Tag: LIV Golf Jeddah

Report: Anthony Kim will make his return to professional golf at LIV Golf Jeddah

Kim last played on the PGA Tour in 2012.

A.K. could be back, after all.

Anthony Kim is set to make his return to professional golf at LIV Golf Jeddah, according to multiple reports. Rumors have swirled for the past couple months about Kim’s possible return, and Friday night into Saturday morning, reports suggest the three-time PGA Tour winner is returning to professional golf and will play as one of the two individuals on the LIV Golf circuit, March 1-3 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia.

Kim, now 38, had surgery on his left Achilles tendon in his left leg following the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship and hasn’t played since, but there have been rumors of his return for some time.

MORE: If Anthony Kim really is coming back to pro golf, here are some things to remember

One of the reported holdups was he would void an insurance policy from his playing days if he returned. It’s worth an estimated $10 million.

However, with LIV Golf’s new format including two wild card players, it opened the door for Kim to reportedly play next week in Jeddah. Each event in 2024 will have 54 players (13 teams of four players each) as well as the two wild cards, who will earn points in the individual standings with the potential to earn a spot on a LIV Golf team down the line.

Since seemingly disappearing from the golf realm, the legend of Kim has grown. Now, he’s set to return after more than a decade away.

LIV Golf Jeddah is the third event of the season. Joaquin Niemann and Dustin Johnson won the first two events earlier this month in Mexico and Las Vegas.

LIV Golf, which starts in three weeks, posts update about two events in 2024

The event in Miami was previously leaked by Donald Trump.

There were early leaks and some speculation but on Friday, LIV Golf confirmed a) what Donald Trump had previously posted on social media and b) that Jeddah will be the host city for the Saudi Arabia stop in 2024.

LIV Golf’s season, which starts Feb. 2 in Mayakoba, Mexico, now has 12 confirmed events with two more – the individual championship and the team championship – still to be announced.

The latest update includes the confirmation that LIV will return to Trump Golf Doral in Miami. That’s the fifth event of 2024, on April 5-7, and will be LIV Golf’s tuneup for the Masters Tournament the next week. The PGA Tour plays its Valero Texas Open in San Antonio the weekend of the Miami event.

Jeddah is the third stop of the season, March 1-3, which is the same weekend as the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches – formerly known as the Honda Classic – at PGA National.

LIV Golf’s 2024 schedule has five events in the U.S. and seven overseas.

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

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

It pays to play well in the LIV Golf League, just ask Brooks Koepka and Talor Gooch.

Koepka, 33, defended his title and won for the third time since he joined the Greg Norman-led and Saudi Arabia-backed circuit at the 2023 LIV Golf Jeddah event at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City on Sunday. For his efforts, Koepka will take home the top prize of $4 million and has now made $13,397,333 on the course this season.

Gooch lost in a playoff to Koepka but will get the last laugh on the way to the bank as the 31-year-old won the season-long individual championship to claim the lucrative $18 million bonus. He earned $2.25 million for finishing second.

Check out how much money each player and team earned at LIV Golf’s final regular season event of its 2023 season.

LIV Golf Jeddah individual prize money

Position Player Score Winnings
1 Brooks Koepka -14 4,000,000
2 Talor Gooch -14 2,250,000
T-3 Harold Varner III -12 1,100,000
T-3 Scott Vincent -12 1,100,000
T-3 Sergio Garcia -12 1,100,000
T-6 Dustin Johnson -11 613,333
T-6 Mito Pereira -11 613,333
T-6 Charles Howell III -11 613,333
T-9 Cameron Tringale -10 437,500
T-9 Joaquin Niemann -10 437,500
T-11 Bernd Wiesberger -8 340,000
T-11 Peter Uihlein -8 340,000
T-11 Abraham Ancer -8 340,000
T-11 Richard Bland -8 340,000
T-11 Eugenio Chacarra -8 340,000
T-11 Bryson DeChambeau -8 340,000
T-17 Lee Westwood -7 250,000
T-17 Carlos Ortiz -7 250,000
T-17 Patrick Reed -7 250,000
T-17 Charl Schwartzel -7 250,000
T-17 Dean Burmester -7 250,000
T-17 Jason Kokrak -7 250,000
T-17 Brendan Steele -7 250,000
T-24 Paul Casey -6 200,000
T-24 Cameron Smith -6 200,000
T-24 David Puig -6 200,000
T-24 Matt Jones -6 200,000
T-24 Martin Kaymer -6 200,000
T-29 Graeme McDowell -5 172,500
T-29 Thomas Pieters -5 172,500
T-29 Phil Mickelson -5 172,500
T-29 Marc Leishman -5 172,500
T-29 Louis Oosthuizen -5 172,500
T-29 Danny Lee -5 172,500
T-35 Kevin Na -4 152,500
T-35 Henrik Stenson -4 152,500
37 Branden Grace -3 147,500
T-38 Matthew Wolff -2 143,750
T-38 Ian Poulter -2 143,750
T-40 Sebastian Munoz Even 136,250
T-40 Pat Perez Even 136,250
T-40 Bubba Watson Even 136,250
T-40 Anirban Lahiri Even 136,250
T-44 Sam Horsfield 2 128,750
T-44 Sihwan Kim 2 128,750
46 James Piot 3 125,000
47 Jediah Morgan 5 122,500
48 Chase Koepka 6 120,000

LIV Golf Jeddah team prize money

Position Team Score Winnings
1 Fireballs GC -34 $3 million
2 RangeGoats GC -31 $1.5 million
3 Cleeks GC -29 500,000

LIV owns a 75 percent stake in each franchise and provided teams with an undisclosed amount of operating capital for the year. The teams are expected to largely run on their own dime this season, with team prize earnings going directly towards day-to-day costs.

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Talor Gooch claims $18 million bonus as season-long 2023 LIV Golf individual champion

Gooch won three events this season to finish atop LIV’s season-long points list.

Talor Gooch made 123 starts on the PGA Tour, picked up one win and earned $9,250,299.

On Sunday he nearly doubled that amount in Saudi Arabia at LIV Golf Jeddah.

The 31-year-old claimed the 2023 LIV Golf League individual title, a season-long points race similar to that of the FedEx Cup. Gooch surpassed Cameron Smith and held off Bryson DeChambeau, the only two other players who had a chance to win the lucrative bonus, and will take home the $18 million prize.

Gooch and Brooks Koepka went to a playoff Sunday at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, where Koepka won after two extra holes. The playoff outcome didn’t matter, however, as Gooch had already secured the individual title regardless of the outcome.

Dustin Johnson was the individual champion in LIV’s inaugural eight-event season last year, where he already had the title locked up before the final regular-season event.

Across 13 events this season Gooch has won three times and picked up five top-10 finishes worth $15,137,066 in individual earnings.

LIV’s season will come to a close next week as it hosts the Team Championship finale at Trump National Doral in Miami, Oct. 20-22.

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Brooks Koepka defends title at LIV Golf Jeddah, beats season-long champion Talor Gooch in playoff

Koepka is a two-time winner this season on the Saudi-backed circuit and three-time winner overall.

Brooks Koepka loves playing golf in Saudi Arabia.

The five-time major champion defended his title at 2023 LIV Golf Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City with a playoff victory over Talor Gooch, who claimed the lucrative season-long individual title. The win is the third of Koepka’s LIV career and second of the season following his victory in Orlando before the Masters in April.

Harold Varner III finished third at 12 under.

Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC claimed the team title in Saudi at 34 under ($3 million), three shots clear of Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC ($1.5 million) and five clear of Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks GC ($500,000). The win is the second of the season for the Fireballs.

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Brooks Koepka takes another shot at Matthew Wolff at LIV Golf Jeddah: ‘There’s only 3 of us on our team’

Safe to say, Wolff won’t be back with Smash GC next season. 

Brooks Koepka isn’t one to mince words.

Koepka, the defending champion at LIV Golf Jeddah, has a three-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and Charles Howell III heading into the final round in King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia. He has talked following both of his rounds this week, but it’s what he said after Friday’s opening 18 at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club that is peak Koepka.

Koepka was asked a question about the brotherhood of his Smash GC team, which includes his brother, Chase Koepka, along with Jason Kokrak and Matthew Wolff. However, Koepka’s answer makes it seem he has a different view of his team.

“There’s only three of us on our team,” Koepka said. “I mean, obviously my brother, I’m pretty tight with him, and then — I’ve enjoyed being around Jay for the last — I’ve been pretty close with Jay for maybe the last three years. I’ve enjoyed being around him. He’s a good player, super talented. It’s been fun to be around him, and he’s played pretty solid this year. Yeah, I can’t say anything bad about him.”

Wolff? Not mentioned.

In July, Koepka called out Wolff’s work ethic and attitude. In return, Wolff questioned Koepka’s leadership.

This week, Wolff is T-42 at 1 over. He has only one finish better than 34th since LIV Golf Adelaide in April, a fifth at the Greenbrier. He’s also 25th in the season-long points race, meaning he can be traded or released from his team during the offseason transfer period.

Safe to say, Wolff won’t be back with Smash GC next season.

Big money, byes and 2024 eligibility all on the line as LIV Golf returns to Saudi Arabia

A lot is on the line at LIV Golf’s regular-season finale in the Kingdom.

The LIV Golf League returns to action this week with the final event of its regular season in Saudi Arabia, where tens of millions of dollars, first-round byes and future eligibility are all on the line.

At the end of LIV Golf Jeddah, once again held at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, the season-long individual champion will be decided and the winner will take home the lucrative $18 million top prize. Dustin Johnson won the individual title a week before last year’s season finale, but this year’s race is much closer with three players in the mix: Cam Smith, Talor Gooch and Bryson DeChambeau.

Here’s a rundown of what’s on the line this week at LIV Golf Jeddah.

LIV Golf moves season finale from Saudi Arabia back to Trump National Doral

Last year’s team championship was also held at the former president’s property near Miami.

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LIV Golf planned to host its 2023 season finale in Saudi Arabia, but has since changed its mind.

The LIV Golf Team Championship will now once again take place at Trump National Doral Golf Club near Miami, Oct. 20-22, just as it did in the upstart Saudi-backed circuit’s inaugural year.

LIV Golf Jeddah was previously scheduled to be the team championship, Nov. 3-5 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, but will now be held the week before the team championship, Oct. 13-15.

The team championship at Doral last season was LIV’s best event of its opening eight in 2022. The original plan to hold the season finale in Saudi Arabia was puzzling due to the lack of fans and poor TV window, and a move back to the Miami area makes sense as LIV continues to find its footing in the professional golf scene.

The final team standings following LIV Golf Jeddah will set the seeds for the team championship, and the top four teams will receive first-round byes. As of now, Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC, Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC, Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC and Stinger GC would earn the byes.

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How much money each player earned at LIV Golf Jeddah in Saudi Arabia

Brooks Koepka took home the $4 million top prize after a three-hole playoff.

A $4 million playoff broke out in LIV Golf’s regular-season finale in Saudi Arabia, and three holes later it was Brooks Koepka who emerged victorious.

The four-time major champion outdueled Peter Uihlein to win for the first time on the upstart circuit led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, claiming the top prize of $4 million while Uihlein walked away with $2.125 million. Martin Kaymer and Kevin Na, who both withdrew from the event, pocketed $121,000.

Check out the prize money payouts for each player at the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series event in Saudi Arabia.

Position Player Score Earnings
1* Brooks Koepka -12 $4,000,000
2 Peter Uihlein -12 $2,125,000
T3 Joaquin Niemann -11 $1,275,000
T3 Sergio Garcia -11 $1,275,000
T5 Matthew Wolff -10 $816,667
T5 Dustin Johnson -10 $816,667
T5 Paul Casey -10 $816,667
T8 Bernd Wiesberger -9 $602,500
T8 Charl Schwartzel -9 $602,500
T10 Anirban Lahiri -8 $550,000
T10 Abraham Ancer -8 $550,000
T12 Talor Gooch -7 $289,714
T12 Jediah Morgan -7 $289,714
T12 Chase Koepka -7 $289,714
T12 Lee Westwood -7 $289,714
T12 Graeme McDowell -7 $289,714
T12 Patrick Reed -7 $289,714
T12 Carlos Ortiz -7 $289,714
T19 Charles Howell Iii -6 $210,000
T19 Sihwan Kim -6 $210,000
T21 Bryson DeChambeau -5 $172,500
T21 Cameron Smith -5 $172,500
T21 Jason Kokrak -5 $172,500
T21 James Piot -5 $172,500
T25 Phachara Khongwatmai -4 $164,000
T25 Richard Bland -4 $164,000
T25 Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra -4 $164,000
T28 Branden Grace -3 $156,000
T28 Sam Horsfield -3 $156,000
T28 Laurie Canter -3 $156,000
T28 Louis Oosthuizen -3 $156,000
T28 Ian Poulter -3 $156,000
T33 Harold Varner III -2 $149,000
T33 Hideto Tanihara -2 $149,000
T35 Marc Leishman -1 $144,000
T35 Wade Ormsby -1 $144,000
T35 Phil Mickelson -1 $144,000
T38 Henrik Stenson 1 $138,000
T38 Sadom Kaewkanjana 1 $138,000
T38 Turk Pettit 1 $138,000
T41 Hudson Swafford 2 $131,000
T41 Cameron Tringale 2 $131,000
T41 Scott Vincent 2 $131,000
T41 Shaun Norris 2 $131,000
45 Matt Jones 3 $126,000
46 Pat Perez 6 $124,000
— Martin Kaymer WD $121,000
— Kevin Na WD $121,000

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Brooks Koepka defeats teammate Peter Uihlein in three-hole playoff to win LIV Golf Jeddah in Saudi Arabia

Koepka and Uihlein’s Smash GC claimed the team title and $3 million prize at 33 under.

LIV Golf’s regular-season finale in the Kingdom couldn’t be decided with just 54 holes.

Smash GC teammates Brooks Koepka and Peter Uihlein squared off in a $4 million playoff at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia after both players finished Sunday’s final round tied at 12 under. Repeating the 18th hole until a winner was decided, each player made birdie on the first two playoff holes before Koepka sealed the deal the third time around after Uihlein’s shot from the greenside bunker found the water.

Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia finished T-3 at 11 under with Matthew Wolff, Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey T-5 at 10 under.

On the team side, Koepka and Uihlein’s Smash GC claimed the team title and $3 million prize at 33 under. Garcia’s Fireballs GC finished second, six strokes back at 27 under, with Crushers GC and 4 Aces GC T-3 at 26 under.

The series will return stateside for the LIV Golf Team Championship in Miami at Trump National Doral, Oct. 28-30, where teams will compete for $50 million.

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