13 teams, but 54 players? Breaking down the LIV Golf format
Many of LIV Golf’s core elements have carried through to 2024, but you need to know about the odd tweak here and there…
The I’s were dotted and the T’s were crossed rather late in the lead-up to LIV Golf’s third season.
The Saudi-funded league now features 13 teams, but there will be 54 players competing at each event.
That doesn’t add up. No need to worry, our summary of the LIV Golf format 2024 will follow shortly.
Jon Rahm announced his groundbreaking move to LIV in December, but it took until the week before the first event in Mayakoba for his team identity and makeup to be revealed.
Chops and changes happened in several of the four-man teams. The full squads can be viewed here in our LIV Golf team rundown.
The LIV Golf 2024 schedule is also here, with 12 dates booked.
The Individual Championship and the Team Championship at the end of the season do not yet have dates or venues.
How does the LIV Golf format work?
As alluded to previously, there will be 13 teams and 54 players at each event. The two spare spots will be taken by two wildcard picks.
The events will be 54 holes of stroke play, despite some rumbles that this element could change, and the shotgun start will still be in effect.
In the team discipline, each of the team’s top three scores count in rounds one and two, and all four scores will count in the final round of each event.
In the individual discipline, the season-long individual standings will feature the Lock Zone for positions 1 to 24.
Updated cut-offs for the Open Zone, places 25 to 48, and the Drop Zone, 49 and below, will follow to reflect the increased field size.
Players finishing in the top 24 at the end of the regular season will have a spot for 2025. Players finishing between 25th and 48th who are out of contract will need to be re-signed by their team or picked by another team.
Players finishing 49th or below will be relegated from the league and qualify for the 2024 LIV Golf Promotions tournament.
You earn individual points at an event by finishing in the top 24 on the individual leaderboard. The winner at each event will pocket $4,000,000 and the bottom player in 54th place will bank $50,000.
In terms of the Team Championship at the end of the season, the top 12 teams after the 13th regular season event will compete and the 13th-placed team won’t.
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
