Staunch LIV Golf rebel who took aim at Tiger Woods after jumping ship now fears 2025 axe

Several players are at risk of relegation from the LIV Golf tour, with no one more vocal about their support for the league than Pat Perez. The 48-year-old American, who was among the first notable players to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in June 2022, now faces the possibility of a significant setback. Perez is currently 47th in the individual standings, and with only five events left in the 2024 season, he is in danger of ending up in the ‘Drop Zone,’ which could mean losing his spot on the tour for the next season.

The upcoming events are scheduled to take place in Valderrama, Spain, from July 14-16, followed by tournaments in Rocester, UK, and then in West Virginia, Chicago, and Dallas in the United States.

Players who finish 49th or lower at the end of the year risk losing their positions in this lucrative series. The chance of those who are cut being given another opportunity seems slim, as Greg Norman and his team are expected to pursue more prominent players from the PGA Tour to replace them for the 2025 season.

Perez experienced success in the inaugural LIV campaign as part of Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team, which won the Team Championship title. After that win, he criticized Tiger Woods, who had questioned the motivation of LIV players, suggesting they might lack the drive to improve due to the guaranteed money.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Perez said on the Son of a Butch podcast. “The incentive is the fact that last place is £120,000, and first place is £4 million. You cannot win £4 million on the PGA Tour. Tiger had a lot of guarantees and made a lot of money off the course, but he still found motivation.”

Perez was vocal about his commitment to LIV Golf when he first signed, despite having three previous wins on the PGA Tour. Initially, he promised not to criticize the PGA Tour but later reneged on that vow.

“I have no ill feelings toward the PGA Tour or any of the players. I’m a LIV guy 100 percent,” he said. “I’m going to play for them, but I don’t feel any need to go after the PGA Tour.”

Perez isn’t the only player worried about his standing. His 4Aces teammate, Harold Varner III, and South African Branden Grace are also at serious risk of relegation.

Meanwhile, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, despite being in the bottom five, is safe from demotion because he leads the Range Goats GC team. Team captains are currently exempt from being relegated.