UR-Golf Blog Entry #5: LIV Contracts are Coming to a Close

About LIV Golf Contracts

At the start of the 2021 LIV season, players who transitioned from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf were offered different contracts based on their talent and marketability. Those who could generate the most revenue received the highest contract—just like any other professional sport. Each contract was structured as a 4-year agreement, and some examples that have been rumored but not confirmed include Phil Mickelson for $200 million, Dustin Johnson for $125 million, and Bryson DeChambeau for $100 million. Regardless of the exact totals, these players are getting paid massive sums of money to play less golf.

Now, as LIV Golf approaches its fourth season, contracts are starting to expire, leaving players to decide: Is LIV Golf worth re-signing for? With the PGA Tour and LIV moving closer to a potential merger with the recent help of negotiations from President Trump, LIV’s long-term sustainability remains uncertain. If key players like Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka—who have both recently hinted at parting ways—decide to leave, LIV’s future could be in jeopardy. On Tuesday, February 25th, reports surfaced that Bryson Dechambeau has not yet agreed to a contract extension after LIV denied his offer of $280 million. Rumors suggest that he is considering a return to the PGA Tour.

Here is Lee Westwood’s reaction to the news on X:

Codswallop is very applicable here 😂

— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) February 26, 2025

Whether true or not, LIV Golf’s ratings are struggling, and losing players such as Bryson or Brooks would be detrimental to the company.

On Tuesday night’s TGL broadcast, Brooks Koepka was in the building, possibly signaling that he will not re-sign with LIV after his contract expires.

This is yet another troubling sign for LIV, as TGL’s television ratings have significantly outperformed theirs. The Presidents Day triple-header delivered the league’s smallest TV ratings to date, delivering 347,000 (ESPN), 377,000 (ESPN), and 357,000 (ESPN2) average viewers. However, in Tiger’s debut, the ratings hit 1.05 million. Compared to LIV, who had their first main Fox broadcast for the first time during the final round from Adelaide, Australia averaged around 19 thousand viewers over the entire weekend.

With the top players potentially leaving and viewership struggling, LIV’s future looks increasingly uncertain.

What happens to the players that want to return to the PGA Tour? Well, thanks to Commissioner Jay Monahan and the banning of anyone who accepted a LIV Golf contract puts the Tour in a difficult position. However, that so-called “permanent” ban isn’t looking too permanent anymore—but it’s what golf needs. For LIV players to reintegrate, the number of Tour Cards that are retained each season from the top 100 on the money list back to the top 120. This would give players who aren’t exempt into elevated events a chance to maintain their status. Additionally, the players who have special exemptions from major wins or life long exemptions should be able to return to the PGA Tour, while those with no status should re-earn their place through the Korn Ferry Tour, or even Q-school.

2025 Cognizant Classic

My first pick this week is Daniel Berger (+2500). The four-time PGA Tour winner finished T2 at the WM Phoenix Open and 12th at the Genesis Invitational. Currently 19th in SG: Off the Tee, 9th in Total Driving, and 9th in Scrambling, Daniel Berger has a chance to make a return to the winner’s circle this week after taking some time off of a back injury.

The amateur, Luke Clanton (+250, top-20), is returning to the PGA Tour circuit this week through a sponsor exemption. After coming so close to securing his PGA Tour card at the WM Phoenix Open, he has another chance to claim it by making the cut this week. Clanton has played in 11 tour events and has only missed 3 cuts. He has two runner-up finishes, three top-5 finishes, and ten top-10 finishes under his belt. I think he is a lock to finish inside the top 20 this week.

The 57th-ranked player in the world, Ben Griffin (+4500), is my 3rd pick this week. Griffin has two top-10 (t-4 last week) and two top-25 finishes in 7 events so far this year and is 40th in the FedEx Cup. Steady in just about every SG category if he can get everything to click, he will be in contention on Sunday.