LIV Golf free agency is officially underway.
There are currently 10 openings across the 12 LIV Golf League teams ahead of the 2024 season, while four teams – Bryson DeChambeau’s defending champion Crushers GC, the three-captained Majesticks GC, Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC and the South African Stinger GC – all return their full teams.
The players in free agency are those who didn’t re-sign with their current teams from the top 24 in the season-long standings (the Lock Zone), as well as the players with expiring contracts who finished Nos. 25-44 (the Open Zone). Teams can fill their free roster spot by:
- Signing another player in free agency
- Signing an Open Zone player whose contract expired
- Signing or trading for a player contracted with a different team
- Signing an external player who was not a regular member of any 2023 LIV Golf team roster
LIV has minimum criteria for new players “to ensure the competitive integrity of the league,” and teams can’t recruit players under contract with another team without permission from that player’s current team. In other words: no tampering.
The free agency period will end when just four league roster spots remain. These spots are reserved for the winner of The International Series Rankings (Andy Ogletree) and the top three finishers from LIV Golf Promotions.
Here’s how each team currently stands at the start of LIV Golf free agency.
Dustin Johnson and his 2022 team champions have one roster spot available, as Pat Perez is no longer under contract. Perez can still re-sign with the Aces, or Johnson can look elsewhere. Peter Uihlein signed a contract extension after his 12th-place finish in 2023, and Patrick Reed will also return in 2024.
Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks are in desperate need of a new team name as well as two new players, as Bernd Wiesberger and Graeme McDowell (Nos. 41 and 42 in the 2023 standings) are now free agents.
Kaymer finished in a relegation spot but remains exempt as a captain, and Richard Bland has re-signed with the team.
Captain Bryson DeChambeau will return his full slate of players after the Crushers claimed the 2023 team championship. Anirban Lahiri was the squad’s only player with an expiring contract but has accepted an extension. Charles Howell III and Paul Casey remain under contract.
Sergio Garcia’s squad has an open spot after Carlos Ortiz declined a contract extension. Abraham Ancer and Eugenio Chacarra return to join Garcia.
Phil Mickelson talked about the open position on his team at the final event of the season after James Piot finished in the relegation zone. Both Cameron Tringale and Brendan Steele will return.
Sihwan Kim finished in a relegation spot leaving captain Kevin Na with a free spot on his team. Scott Vincent accepted an extension, and Danny Lee remains under contract for next season.
Another full team returns, but should they? The trio of captains Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood are all back, same with Sam Horsfield. The Majesticks finished 11th out of 12 last season, just ahead of the Iron Heads.
Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats are also all returning, with 2023 individual champion Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III and Thomas Pieters all still under contract.
Cameron Smith’s all-Aussie side has two openings with Matt Jones in free agency and Jediah Morgan relegated. Smith and Marc Leishman are the only two confirmed players for 2024.
It looks like Matt Wolff may return for captain Brooks Koepka’s side after the two had a difficult season together, same with Jason Kokrak. Koepka’s brother, Chase Koepka, was relegated, leaving Smash with a free spot.
All four players return for captain Louis Oosthuizen’s team as Branden Grace, Dean Burmester and Charl Schwartzel all remain under contract.
Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz return for Joaquin Niemann’s team, while David Puig has entered free agency.