LIV Golf released a 2024 schedule on Wednesday that includes a visit to Las Vegas on the same weekend as the Super Bowl and three U.S. events that will take place the same week as the PGA Tour’s iconic $20 million stops.
The Saudi-funded league announced 12 venues on its 14-tournament schedule, leaving out the final regular event that determines the individual title and team championship, which took place last year at Trump Doral, near Miami.
None of the Trump courses are currently on the curriculum. LIV has previously traveled to Trump Bedminster in New Jersey each of the past two years, and to Trump National outside Washington, D.C., last year.
The 48-player, 12-team league is currently going through an open period of roster shuffling and is still offering LIV golf promotions to see which three players can qualify for a league that offers $20 million in purses and a team competition simultaneous over 54 holes.
The new season begins February 2-4 in Mayakoba on the Gulf Coast. It’s the same week as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am, the PGA Tour’s premier $20 million event.
LIV will visit Las Vegas for the first time February 8-10, planning a Saturday arrival ahead of Super Bowl Sunday. This Saturday is also when the Phoenix Open hosts the largest and loudest crowd in golf. Phoenix has long preferred Super Bowl weekend, even in years when the Super Bowl is in town.
LIV will travel to the Las Vegas Country Club, which hosted the PGA Tour event from its inception in 1983 until 1991. It most recently hosted an LPGA event from 2003 to 2006.
LIV’s new domestic stops include The Golf Club of Houston June 7-9 – a week before the U.S. Open at No. 2 Pinehurst in North Carolina – and The Grove near Nashville, Tennessee, June 21-23. Both of these events take place across the street from $20 million PGA Tour stops – Houston across from the Memorial, Tennessee across from the Travelers Championship.
LIV is also hosting another event the same week as one of the tour’s flagship stops: March 8-10 in Hong Kong, while the PGA Tour hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
LIV no longer has stops in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Tucson, Arizona, where it played in 2023.
Six tournaments are currently scheduled outside of North America: Saudi Arabia (May 1-3), Hong Kong, Australia (April 26-28), Singapore (May 3-5), Spain (July 12-14) and England (July 26-28). 28).
The European stages are at either end of the British Open. The England tournament, which will move to the JCB Golf and Country Club in Staffordshire in 2024, takes place the week between the British Open and the Paris Olympics.
One of the problems with LIV not getting points in the Official World Golf Rankings is the number of players eligible for the Olympics, including Cameron Smith. Although he is currently No. 18 and playing the next two weeks in Australia, his only access to big points will be the majors, while Australians like Jason Day, Cam Davis and Min Woo Lee have access to a lot more often to the best platoons.
“I’ve got a few more events and four more major tournament appearances, so hopefully I can keep that ranking high,” Smith said ahead of the Australian PGA Championship.
___
AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf