LIV Golf embarks on its third season Friday in Mexico, but the addition of Jon Rahm signals a new beginning for the Saudi-backed circuit.
The reigning Masters champion shocked the sport with his decision to leave the PGA TOUR and join LIV in December - giving the rival league arguably the best player in golf.
Rahm previously pledged his fealty to the TOUR on multiple occasions, but his disillusionment with leadership - and an absurd sum of money north of $300 million hitting his bank account - was enough to see him change his mind and move to LIV. That decision should speed up eventual merger talks between the TOUR and the Saudi PIF, but for now, LIV will be Rahm's home outside of major championships.
Rahm's move brings much-needed pop to this weekend's season opener in Mayakoba, Mexico, with LIV sure to attract added the attention it desperately craved thanks to his presence.
Here's what you need to know about the 2024 LIV Golf season.
Rahm not only key addition
While Rahm was the main course on the LIV offseason meal plan, there are plenty of intriguing appetizers on the menu, as well. The most appealing joined in the 11th hour, with Rahm's Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton finally signing after months of speculation. Hatton will immediately slot in with the Spaniard on the newest LIV team, bringing the total to 13 clubs this season.
The other additions to Rahm's expansion team come in the form of highly touted amateur Caleb Surratt and qualifier Kieran Vincent. Surratt opted to leave Tennessee and join LIV, following in the footsteps of other top collegiate players Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig. Surratt has star potential and is exactly the type of young talent the PGA TOUR was desperate to keep out of LIV Golf.
Adrian Meronk is the other offseason LIV headline addition, with the DP World Tour star opting to join the circuit over full PGA TOUR membership, which he secured following last year. The Polish bomber will supply a major talent influx to the Cleeks, a team desperate to make a move after a disappointing 2023.
Other newcomers for the 2024 season include Lucas Herbert, Jinichiro Kozuma, Kalle Samooja, and Andy Ogletree.
Offseason trades
One promise LIV Golf made since its inception was player movement, similar to other team sports. While roster moves underwhelmed in previous years, there were a number of high-profile transactions over the past few months, headlined by Talor Gooch flipping teams.
Gooch won the individual season-long championship last season with three wins in a dominant campaign for the RangeGoats. However, he won't be running it back for Bubba Watson's squad, as Brooks Koepka swooped in and acquired him for Matthew Wolff. That brings Wolff's tumultuous tenure with Smash GC to a close - a run that saw Koepka take numerous shots at his teammate in the media.
Wolff isn't the only new addition to RangeGoats GC, as Peter Uihlein also joins from champion 4Aces. Uihlein was acquired in the offseason for Harold Varner III.
There were also three free-agent signings for LIV Golf, headlined by Graeme McDowell joining Koepka, Gooch, and Jason Kokrak on Smash GC. Puig signed on with Fireballs GC, while Carlos Ortiz joined Torque GC.
2024 team rosters
The addition of Rahm's Legion XIII means 13 teams and 52 players will compete in 2024. A new wrinkle in LIV this season is the further addition of two individual players who won't be in the team competition, bringing the total number of players on LIV's roster to 54 (Hudson Swafford and Laurie Canter will fill those individual roles).
Legion XIII: Jon Rahm (c), Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt, Kieran Vincent
4Aces: Dustin Johnson (c), Patrick Reed, Harold Varner III, Pat Perez
Cleeks: Martin Kaymer (c), Richard Bland, Kalle Samooja, Adrian Meronk
Crushers: Bryson DeChambeau (c), Paul Casey, Anirban Lahiri, Charles Howell III
Fireballs: Sergio Garcia (c), Abraham Ancer, Eugenio Chacarra, David Puig
HyFlyers: Phil Mickelson (c), Cam Tringale, Brendan Steele, Andy Ogletree
Iron Heads: Kevin Na (c), Danny Lee, Scott Vincent, Jinichiro Kozuma
Majesticks: Ian Poulter (c), Lee Westwood (c), Henrik Stenson (c), Sam Horsfield
RangeGoats: Bubba Watson (c), Matt Wolff, Peter Uihlein, Thomas Pieters
Ripper: Cameron Smith (c), Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Lucas Herbert
Smash: Brooks Koepka (c), Jason Kokrak, Talor Gooch, Graeme McDowell
Stinger: Louis Oosthuizen (c), Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmester
Torque: Joaquin Niemann (c), Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz, Carlos Ortiz
Schedule
While previous LIV seasons saw the circuit schedule tournaments against some of the least prominent PGA TOUR events, much of the 2024 calendar goes head-to-head with blockbuster TOUR dates. This week's Mayakoba event goes up against the TOUR's second signature tournament of the season at Pebble Beach, while next week's Las Vegas tournament is scheduled at the same time as the Phoenix Open.
In total, the 2024 LIV schedule has 12 events before the team championship at the end of the year. Eight different countries will be featured, with a highly anticipated return to Australia from April 26-28 highlighting the list.
Mayakoba, Mexico: Feb. 2-4
Las Vegas, Nevada: Feb. 8-10
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: March 1-3
Hong Kong, Hong Kong: March 8-10
Miami, Florida: Apr. 5-7
Adelaide, Australia: Apr. 26-28
Singapore, Singapore: May 3-5
Houston, Texas: June 7-9
Nashville, Tennessee: June 21-23
Andalucia, Spain: July 12-14
England, United Kingdom: July 26-28
Greenbrier, West Virginia: Aug. 16-18
