Phil Mickelson reveals LIV Golf will take more PGA Tour players
Phil Mickelson, renowned golfer and LIV Golf member, recently took to social media to unveil plans for further expansion within the controversial LIV Golf league. Following the groundbreaking signing of former World No.1 Jon Rahm in 2023 for a reported $600 million over five years, Mickelson hinted at the arrival of additional PGA Tour luminaries…
Phil Mickelson, renowned golfer and LIV Golf member, recently took to social media to unveil plans for further expansion within the controversial LIV Golf league. Following the groundbreaking signing of former World No.1 Jon Rahm in 2023 for a reported $600 million over five years, Mickelson hinted at the arrival of additional PGA Tour luminaries in 2025.
Rahm’s transition to LIV Golf stirred the golfing world, marking a significant shift in the sport’s landscape. Despite the hefty investment, Rahm has yet to secure an individual title in the ongoing LIV Golf season, raising questions about the league’s allure for top-tier talent.
Joining Rahm on the roster are major champions such as Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia, and Patrick Reed, all of whom made lucrative moves from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf in recent years. Mickelson himself joined LIV Golf in 2022 for a reported $200 million, further cementing the league’s financial clout.
Koepka, fresh off his fourth LIV Golf title win, reiterated the league’s independence from traditional golfing bodies, affirming LIV Golf’s commitment to its own path, even amid speculation about potential collaboration with the PGA Tour.
Calls for reconciliation between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have reverberated throughout the industry, echoing sentiments for a return to unified competition akin to prestigious events like The Masters. The PGA Tour, in response, has bolstered its efforts to retain top talent, leveraging a $20 million signature event series and a billion-dollar equity fund established in partnership with Strategic Sports Group (SSG).
As speculation mounts regarding which PGA Tour stars might defect to LIV Golf ahead of the 2025 season, European Ryder Cup standout Viktor Hovland emerges as a frontrunner for the transition. Meanwhile, rumors linking Tony Finau and Wyndham Clark to LIV Golf persist, despite their public commitments to the PGA Tour.
Mickelson’s recent tweet exchange with Flushing It underscores the growing tension between traditional golf institutions and the upstart LIV Golf league. His remarks about the future of major exemptions for LIV Golf players hint at broader concerns about sponsorship and television rights in the evolving golfing landscape.
With Mickelson’s prognostication of more “great players” migrating to LIV Golf in the coming years, the stage is set for further upheaval in professional golf, as players, sponsors, and governing bodies grapple with the ramifications of this seismic shift in the sport’s ecosystem.
