LIV Golf Tour is set to host its inaugural event in London from Thursday, June 9 through Saturday, June 11. As the tournament’s start date approaches, there is growing interest in the fledgling golf circuit.
LIV Golf has managed to lure players like Dustin Johnson,Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen andKevin Nafrom the PGA Tour to join their ranks. While the PGA Tour is still extremely strong, LIV Golf is looking to prove that it is more than just a blip on the radar.
But, what is the LIV Golf Tour? The origins of the newest golf tournament, as well as the significance of the “LIV” in its name, remain a mystery to casual viewers. The tour is summarized here, along with the significance behind its name.
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What is the LIV Golf Tour?
The LIV Golf Circuit is a new tour that is seeking to compete with the PGA Tour. It was commonly referred to as the “Saudi Golf League” during its early days given that it is financially backed by Saudi Arabia.
During its debut season, it will hold eight events. Pros will not be required to commit to a complete calendar and will instead be compensated on a per-event basis. The purses for the eight total events will total $225 million — $20 million will be awarded at the first event in London — while the most notable golfers that are competing in the tour havegotten nine-figure paychecksto defect from the PGA Tour.
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The PGA Tour has stipulated that players must choose between playing in PGA Tour events and in LIV Golf tournaments. Only a few renowned players, like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Kevin Na, have committed to participating on the LIV Golf Tour thus far. Johnson and Na resigned from the PGA Tour because the tour’s regulations prohibited them from competing in LIV Golf Tour tournaments.
It will alsouse a different format than the PGA Tourcompetitions, which is reflected in part by their name.
What does LIV Golf stand for?
The “LIV” in the LIV Golf Tour’s name isn’t an acronym. It is the Roman numeral for the number 54.
What does that mean in the context of the LIV Golf tour? Greg Norman elaborated ina recent interview with Sports Illustrated.
54 is the lowest score you could shoot if you were to birdie every hole on a par-72 course, so there is an aspirational aspect to the thinking. It is also the amount of holes required for each event.
Indeed, LIV Golf players will play just 54 holes in total, as the start-up’s tournaments are only three days long. The majority of PGA Tour events and tournaments run four days and 72 holes.
So, while the LIV Golf Tour may look like a strange name on paper, there is actually a reason they chose it. At the very least, it’s more memorable than the fairly dull “Saudi Golf League” title.
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