The second wave of the LIV Golf Series may soon unravel on American shores – and it has the scale to radically reshape the professional golf scene.
Golf Monthly on Friday published a staggering list of names — Brooks Koepka, Colin Morikawa, Victor Hovland and Xander Shaveli — that could take a serious stand from the PGA Tour talent pool while tipping the balance toward rebel squad Greg Norman as any previous split. .
These players fit a profile that the startup consortium lacks. Koepka may be injury prone, but he’s a four-time major under-35 champion. Morikawa ranks fourth in the world, has two main sets in his first eight starts and is still only 25 years old. Hovland, who ranks eighth in the world, and Schauffele (15th) will give LIV two twenty-something extras among the most popular young stars on the PGA Tour.
Since then, however, Schaeffel has scored a denial record that doubles as a way through the arc.
Some rumors are flying around, so I asked Xander Schauffele about LIV. He said he wouldn’t go, though he didn’t shut the door on the idea.
“I want to play against the best players in the world, and they are on the PGA Tour. There is no one left to move the needle for me.”
– Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) June 18 2022
“I want to play against the best players in the world, and they are on the PGA Tour,” Chaveli told Golf.com Dylan Dethier on Saturday. “There is no one left who has moved the needle for me.”
But with or without the Olympic gold medalist, it’s clear that LIV Golf is gaining momentum. And another top-20 player not initially named by Golf Monthly has since appeared in multiple reports. And Abraham Anser, 31, reportedly could jump aboard as early as Monday – and more announcements are expected to follow.
Ancer is 100% gone.
There will be more announcements coming out one by one this week. https://t.co/TwPqjDHZo5
– No LayingUp (NoLayingUp) June 19, 2022
Tensions will escalate significantly next month as the series begins an American swing at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Ore. Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed are expected to make their debut there, and it would be great to watch who may or may not be following suit.