Breakaway circuit LIV Golf, funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), will only visit six countries despite adding 6 tournaments to its schedule in 2023. That’s just two more than when of the first season.
United States, England, Thailand and Saudi Arabia were the first nations of the famous “growing the game of golf”, the policy of “expanding the game”, a strong argument for the creation of the new circuit.
But next year there will only be 6 countries visited by the “mercenaries” of LIV and their 12 teams of 4 players.
LIV vs PGA Tour
According to information that has leaked in recent hours, the country from which the funds that finance the LIV Golf Invitational Series come from, namely Saudi Arabia, is no longer on the program.
Surprising to say the least for a tour supposed to develop the practice all over the planet. In fact, it is indeed a war against the PGA Tour that Greg Norman is waging with 9 of his 14 tournaments organized on American soil.
Still without a TV broadcaster in the USA, circuit officials are no doubt hoping to attract a major American network.
Here are the 14 sites selected to host the LIV Golf tournaments in 2023:
LIV Mayakoba (El Camaleon, Mexico)
LIV Arizona (The Gallery, USA)
LIV Florida (TBC, USA)
LIV Adelaide (The Grange, Australia)
LIV Singapore (Sentosa, Singapore)
LIV Oklahoma (Cedar Ridge, USA)
LIV Washington (National Trump, USA)
LIV Boston (The International, USA)
LIV Spain (Valderrama, Spain)
LIV London (Centurion Club, England)
LIV West Virginia (The Greenbrier, USA)
LIV Bedminster (National Trump, USA)
LIV Chicago (Rich Harvest Farms, USA)
Season Finale (Trump Doral, USA)
Exit Saudi Arabia
If the sites above are correct, it would mean that five of the 8 courses on the 2022 calendar are carried over – Boston (The International), London (Centurion Club), Bedminster (Trump National), Chicago (Rich Harvest Farms) and the final of the tag team championship in Miami (Trump Doral).
Exit Thailand or Saudi Arabia.
Mexico, Australia, Singapore and Spain, on the other hand, are appearing with official confirmation announced earlier this week.
Two historic European Tour routes
As we announced the Mayakoba Resort in Mexico, which has hosted a PGA Tour tournament since 2007, will be the inaugural tournament of the new season. This course designed by Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf Investments, has terminated its contract with the PGA Tour.
Australia is also in the spotlight following the successful major catch at the end of August with the arrival of the winner of The Open, Cameron Smith.
Singapore and the renowned Sentosa GC course which hosted European Tour players on many occasions in the 2000s, as well as Spain with the iconic Valderrama routethe first site to have hosted the Ryder Cup in continental Europe under the impetus of Seve Ballesteros (1997) made a remarkable entrance.
Dates before the majors
Note that no date conflicts with adults. No event is also organized in front of the famous new “boosted” tournaments of the PGA Tour.
Only one tournament, the second week of August in Bedminster, will take place on the same dates as the first meeting of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
On the other hand the 4 weeks which precede the majors the rebellious players loving freedom and wishing to devote more time to their family will be on deck. In Florida before the Masters in Georgia, in Oklahoma before the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in New York State, in Boston before the US Open scheduled for Los Angeles and in London before The Open at Royal Liverpool.
With this stopgap strategy it is clear that the LIV wishes to take advantage of the weak competition of the PGA Tour tournaments on these dates to succeed in convincing a broadcaster.
This is going to be the last thing I say about @livgolfinv. We have discussed this with @flushingitgolf . 5 International events is poverty. https://t.co/V8yo69pTFc
— DISABILITY 54 (@disability_54) December 2, 2022
Finally, it should be noted that to date three courses belonging to Donald Trump are on the program. Confirming the resentment still alive vis-à-vis the former president’s PGA of America since the decision to withdraw the organization of the PGA Championship at the Bedminster site in 2020 following the Capitol attacks.
Photo by©Giorgio VIERA / AFP
