The pathways for players to earn their way into the LIV Golf League—or play their way out—will more closely resemble a promotion-relegation system after league officials clarified how the rules apply to LIV Golf team captains on the eve of its individual finale in Chicago. The twist means that two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson is the biggest name staring at a potential exit from LIV’s playing roster.
Captains of LIV teams—there are 15 across 13 teams including co-captains—were previously exempt from relegation should they finish the regular season outside the top 48 on the LIV points list, what the league calls the drop zone. But this year, no player ranked 49th or worse after LIV Golf Chicago will be able to guarantee their spot on the 2025 roster.
It means that Watson, 52nd on the points standings and the captain of RangeGoats GC, will need at least a solo 14th at Bolingbrook GC to climb inside the top 48. He is the only captain currently in the drop zone. Other high-profile major winners in at the bottom of the open zone and therefore near the bubble include 2016 Open champion and co-captain of the Majesticks, Henrik Stenson (41st with 14.41 points) HyFlyers skipper Phil Mickelson (44th with 11.93 points) and Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter, another Majesticks co-captain (46th with 9.22 points).
Stenson, Mickelson and Poulter would need a lot to go wrong over the next three days to fall into the drop zone and be relegated but officials noted there is technically no automatic immunity. Only wildcards not currently playing for a team—including Anthony Kim and Hudson Swafford—are not subject to relegation. They could be re-signed as free agents because wildcards are decided annually and are yet to be determined for 2025.
Mito Pereira, qualifying school graduate Jinichiro Kozuma, former PGA Tour pros Harold Varner III and Pat Perez, who is 48th, are also vulnerable. Scott Vincent, Branden Grace, Laurie Canter 4.30 (reserve), Watson 3.66, Kalle Samooja 3.40 and Kieran Vincent 2.47 occupy the drop zone.