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Looks like LIV Golf isn’t going away any time soon.
The Saudi Arabia-funded breakaway golf league will reportedly expand from eight events to 14 in 2023 — and will have 48 players competing for $405 million in purses.
“LIV Golf’s expanding global platform will add a new dimension to the golf ecosystem as we know it, one that provides an opportunity for players and fans around the world to help maximize our beloved sport’s true potential,” CEO and commissioner Greg Norman said in a statement.
While the dates and destinations for next year’s events have not been set, ESPN reported they are expected to not clash with the dates of the four major golf events. LIV Golf competitors currently do not qualify for world ranking points, and therefore would not be able to compete in major events.
LIV Golf has caused plenty of controversy in its inaugural season for being funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and luring golfers away from the PGA and DP World Tour with ridiculous sums of money. High-profile PGA Tour golfers such as Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau have defected to LIV Golf and taken a lot of criticism for doing so.
The breakaway league is also reportedly tempting broadcasters because of its insane bankroll. Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley is currently trying to land a deal with LIV Golf and has been very open about wanting a major salary bump — regardless of the criticism he is facing for wanting money from a country responsible for major human rights violations.
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