LIV Golf is already looking to expand in 2023 with 14 events and a new name

NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — The LIV Golf Invitational Series will include more events and a name change in 2023.

The series will transition to the LIV Golf League next year and the events will grow from eight this year to 14 in future years with 48 contracted players on 12 teams. The number of events will be capped at 14.

The Saudi-backed series has grown faster than expected with eight of the top 50 players, and 20 of the top 100, in the current World Golf Ranking joining LIV to date.

The fields for this year’s eight events are fluid as more players defect from the PGA Tour. This week’s field at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club outside of Portland has nine players not in the inaugural event held outside of London, including Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Matthew Wolff, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz.

The plan for 2023 is to open the season in March with 48 contracted players. The four-man teams will be set before the season, with the  players being selected and recruited by the 12 captains.

The contracts for each player varies with the longest being four years. Phil Mickelson is reported to have signed the largest contract, $200 million, followed by Dustin Johnson at $125 million.

The list of venues has not been finalized. What is known is the number of international sites will expand. This year, the series has stops in England, Bangkok and Saudi Arabia along with five United States sites: Portland; Bedminster, New Jersey; Boston; Chicago; and Miami.

After the first round of this week’s event, Ortiz is the leader of the 54-hole tournament at 5-under, one shot ahead of Johnson.

LIV is receiving $250 million from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and offering purses of $25 million – including $5 million for the top three finishers in the team competition – for the first seven events and $50 million for the series finale in Doral.

The individual winner receives $4 million.

Tom D’Angelo is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at tdangelo@pbpost.com.