PGA Responds To Liv Tour With Wholesale Changes To Schedule, Prize Money

SALT LAKE CITY – The PGA Tour has informed players that wholesale changes to the Tour are expected to take place in the fall of 2023, according to a report from Golf Digest.

Starting next year, the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings from the previous season will be invited to participate in eight limited field no-cut events with purses of $20 million or more.

The news comes following multiple top PGA Tour players opting to leave the PGA Tour in pursuit of the new Saudi-backed LIV Tour. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson Dechambeau, and Patrick Reed, among others, have joined the new LIV Tour in pursuit of fewer tournaments and larger purses.

Most recently, Brooks Koepka has reportedly joined his brother Chase on the LIV Tour, although no official announcement from Koepka’s camp has confirmed the reports.

The Tour Championship is currently the tournament on the PGA Tour with the largest purse. The winner of the Tour Championship receives $17.5 million while The Players Championship winner comes in second with the winner receiving $3.6 million.

Two weeks ago, the inaugural LIV Tour event took place in London, England and winner Charles Schwartzel took home $4.75 million from the purse of $20 million purse.

Full details. 👇https://t.co/JGrVCKW0ei

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 21, 2022

LIV Golf Explained

The LIV Golf is a new golf Tour that will have eight tournaments starting this weekend in London and finishing in Miami on October 30. Unlike the PGA Tour where they play 72 holes over 4 days, every LIV Golf tournament will consist of 54 holes over a 3-day window. Furthermore, the LIV Golf Series will also feature shotgun starts and players will be able to compete for prize money in both individual and team settings.

A total of $255 million dollars will be on offer throughout the inaugural season. This weekend at The Centurion Golf Club in London, the 48 players in the field will contend for a purse of $20 million with an additional $5 million split across the top three teams. Teams consist of 4 players, and 12 teams will participate in every tournament.

The conclusion of the season will take place in Miami where the top three players will receive $30 million in prize money and the team pot will be increased to $50 million.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman is hoping to attract more of the world’s top players through financial incentives and a preferred work-life balance. The addition of the team element is to further promote atmospheres similar to the Ryder and Presidents Cup.