The ratings are out, and less than 100K people tuned in for LIV Golf’s individual championship finale

Only 89,000 people tuned in on the CW to watch Jon Rahm win the title.

LIV Golf’s slogan is Golf, but Louder, but is it?

The Nielsen ratings are out for this weekend, and the ratings for LIV Golf in its individual championship at LIV Golf Chicago were some of the lowest of the season.

Only 89,000 people tuned in on the CW to watch Jon Rahm win the title Sunday, and on Saturday in the second round, which LIV Golf said was its highest-attended round in the United States ever, drew 134,000 viewers on TV.

Those numbers don’t include LIV Golf Plus, but regardless, it paints a stark picture of fan interest in the breakaway league that concludes its third season this week at the Team Championship at Maridoe in Dallas.

https://twitter.com/SportsTVRatings/status/1836090669028544565

Also on Sunday, the Solheim Cup drew an audience of 657K, seven times more than those who watched LIV. For comparison, the Solheim Cup ended about 2:45 p.m. ET Sunday, and LIV Golf Chicago concluded at 6:05 p.m. ET, so they weren’t competing head to head.

As fans of the game continue to be turned off about discussions of PGA Tour vs. LIV and the ongoing push to bring the top players back together, LIV’s TV ratings have yet to take off.

Also with direct competition from college football and the NFL, it’s hard to imagine people turning off football to watch LIV Golf, and the numbers show that.

Rahm won Sunday, making $22 million in the process. That’s $247 and some change for every viewer who tuned in.

Golfers are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world right now. But as LIV and the Public Investment Fund look ahead to what’s next for the league, it’s hard to imagine fan interest changing.

With three years of data, people are not tuning in to watch LIV Golf on TV.

2024 LIV Golf Chicago prize money payouts for each player and team

Another big pay day for the Spaniard.

Jon Rahm made more than $50 million in his time on the PGA Tour, and his pockets have only gotten deeper since moving to LIV Golf.

Rahm won for the second time in three starts Sunday, capturing the title at 2024 LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook Golf Club. He was brilliant on the weekend, recording no bogeys the final two rounds, and he shot 4-under 66 on Sunday to win by three shots over Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia.

In addition to the $4 million Rahm receives for his win Sunday, he also clinched the season-long individual championship and the $18 million prize that comes with that. In his 12 events, Rahm’s worst finish was T-10.

With $20 million up for grabs, check out how much money each player and team earned at 2024 LIV Golf Chicago.

Individual prize money

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Jon Rahm -11 $4,000,000
T2 Joaquín Niemann -8 $1,875,000
T2 Sergio Garcia -8 $1,875,000
4 Tyrrell Hatton -7 $1,000,000
5 Ian Poulter -6 $800,000
T6 Henrik Stenson -5 $534,500
T6 Anirban Lahiri -5 $534,500
T6 Bryson DeChambeau -5 $534,500
T6 Lucas Herbert -5 $534,500
T6 Brooks Koepka -5 $534,500
T11 Abraham Ancer -4 $370,000
T11 Thomas Pieters -4 $370,000
T13 Harold Varner III -3 $330,000
T13 Paul Casey -3 $330,000
T15 Talor Gooch -2 $273,000
T15 Jinichiro Kozuma -2 $273,000
T15 Peter Uihlein -2 $273,000
T15 Richard Bland -2 $273,000
T15 Kalle Samooja -2 $273,000
T20 Sebastián Muñoz -1 $230,000
T20 David Puig -1 $230,000
T20 Carlos Ortiz -1 $230,000
T23 Kieran Vincent E $190,715
T23 Graeme McDowell E $190,715
T23 Phil Mickelson E $190,715
T23 Matt Jones E $190,715
T23 Kevin Na E $190,715
T23 Scott Vincent E $190,715
T23 Adrian Meronk E $190,715
T30 Brendan Steele 1 $162,500
T30 Louis Oosthuizen 1 $162,500
T30 Patrick Reed 1 $162,500
T30 Danny Lee 1 $162,500
T34 Cameron Tringale 2 $144,000
T34 Marc Leishman 2 $144,000
T34 Branden Grace 2 $144,000
T34 Martin Kaymer 2 $144,000
T34 Sam Horsfield 2 $144,000
T34 Dustin Johnson 2 $144,000
T40 Andy Ogletree 3 $134,000
T40 Eugenio Chacarra 3 $134,000
T42 Bubba Watson 4 $126,200
T42 Anthony Kim 4 $126,200
T42 Charles Howell III 4 $126,200
T42 Dean Burmester 4 $126,200
T42 Charl Schwartzel 4 $126,200
T47 Matthew Wolff 5 $90,750
T47 Pat Perez 5 $90,750
T47 Lee Westwood 5 $90,750
T47 Mito Pereira 5 $90,750
51 Jason Kokrak 6 $60,000
52 Cameron Smith 10 $50,000
53 Hudson Swafford 13 $50,000
54 Caleb Surratt 18 $50,000

Team prize money

Position Team Score Earnings
1 Crushers GC -14 $3,000,000
2 Legion XIII -13 $1,500,000
3 Fireballs GC -12 $500,000

 

Jon Rahm claims $18 million bonus as 2024 LIV Golf individual champion after win in Chicago

Rahm didn’t place outside of the top 10 this season.

When Jon Rahm signed late last year with LIV Golf, he instantly became the best player in the league.

He backed that up all season long, and he was rewarded for it Sunday.

The 29-year-old claimed the 2024 LIV Golf League individual title, a season-long points race similar to that of the FedEx Cup. Rahm held off Joaquin Niemann, the only other player who had a chance to win the lucrative bonus, and will take home the $18 million prize.

Rahm won for the second time this season Sunday, capturing the title at 2024 LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook Golf Club. It was his second victory of the year, and he didn’t place worse than T-10 in 12 events (he withdrew due to injury from LIV Golf Houston in June).

Dustin Johnson won the individual champion in LIV’s inaugural eight-event season in 2022, and last year, it was Talor Gooch taking home the title after a three-win season.

In addition to his two wins and 12 top-10 finishes, Rahm earned $16,737,904 in individual earnings.

LIV’s season will come to a close at the Team Championship finale at Maridoe in Dallas, Sept. 20-22.

Jon Rahm wins 2024 LIV Golf Chicago for second victory in three starts

Rahm’s worst finish in his last three starts is second.

For the second time in three events, Jon Rahm is a winner, this time at 2024 LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook.

Rahm has finished first-second-first in his past three LIV Golf events. On Sunday at Bolingbrook Golf Club outside of Chicago, Rahm shot 4-under 66 in the final round to finish at 11 under for the week, three shots in front of Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia.

For Rahm, in addition to the $4 million he takes home for his victory, the win also clinched him the season-long individual championship and the $18 million prize. Only Niemann or Rahm could clinch the individual championship this week, and the Spaniard took it home in his first year with the LIV Golf League.

Rahm didn’t finish worse than T-10 in his 12 events this year. Niemann, who also won twice, shot a bogey-free 66 on Sunday, but Rahm’s brilliance, which included a stellar birdie on the par-3 17th, was enough for the win.

In the team competition, Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC won and clinched the first seed for the LIV Golf Team Championship next week at Maridoe in Dallas. Crushers GC won the team title last season at Doral in Miami. Rahm’s Legion XIII will be the second seed while Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC is the third team with an opening bye.

IronHeads GC finished last in the team standings, meaning it will be the only team not participating next week.

Photos: 2024 LIV Golf Chicago at Bolingbrook Golf Club

It’s the penultimate event of the season.

The penultimate event on LIV Golf’s 2024 schedule has arrived at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Illinois, outside Chicago.

Brooks Koepka is looking to go 3-for-3 in the circuit’s regular-season finale. A win could earn him a spot on the podium at the season-long Individual Championship, although he can’t finish higher than third. The season’s individual race is now a two-man pursuit between Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann. Koepka needs to win in Chicago and have current third-place Tyrrell Hatton to finish lower than third.

Koepka has a LIV-high five victories, including LIV Golf Greenbrier earlier this year.

Bolingbrook Golf Club is hosting LIV Golf for the first time.

Check out some images below.

Why isn’t LIV Golf returning to Rich Harvest Farms? League picks new course near Chicago for 2024 individual championship

The league will end its two-year relationship with Rich Harvest Farms later this season.

Nearly midway through its 14-event 2024 season, LIV Golf has finally announced the host course for its regular season finale.

Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Illinois, 30 minutes outside of Chicago, will host the 2024 Individual Championship, Sept. 13-15, ending the league’s two-year relationship with Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

“It’s been decided that after two successful seasons at Rich Harvest Farms, the club’s membership will not have any disruptions to its play this year,” Rich Harvest Farms General Manager Jonathan Meagher told Golfweek. “We are pleased to see that LIV Golf continues to have an event in the Chicagoland area.”

Meagher also noted a LIV Golf to Rich Harvest Farms has not been ruled out for any year past 2024.

The 13th tournament of the season, the LIV Golf Chicago event will determine team seeds for the 2024 Team Championship (location to be announced), crown the season’s individual champion and solidify player status for 2025. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, May 8.

“The passionate sports fans of Chicago have embraced the intense competition and fan-first experience that LIV Golf delivers, and this year it will be an incredible setting for a high-stakes event as players battle it out for the individual title and a roster spot for 2025,” said Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman. “We’re thrilled to return to Illinois with an event at Bolingbrook Golf Club as we celebrate the season-long race and set the stage for the 2024 finale.”

For those unfamiliar with Bolingbrook Golf Club, the course was designed by architect Arthur Hills and his partner Steve Forrest, and features a 156-yard island green on the 15th hole.

This week the league will tee up its seventh event of the season at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore, May 3-5.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=451198867]

2023 LIV Golf Chicago prize money payouts for each player and team

It pays to play well on the Saudi-backed circuit.

Another win, another $4 million for Bryson DeChambeau on the LIV Golf League.

DeChambeau won seven weeks ago at the LIV Golf Greenbrier event. On Sunday near Chicago, he did it again, posting a final-round 63 at Rich Harvest Farms. He’s now at $13 million for the season on LIV.

DeChambeau  has 12 professional wins: PGA Tour (8), DP World Tour (2), LIV Golf (2) and Korn Ferry Tour (1).

In the team competition, DeChambeau’s Crushers team, which also has Anirban Lahiri, Charles Howell III and Paul Casey, split $3 million. The Fireballs (Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Eugenio Chacarra, Carlos Ortiz) shared in the $1.5 million second-place team prize. The 4 Aces (Dustin Johnson, Peter Uihlein, Pat Perez, Patrick Reed) will divvy up $500,000.

[pickup_prop id=”33324″]

Finish Golfer Score Money
1 Bryson DeChambeau -13 $4,000,000
T2 Marc Leishman -12 $1,812,500
T2 Anirban Lahiri -12 $1,812,500
4 Sebastian Munoz -11 $1,050,000
T5 Peter Uihlein -10 $768,750
T5 Henrik Stenson -10 $768,750
T5 Talor Gooch -10 $768,750
T5 Abraham Ancer -10 $768,750
T9 Richard Bland -9 $570,000
T9 Dustin Johnson -9 $570,000
T11 Brendan Steele -8 $450,000
T11 Carlos Ortiz -8 $450,000
T11 Thomas Pieters -8 $450,000
T14 Sergio Garcia -7 $248,000
T14 Sam Horsfield -7 $248,000
T14 Eugenio Chacarra -7 $248,000
T14 Scott Vincent -7 $248,000
T18 Charles Howell III -6 $194,667
T18 Joaquin Niemann -6 $194,667
T18 Charl Schwartzel -6 $194,667
T18 Patrick Reed -6 $194,667
T18 Dean Burmester -6 $194,667
T18 Louis Oosthuizen -6 $194,667
T24 Bubba Watson -5 $165,000
T24 Jason Kokrak -5 $165,000
T24 Brooks Koepka -5 $165,000
T24 Ian Poulter -5 $165,000
28 Matt Jones -4 $160,000
T29 Harold Vaner III -3 $156,000
T29 Pat Perez -3 $156,000
T29 Branden Grace -3 $156,000
T32 Paul Casey -2 $148,000
T32 Kevin Na -2 $148,000
T32 Mito Pereira -2 $148,000
T32 Graeme McDowell -2 $148,000
T32 David Puig -2 $148,000
T37 Bernd Wiesberger E $139,000
T37 Jediah Morgan E $139,000
T37 Cameron Smith E $139,000
T37 Cameron Tringale E $139,000
T41 James Piot 1 $132,000
T41 Martin Kaymer 1 $132,000
T41 Lee Westwood 1 $132,000
44 Matthew Wolff 2 $128,000
45 Phil Mickelson 5 $126,000
46 Sihwan Kim 6 $124,000
47 Chase Koepka 7 $122,000
48 Danny Lee 8 $120,000

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=451198867]

Bryson DeChambeau shoots a Sunday 63, rallies to capture LIV Golf Chicago event

DeChambeau has two LIV wins in 2023, tied with Cam Smith, one one back of Talor Gooch.

Sebastian Munoz led by three shots after 36 holes at Rich Harvest Farms but couldn’t hold on to the lead, shooting 2 over in Sunday’s final round.

Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau went on a charge, posting nine birdies and just a single bogey to shoot an 8-under 63 to win for the second time on the LIV Golf League this season. DeChambeau finished 13 under and won by a shot over Marc Leishman and Anirban Lahiri.

Lahiri had a chance to force a playoff but missed a putt on the 18th hole.

“To be honest with you, I was actually sad,” said DeChambeau. “I really wanted him to make that so we could go battle it off in a playoff and finish it off the right way. That was the first emotion that I had.”

In August, DeChambeau won the LIV Golf Greenbrier event after he closed with a final-round 58. He joins Cam Smith with two wins in 2023. Talor Gooch leads the circuit with three wins.

In the season-long race for the Individual Champion, there’s only three golfers now who can claim that title: Gooch, Smith and DeChambeau. Smith currently leads that race with Gooch second and DeChambeau third. Smith and Gooch have mathematically clinched a spot in the top three. DeChambeau still has a shot at winning that title but could also get bumped out of the top three. Five golfers have a chance to finish in third (but they’re too far back to win the season title): Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Brendan Grace, Dustin Johnson and Mito Pereira.

Koepka finished 24th in the 48-man field. He’s the lone LIV golfer headed to Rome for the Ryder Cup next week. In fact, he’s the only one of the 24 golfers on either Ryder Cup team to compete this week (Euro vice captain Edoardo Molinari did tie for 28th at the DP World Tour’s French Open).

LIV Golf Chicago was the 12th of 14 events on the 2023 schedule. LIV Golf Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is up next, Oct. 13-15. The season finale is the LIV Golf Team Championship at Doral, Oct. 20-22.

New dad Brooks Koepka readies for Ryder Cup at LIV Golf Chicago

As the only LIV golfer on the U.S. squad, Koepka says he’s “just happy to be on the team.”

With the PGA Tour enjoying a rare off week on the schedule, 11 of the 12 members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team are likely practicing at home for next week’s clash with Team Europe in Rome. But not Brooks Koepka, who will be dusting off any potential rust at Rich Harvest Farms, site of the 2023 LIV Golf Chicago event, the 12th of a 14-event schedule this season.

Koepka was the only LIV golfer picked to play in the 2023 Ryder Cup. He held the sixth and final automatic qualifying spot for the American squad until the final point-counting event at the BMW Championship, which left U.S. Captain Zach Johnson with the unenviable task of deciding if he wanted to include a LIV player on his team.

Koepka slipped to seventh based on a lack of point-gathering opportunities but his PGA Championship win and tie for second at the Masters were enough to convince Johnson that he was worthy of selection to the 12-man squad.

“I’m a pick this year, a little different. Would have liked to make it on my own but it was close,” Koepka said Wednesday during a pre-tournament press conference. “Just happy to be on the team. We went over to Rome a few, what was it, maybe a week and a half ago now. Good trip. Most of the guys were there. Got to see the golf course. It’s pretty difficult, but it will be interesting to see how they set it up.”

What also presumably helped his chances of wearing the red, white and blue once again was the pending merger of the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The PGA of America runs the U.S. Ryder Cup side of things but the forthcoming merger made the presence of LIV golfers on the team more palatable. But more than anything, Koepka proved during the course of the year that he’s healthy again and a healthy Koepka is a dangerous Koepka, especially at the biggest events. The bigger the stage, the better Koepka has performed throughout his career and the Ryder Cup certainly qualifies as one of the biggest stages.

“I mean, look, I think it’s one of the top six, seven, biggest sporting events you can have. So I like it when there’s a little bit more eyeballs, a little bit more pressure,” he said.

And playing team golf on LIV is not the same as what it’ll be at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

“It’s obviously different with the whole team thing. Sometimes you don’t play every match so you are just cheerleading from the side, which can be quite fun as well,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been great and I’m looking forward to it.”

Koepka is also learning the ropes of fatherhood. He finished tied for 38th in the LIV’s 48-man field at the last event, just after he and wife Jena welcomed their son into the world. He says being a dad “definitely” has changed him.

In what ways?

“You start to see him, and it’s more about like the hard work, about the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that no one sees. … I don’t want to him to have any example of somebody being lazy, just dragging their butt. It’s, if you put the hard work in, you will get the results eventually, doesn’t matter what you do,” Koepka said. “I think trying to set a good example. I know he’s 2 months old and has no clue about that now but it becomes a hell of a lot easier when you get older. I just want him to see what hard work is.”

Full breakdown of LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok prize money payouts

It was a big payday for first-time winner Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra.

It was a big payday for first-time winner Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra.

In his fifth start on the upstart LIV Golf Series, the former Oklahoma State standout found the winner’s circle in Bangkok and pocketed $4 million along the way. He also bagged another $750,000 for being a member of the winning team, the Fireballs, who also have Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz.

Lopez-Chacarra finished at 19 under. Three shots back was Patrick Reed. There was a three-way tie for third at 18 under by Richard Bland, Paul Casey and Sihwan Kim.

Brendan Grace withdrew from the event and still banked $120,000.

Check out the full prize money payouts for each player at LIV Golf Invitational-Bangkok.

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra -19 $4,000,000
2 Patrick Reed -16 $2,125,000
T3 Paul Casey -15 $1,175,000
T3 Richard Bland -15 $1,175,000
T3 Sihwan Kim -15 $1,175,000
T6 Harold Varner III -14 $737,500
T6 James Piot -14 $737,500
T8 Brooks Koepka -13 $602,500
T8 Charles Howell III -13 $602,500
T10 Abraham Ancer -11 $477,500
T10 Laurie Canter -11 $477,500
T10 Ian Poulter -11 $477,500
T10 Mark Leishman -11 $477,500
14 Bryson DeChambeau -10 $270,000
T15 Matt Jones -9 $233,600
T15 Dustin Johnson -9 $233,600
T15 Phil Mickelson -9 $233,600
T15 Carlos Ortiz -9 $233,600
T15 Lee Westwood -9 $233,600
T20 Joaquin Niemann -8 $174,286
T20 Sergio Garcia -8 $174,286
T20 Sadom Kaewkanjana -8 $174,286
T20 Peter Uihlein -8 $174,286
T20 Talor Gooch -8 $174,286
T20 Jediah Morgan -8 $174,286
T20 Kevin Na -8 $174,286
T27 Charl Schwartzel -7 $157,000
T27 Phachara Khongwatmai -7 $157,000
T27 Shaun Norris -7 $157,000
T27 Jason Kokrak -7 $157,000
T27 Turk Pettit -7 $157,000
T27 Wade Ormsby -7 $157,000
T33 Chase Koepka -6 $144,000
T33 Sam Horsfield -6 $144,000
T33 Bernd Wiesberger 6 $144,000
T33 Henrik Stenson -6 $144,000
T33 Martin Kaymer -6 $144,000
T33 Hudson Swafford -6 $144,000
T33 Cameron Tringale -6 $144,000
40 Pat Perez -5 $136,000
T41 Anirban Lahiri -4 $131,000
T41 Cameron Smith -4 $131,000
T41 Graeme McDowell -4 $131,000
T41 Matthew Wolff -4 $131,000
T45 Louis Oosthuizen E $125,000
T45 Scott Vincent E $125,000
47 Hideto Tanihara +1 $122,000
WD Branden Grace $120,000

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]