RELATED: LIV Golf stars will have to pay up to four times their signing fee if they decide to opt out of the Saudi-backed series’…leaving some players to face potential fines of more than $400m
If the LIV Golf defectors had a change of heart and wanted out of their lucrative contracts, there was a significant cost, according to the reports.
The Saudi-backed series has shaken up the golf world well and truly as the controversial breakaway league rivals the traditional PGA Tour.
The Rebel circuit has lured players like Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka into big money deals with the former, the contract reportedly worth $200 million, while the latter receiving $100 million.
But the LIV stars will have to pay up to four times their signing fee if they want to leave the breakaway tour, according to reports. Sports Illustrated.
The report claims players will be penalized with an exit clause of either two, three or four times their signing bonus if they wish to leave before the deal expires after the 2025 season.
LIV Golf superstars Phil Mickelson (L) and Brooks Koepka (R) are said to have great exit terms
Rory McIlroy (C) and Tiger Woods (R) of the PGA Tour have been notable critics of LIV Golf
Dustin Johnson and Bryson Dechambeau also switched sides with reported fees of over $125 million each.
Potential fines mean some could be forced to pay more than $400m if they want to leave.
The report also claims that players must play between 10 and 14 events, team prize money goes back to the teams while the number of teams could increase from 12 to 15 next season as eight to 12 new players can emerge with the relegation process. the second season.
Funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV Golf has relied on nine-figure sums to snatch some of the game’s brightest stars away from the PGA Tour.
The breakaway tour and the PGA have been at odds since the former arrived on the scene amid fanfare and controversy last year.
Since its inception, the dissident league has been accused of being a vehicle for “sportswashing” Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
Meanwhile, players who defected to LIV came under heavy criticism for exchanging prestige to play in prestigious tournaments such as the Ryder Cup for money.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were major critics of LIV.
The PGA Tour responded by banning defectors from its tournaments, although LIV players could still appear in major tournaments, if they met the qualifying criteria.
Bryson DeChambeau (L) also defected to Greg Norman (R) LIV Series for a big fee
The next LIV event will be held in Orlando from Friday through Sunday this week, just a few days before The Masters – golf’s first major tournament of the year.
Since the advent of the Rebel League, the PGA Tour has undergone multiple changes in its pay structure and economic model.
The tour expanded the portfolios to 13 tournaments this season with an average size of $20 million each. The PGA Tour also guaranteed a minimum salary of $500,000 for rookies, which could be received upfront, and lower-ranked players would receive a salary of $5,000 for each missed cut.
In addition, the majors have committed to playing at least 20 tournaments per year – which can include all four majors.
