Is LIV Golf still recruiting PGA Tour players at a high rate?
LIV Golf has been fully operational for the better part of a year, and the drama regarding which golfers have joined the breakaway league has dissipated for the most part.
So when rumors started to swirl last week that Brooks Koepka is actively trying to convince 2019 U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland to leave the PGA Tour for Greg Norman's rogue circuit, it got us wondering: When was the last time a high-profile player signed with LIV Golf? And is the rebel league doing enough to keep recruiting players?
For starters, it needs to be pointed out that no major outlet has backed up the rumors that Koepka is bringing Woodland over to LIV Golf. The original tweet stating the rumor is from a fan account called LIV Golf Nation which, despite its large social media following, is not directly affiliated with the Saudi Arabia-funded league or any major news sources.
On that note, the last time a major outlet reported that players were leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf was back in February when USA Today revealed that Thomas Pieters, Dean Burmester, Brendan Steele and Danny Lee. This was just before LIV Golf kicked off its sophomore season in Mexico at the LIV Golf Mayakoba event.
Since then, the shuttle of players between the rival leagues doesn't appear to be running. There is still plenty of news regarding golfers from the DP World Tour getting fined for playing in LIV events without permission and eventually deciding to leave the European Tour altogether.
And yes, there are still constant whispers that players like Rickie Fowler are considering the jump to LIV. But as far as the PGA Tour goes, any and all player movement seems to have seized while the season is in progress.
Now, whether there are still players who want to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf remains to be seen. LIV Golf boasts big contracts for its members, but the tie to Saudi Arabia and the smaller fan base still loom large.
The rogue tour appears to be gaining some live fan attention at events, but it's unclear if fans are watching at home. (LIV stopped reporting viewership for their events after the numbers for the first two were so low.) And while golfers on the PGA Tour have talked about remaining friends with golfers who defected over the last year, that doesn't necessarily mean they're ready to join Norman's "golf but louder" contingent.
We'll just have to wait and see if that changes once both leagues wrap up their seasons this fall.
More must-reads: