LIV Golf League announces 2023 schedule, $405 million in prize money

LIV Golf, the newly formed golf tour that rivals the PGA tour, has announced its 2023 slate, which will hold 14 tournaments and a total purse of $405 million. 

While the tour did not formally announce the dates and sites of the 14 events, LIV Golf did say that the 2023 season will have 48 golfers playing on 12 established team franchises. It will be the official launch of the LIV Golf League. 

In its announcement, LIV said that none of the 2023 tournaments will conflict with golf’s four major championships so that the “best players in the game will always be able to make their own choices about where to play.”

“LIV Golf’s expanding global platform will add a new dimension to the golf ecosystem as we know it, one that provides an opportunity for players and fans around the world to help maximize our beloved sport’s true potential,” said Greg Norman, CEO and Commissioner of LIV Golf. 

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“Our franchise model will bring new energy and excitement to fans from all corners of the world, establishing a league of teams to connect and grow with. The International Series will attract new talent and offer unprecedented pathways that develop the next generation of stars. LIV Golf is committed to making sustainable investments that grow the game now and for the future, and we are proud to turn these dreams into a reality.”

LIV Golf also announced its International Series which will showcase events all over the world, brining the total number of 2023 tournaments to 25. 

The tour has caused a whirlwind of controversy around the game of golf, as the Saudi-backed LIV Tour has pulled multiple stars away from the PGA Tour. 

Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are just a few of the big names to join the new tour. 

Prior to the start of the Open Championship in July, 15-time major champion Tiger Woods weighed in on the new tour, saying that the golfers who chose to join LIV “turned their backs” on the PGA Tour. 

“I disagree with it,” Woods said when asked about the LIV Tour and those who have joined. “I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position. Some players have never got a chance to even experience it. They’ve gone right from the amateur ranks right into that organization. And never really had a chance to play out here and what it feels like to play a tour schedule or play in some big events.”

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While both the U.S. Open and the British Open allowed members of LIV golf to compete in the 2022 tournaments, R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers told reporters that the committee reserves the right to make changes moving forward. 

“Looking ahead to the Open next year, we have been asked quite frequently about banning players,” Slumbers said. “Let me be very clear, that’s not on our agenda. But what is on our agenda, is that we will review our exemption and qualifications criteria for the Open. And once we do that every year, we absolutely reserve the right to make changes as our Open Championships committee deems appropriate.”