BREAKING: 5 PGA Tour stars LIV Golf would love to sign as Ryder Cup hero tops wish-list
LIV Golf have been able to lure in some of the PGA Tour’s biggest names since forming in June 2022, and there is no doubt they have plans to poach more moving forward
From Phil Mickelson to Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka to Dustin Johnson, LIV Golf have managed to bring in some of the sport’s biggest names from their PGA Tour rivals.
Rahm became the latest mega-money signing to make the Saudi switch, after the Spaniard signed a reported record-breaking deal worth £450 million. He was later joined by his Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton, and with the addition of DP World Tour Player of The Year Adrian Meronk, it proved to be a succesful offseason for the breakaway league.
Moving forward though, there is no doubt the Saudi-backed series have plans to only improve their roster, having gone from strength to strength since its debut event at Centurion in June 2022. A whole host of big names have been linked with signing on the dotted line with Greg Norman and co, and here is a look at five who the Saudi bosses would no doubt be keen to add to their membership.
Viktor Hovland
One man who appears to be at the top of the LIV Golf wish list is one of the PGA Tour’s most prized assets in Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian has announced himself as one of the world’s leading players in recent seasons, topping things off by being crowned FedEx Cup champion in 2023.
Hovland himself sounded off on making the Saudi switch at the end of the last campaign, but did vent his frustration at the PGA Tour’s commissioner Jay Monahan over the handling of the LIV saga. Whilst his loyalties remain with the Tour, a report from the Guardian this week revealed Hovland is still a key target for Norman and his team.
Ludvig Aberg
Hovland’s Ryder Cup partner in Ludvig Aberg has only been on the LIV Golf radar amid his rapid rise over the past year. Aberg is golf’s hottest star, having gone from amateur to the seventh-best player in the world rankings in the space of 10 months.
He only strengthened his position among the world’s best last week, after marking his Masters and major debut at with a runner-up finish at Augusta National. And even prior to his recent run, LIV appeared to have already spotted the talents of the Swede, with Aberg revealing he had turn down the breakaway league on two occasions in 2023.
Hideki Matsuyama
One man who has often been on the radar of LIV recruiters is 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama. Despite speculation linking Matsuyama to the breakaway league, he remains with the PGA Tour – for now. This has not stopped CEO Norman from revealing his keen interest in the green jacket winner though.
“We’ve been trying to get Hideki Matsuyama (over to LIV Golf),” he told Australian Golf Digest. “I don’t mind admitting that. When Hideki won (The Genesis Invitational) in LA, what’s the first thing I did? I said, “Congratulations, Hideki. I’m proud of you, mate.”
Wyndham Clark
Another name backed to follow in the footsteps of Rahm during the offseason is U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark. Whilst he opted to remain with the PGA Tour for 2024, Clark did admit he met with LIV representatives over a possible move. “I definitely met with LIV and went through those discussions,” Clark said after his victory.
“I wanted to see what they could bring to the table. I ultimately declined going to LIV because I felt like I still have a lot of things left in the tank on the PGA Tour and I wanted to chase records, I wanted to chase world ranking.” Clark may well have burnt his bridges with Norman and co though, after taking a brutal swipe at the breakaway league before missing the cut at last week’s Masters.
Rickie Fowler
Clark’s Ryder Cup teammate Rickie Fowler was also on the radar of former world No. 1 Norman, having been linked with a move to the LIV setup on numerous occasions. He too received a mega-money offer to make the Saudi switch, but like the U.S. Open champion opted to decline.
“[Joining LIV] wasn’t the best choice for me,” the six-time PGA Tour winner told the Netflix ‘s Full Swing. ” I’m not out there playing for a pay check, I’m out there playing to compete with the best players in the world and I believe the Tour is the best place to be. I’d like to see it continue to be like that.”
