LIV Golf was a disruptor in its first year. Now it wants to be an innovator.
Whether you believe it or not, LIV wants to be additive to the professional golf scene and provide fans with a different form of entertainment. It certainly does the latter with its no-cut, shotgun-start events that offer music playing throughout the round and countless activities in its fan village in addition to the on-course product. At times, the festival-like atmosphere makes you forget you’re at a golf tournament.
The upstart circuit has lofty goals of a business model that would eventually be similar to that of the other major team sports in the United States, such as the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, and officials hope that franchising teams will create a revenue stream that the league solely funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund currently doesn’t possess (aside from its first global partner).
When it comes to the league format, those plans are more European than American, especially with its new promotion and relegation system. LIV views open competition not only as a cornerstone of its evolving product, but also as a way to legitimize its place in the professional golf landscape.
Starting later this year, the LIV Golf Promotions Event will help to ensure there are open player pathways for golfers to join the LIV Golf League in 2024.
Here’s how it all works.