What’s next after LIV Golf’s eventful first season?
The controversial inaugural season of the LIV Golf series came to a close this weekend. While members say the future is bright, some questions remain about how LIV and the PGA will coexist.
Stinger GC’s Branden Grace, Four Aces GC’s team captain Dustin Johnson and Smash GC’s Peter Uihlein pose on the podium after being named the top three golfers in LIV Golf at the LIV Golf Invitational-Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on Oct. 30, 2022 in Doral, Florida. Photo (Éric Espada/Getty Images/TNS)
The highest-grossing event of LIV Golf’s inaugural season wrapped up Sunday at Doral. It was also the final event of the season for the controversial Saudi-backed league. When all of that was completed, the total prize pool for all eight events (including individual bonuses) during LIV’s first season stood at $255 million.
The LIV Team Golf Championship at Trump National Doral Miami had a $50 million prize pool up for grabs this weekend, and most of that money was still up for grabs in the third and final round on Sunday. The three -day event began with 16 teams on Friday, but on Sunday, only four teams lived in the first place of $ 16 million on Sunday after four teams were excluded. 。 Four more teams were excluded on Saturday.AceS GC won the first prize for a $ 16 million team. This is divided between golf players Dustinson, Patrick Lead, Taraguru, and Pat Perez. In stroke play Sunday, in which all four players’ individual scores counted toward each team’s score, Johnson, Reed and Perez finished at 2-under par and Gooch at 1-under par to win the tournament with a total of 7-under par.
“We played well as a team,” Perez said. “Yeah, all the rejections, all the negative comments, everything (LIV) has had, I really don’t care at this point. I don’t care. I get paid. I don’t care. My team has played incredible this year. I feel like I’m really a part of something I’ve never been a part of.”
Punch GC finished in second place with a team score of 6 under, taking home the $8 million second-place prize that will be shared between golfers Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby. SMASH GC ranked third in the 4 Rover Team Score, winning $ 6 million. This is divided between golf players Brooks Coepka, Jason Koraku, Peter Uylyain, and CHASE COEP.
The Stinger GC finished in fourth place with 10 command results. This gets the price in fourth place due to an increase of $ 4 million. Pursie. Johnson and Smith played with two two -sides, over the turn on Sunday, built a fairway when at least 1,000 spectators left, and tracked throughout the route.
Smith was the lowest tour at the age of seven, but Johnson won the fourth aunt GC, winning the 18th hole in the last plan to maintain the team. “I don’t like the stress. It was a little more stressful than I thought it would be,” Johnson said when asked about the winning putt. “No. If this were an individual competition, this shot wouldn’t be an issue. It’s direct from one meter. But it was a team thing, and I knew I had to do it for the team to win, so I didn’t really enjoy it. My hands weren’t very steady, and I don’t know where the putter hit, but it went in. Johnson was the big winner of LIV’s first season. Johnson has earned an estimated $35.6 million from eight LIV events. That includes the $18 million prize for winning the season-ending individual championship and a share of the $4 million he earned Sunday for helping 4 Aces GC to the team championship. “It was pretty good,” said Johnson. “I think it should have been much better. But I’m happy with what happened in the end and obviously we won the Tag Team Championships, that’s what we came here for. Personally, my season, if you add up the numbers, it was great. But I played well, I didn’t play at my best. You can always get better, but that’s golf.
