At the conclusion of the final solo LIV Golf title of 2024, it was Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia who claimed the bonus prizes, but there was also the small matter of those at the bottom of the LIV Golf Leaderboard...
Following the news that LIV Golf captains would be included in the final relegation spots, it provided more spice to the final tournament and, as the final putts were holed, it was Kieran Vincent, Bubba Watson, Branden Grace, Scott Vincent and Kalle Samooja who found themselves in the 'Drop Zone'.
Throughout the event in Chicago, Samooja had found his best golf and, following a stunning four-under 66 on Saturday that vaulted him 10 places in the standings, he continued his form on the final day but, for the Finn, he would rue a costly bogey-double bogey finish, as he ended up in the 49th spot.
In the end, 4Aces' Pat Perez ended his day in 48th and the final 'Open Zone' spot on the LIV Golf individual standings, which meant he was safe from relegation. His team mate, Harold Varner III, also tied up his place in the Open Zone following a three-under-par round that put him inside the top 20 on the Chicago leaderboard.
However, the same couldn't be said for Watson who, despite being captain for the Range Goats GC side, didn't make his way out of the 'Drop Zone'. It's currently unclear as to what will happen to the two-time Major winner, as Watson finishes 53rd in the LIV Golf standings.
Amongst the other players relegated were Grace who, in the League's first year, secured a second place finish in the LIV Golf season. The result comes as a surprise, given that the South African finished ninth in individual standings for 2023, following five top 10 finishes.
The final players to be relegated are the Vincent brothers, with Kieran finishing 50th and Scott claiming a 54th place finish. It's a somewhat bittersweet finish for Scott, as his Legion XIII side, headed by Rahm, picked up four wins, one runner-up and one third place finish.
Currently, it's unclear what the relegated players will do but, it seems that those relegated will have to go through the Asian Tour's International Series or LIV Golf Promotions event at the end of the year to have a chance of continuing on the LIV Golf League circuit. Either way, it'll be an interesting few months for those relegated.
