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After the Jon Rahm coup, the signing campaign of the LIV Golf 2024, the Arab Super League, could end with the hiring of Wyndham Clark. Major champion, the 30-year-old from Denver (Colorado) won first the Wells Fargo Championship (PGA Tour event) in 2023 and then the US Open.
So, he realized his childhood dream of playing the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.
Liv Golf, players
The American should join the "Legio XIII" team led by Rahm. Completing the roster are the young American Caleb Surrat and Kieran Vincent, a 26-year-old from Zimbabwe.
Currently tenth in the world ranking, Wyndham Clark is preparing to leave the PGA Tour for the Arab Green Super League. LIV Golf is a prominent professional golf tour with a unique association to the number 54. The name "LIV" is derived from the Roman numerals for 54, which represents the hypothetical score if every hole on a par-72 course were birdied.
This number also signifies the total number of holes to be played at LIV Golf events. The inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series commenced on June 9, 2022, at the Centurion Club near St Albans in Hertfordshire, UK. Subsequently, in 2023, the Invitational Series evolved into the LIV Golf League.
The financial backing for LIV Golf comes from the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. Some journalists and commentators have suggested that this tour is part of the Saudi monarchy's efforts to enhance its public image through sports, amidst prior criticism for corruption and human rights abuses.
The organizational landscape of LIV Golf is marked by a history of competition and collaboration within the golfing world. The concept of a new golf tour that could rival the PGA Tour was first unveiled in 2019, known as the Premier Golf League.
In response, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan hinted at potential restrictions for golfers participating in this new league. Subsequently, in 2020, the PGA European Tour and the PGA Tour formed a "strategic alliance" to explore opportunities for collaboration in commercial ventures, scheduling, and prize funds.
While the Premier Golf League explored financial partnerships with Saudi investors, Golf Saudi, a division of the Public Investment Fund, initiated its own plan to establish a global professional league, often referred to as the "Super Golf League." This entity officially launched as LIV Golf Investments in October 2021, with former professional golfer Greg Norman appointed as CEO.
LIV Golf has drawn comparisons to the football world's dormant European Super League, often seen as its equivalent in golfing terms. In July 2022, LIV Golf applied for inclusion in the Official World Golf Ranking, a process that typically takes one to two years from application submission to approval and the allocation of OWGR points.
Additionally, in October 2022, LIV Golf entered into a "strategic alliance" with the MENA Tour, with the aim of immediately granting LIV Golf events ranking points. However, it was later confirmed that events in 2022 would not receive points pending a review of changes to the MENA Tour.