Trump National Doral in Miami widely expected to be confirmed as the respective host venues.
Looking towards the end of the season, it's less clear cut, with details on venues and dates for the season-closing Individual Championship and Team Championship yet to emerge. There's also no information on what the Individual Championship, which is a new event for 2024, will entail.
Will Coverage Still Be On YouTube Outside The US?
While the 2024 season will find US fans able to watch the action on the CW Network as part of its multi-year TV deal with LIV Golf, there’s still no word on where it will be shown in other regions.
In the 2023 season, viewers could watch coverage on the LIV Golf Plus app, then in May, it was announced that YouTube would show the remaining tournaments in the season.
Much like several other key areas, though, it remains to be seen what will happen in the new season.
