History of LIV Golf in Timeline
LIV Golf is a professional men's golf tour launched in 2022. Its name, 'LIV,' represents the Roman numerals for 54, the number of holes played in its events. Starting as the LIV Golf Invitational Series, it transitioned into the LIV Golf League in 2023. The inaugural event was held in June 2022 at the Centurion Club in the UK.
2020: Golf Saudi Funds New Golf Entity
In 2020, Golf Saudi funded a new entity, also known as the "Super Golf League", with its own plan to establish a global professional league.
2020: PGA and European Tour Strategic Alliance
In 2020, the PGA European Tour and the PGA Tour formed a "strategic alliance" to collaborate on commercial opportunities, scheduling, and prize funds for their respective members.
October 2021: LIV Golf Investments Launch
In October 2021, LIV Golf Investments was formally launched, with Greg Norman named as CEO, solidifying the establishment of the new golf entity.
2021: Norman Denies Sportswashing
In 2021, Greg Norman denied that he was being used for sportswashing and stated that he works for LIV due to his passion for the sport.
March 2022: LIV Golf Announces First Tournament Schedule
On 17 March 2022, Greg Norman announced the first eight tournament schedule for LIV Golf, featuring $255 million in prize money, no-cut 54-hole tournaments, 48 players, and a team championship.
May 2022: Norman Defends Saudi Crown Prince
In May 2022, Greg Norman defended the involvement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Jamal Khashoggi's murder, saying, "Look, we've all made mistakes, and you just want to learn from those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward."
June 2022: Worldwide Broadcasting Deal with DAZN
In June 2022, LIV Golf signed a worldwide broadcasting deal with video streaming service DAZN, expanding its reach to a global audience.
June 2022: LIV Golf to Evolve into League Format
In June 2022, it was reported that LIV Golf would transition into a league format the following year, featuring a 14-event schedule and 48 contracted players.
June 2022: PGA and European Tours Strengthen Alliance
In June 2022, the PGA and European tours announced a strengthening of their "strategic alliance", with the PGA Tour increasing their stake in European Tour Productions to 40%.
June 2022: First LIV Golf Invitational Series Event
In June 2022, the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event was held at the Centurion Club near St Albans in Hertfordshire, UK, marking the beginning of the LIV Golf tour.
June 2022: Tiger Woods Declined LIV Offer
In a Washington Post interview published on June 5, 2022, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman revealed that Tiger Woods had declined to join LIV Golf, turning down an offer that was "mind-blowingly enormous".
June 2022: Field Released for First LIV Golf Event
On June 1, 2022, the field was released for the first LIV Golf event at the Centurion Club, including notable players like Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, and Lee Westwood.
June 2022: Henrik Stenson Removed as Ryder Cup Captain
On June 20, 2022, the European Tour removed Henrik Stenson as captain of the European Ryder Cup team as a result of his decision to join LIV Golf.
June 2022: PGA Tour Sanctions for LIV Golf Participants
On June 9, 2022, the PGA Tour announced that its members participating in the first LIV Golf tournament would no longer be eligible to compete in tour events or the Presidents Cup and could be sanctioned with fines, suspensions, or bans.
July 2022: LIV Golf Applies for World Ranking Inclusion
In July 2022, LIV Golf formally applied to be included in the Official World Golf Ranking, initiating a process that typically takes 1-2 years.
July 2022: Tiger Woods Criticizes LIV Golf
In July 2022, Tiger Woods expressed his disagreement with golfers joining LIV Golf, stating that they have "turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position."
July 2022: 9/11 Families Condemn Trump
On July 17, 2022, a group of September 11 victims' family members condemned former U.S. President Donald Trump for hosting the LIV Golf tour at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
July 2022: Promotion and Relegation System Announced
On July 27, 2022, Greg Norman announced that LIV Golf would implement a promotion and relegation system, featuring a rankings list and a four-player relegation out of the 48 contracted players.
September 2022: PGA Tour Restricts Japan Golf Tour Members
In September 2022, Sports Illustrated reported that the PGA Tour had sent letters to Japan Golf Tour members, excluding LIV Golf players from their co-sanctioned events, such as the Zozo Championship.
October 2022: LIV Golf Strategic Alliance with MENA Tour
In October 2022, LIV Golf entered into a "strategic alliance" with the MENA Tour, in an attempt to secure ranking points for LIV Golf events.
2022: LIV Golf Recruits New Players
After 2022, LIV Golf continued recruiting new players for its golf league, among them Danny Lee, Thomas Pieters, Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz.
January 2023: LIV Signs Broadcasting Deal with The CW
In January 2023, LIV Golf signed its first national broadcasting deal in the United States with The CW, a broadcast network controlled by Nexstar Media Group.
January 2023: LIV Golf League 2023 Season Schedule Released
In January 2023, the schedule for the second LIV Golf season, now named the LIV Golf League, was released. The season consisted of 14 no-cut 54-hole tournaments in various locations, including new venues in the U.S., Mexico, Singapore, and Australia.
June 2023: LIV Golf, PGA Tour, and PGA European Tour Announce Merger
In June 2023, LIV Golf, the PGA Tour, and the PGA European Tour announced a merger, pooling their commercial rights into a new for-profit venture funded by the Public Investment Fund. The agreement aims to "unify the game of golf on a global basis", end existing litigation, and establish a process for players to re-apply for membership. This merger was controversial among some PGA Tour players.
December 2023: Details About the 2024 LIV Golf Individual Championship Format Not Released
As of December 2023, details about the format of the individual championship for the 2024 LIV Golf season have not been released.
2023: LIV Golf League
In 2023, the Invitational Series transitioned and became the LIV Golf League, marking an evolution in the structure of the tour.
January 31, 2024: PGA Tour Announces Investment by Strategic Sports Group
On January 31, 2024, the PGA Tour announced a $1.5 billion investment into PGA Tour Enterprises by Strategic Sports Group, with a potential second investment following negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Active players would be given an opportunity to receive equity in PGA Tour Enterprises.
March 2024: LIV Golf Ceases Pursuit of World Ranking Points
In March 2024, LIV Golf's CEO, Greg Norman, communicated that the league would no longer pursue its bid for world ranking points.
January 2025: Scott O'Neil Replaces Greg Norman as CEO
On January 15, 2025, Scott O'Neil was announced as the new CEO of LIV Golf, replacing Greg Norman, effective on that same day.
January 2025: LIV Golf Signs Broadcasting Deal with Fox Sports
On January 16, 2025, it was announced that Fox Sports had signed a multi-year deal with LIV Golf to broadcast the tour, with coverage to be divided between Fox Sports 1 and the Fox broadcast network.
February 2025: LIV Golf Signs Broadcasting Deal with ITV
In February 2025, it was announced that ITV had signed a deal to broadcast the 2025 season in the United Kingdom via their ITVX streaming platform, with selected events on ITV1 and ITV4.
