Pat Perez, Graeme McDowell Could Be Gone as LIV Golf Opens Offseason of Free Agency, Trades
LIV Golf has announced the parameters for offseason player movement, and based on last season’s individual rankings, several players are at risk of losing their spots in the team-format league.
On Wednesday, LIV announced that its player movement period will happen in three “phases,” with renewed contracts, free agency, external recruitment and its December Promotions event all incorporated at various stages.
According to the league, the system marks golf’s “first ever transfer window.”
Several of LIV Golf's teams will have different rosters in 2024.
LIV Golf
In the first phase, players who finished in the top 24 of this year's individual standings will be guaranteed the opportunity to play again in 2024 even if their contracts are expiring (they’ll be renewed for at least a year). But if a player decides not to accept a renewal, he enters free agency.
The next phase of LIV’s movement period opens free agency for the players who finished 25th to 44th in the season-long standings and have expired contracts. Those players are Pat Perez, Graeme McDowell, David Puig, Matt Jones and Bernd Wiesberger. The remaining players in this “open zone” have contracts that extend beyond the 2023 season. For example, Phil Mickelson is ranked No. 39 but will not become a free agent.
Perez and McDowell are in danger of losing their LIV Golf status completely. Perez is a member of 4Aces GC, captained by Dustin Johnson, while past U.S. Open champion McDowell is on the Cleeks, captained by Martin Kaymer.
Teams are not obligated to re-sign free agents and may fill their roster with other eligible players. That includes players from outside of LIV Golf, players who chose to enter free agency from the top 24, or even players from other teams.
Trades between teams are possible during the free agency period.
When four open roster spots remain among LIV’s 12 teams, the free agency period will close. At this point, the third phase of movement begins, in which LIV’s Promotions event will determine which four players earn an exemption into the league for 2024. Andy Ogletree has already determined to be one of those players, as he won the International Series title on the Asian Tour.
As part of Wednesday’s announcement, LIV also revealed that a trading window will open in the middle of the league’s season in 2024. Teams may trade players or negotiate contract extensions at this time.
A LIV “draft” will take place after the Promotions event, in which the top three finishers will be selected by the teams with availability.