5 out-of-contract LIV golfers and their value explored ft. Graeme McDowell
The transfer window for LIV Golf is currently active and will occur in several stages leading up to the coming season. Players who finished 25th to 44th are in an open zone, which means they are subject to potential trades or releases by their respective teams in 2024.
Players below the 44th are in the drop zone and will need to compete in the LIV Golf Promotions next month. Players in the Open Zone can also join them in Abu Dhabi, where the top three will join the main league.
Carlos Ortiz, Peter Uihlein, Anirban Lahiri, Richard Bland and Scott Vincent were out of contract but finished in the top 24 of the seasonal standings. They agreed to extend their contracts with the respective teams for the upcoming season.
Here's a look at five names who are still out of contract and will need to either look for a deal or finish at the top of the December event in Abu Dhabi.
5 out-of-contract LIV golfers ahead of the 2024 season
1) Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell is one of the two Cleeks GC players eyeing another contract extension. He hasn't had a great outing in the first two seasons. He had one top-10 finish in the inaugural season, and this year he finished 42nd.
However, if the teams are looking for some experience, they might pick McDowell. He has been part of the Ryder Cup, won the US Open and has 16 professional titles.
2) David Puig
David Puig turned professional after joining LIV Golf in 2022 but will need another contract after falling into the Open Zone. He finished the season at 31st with two top-ten finishes in 12 events.
The 21-year-old Spaniard will have to wait for his fate as the free agency phase of the transfer window is currently active. Otherwise, he will head to the LIV Golf Promotions event next month.
3) Matt Jones
Matt Jones had an average season with just one top-10 finish. Besides his seventh-place finish at Tucson, he made only one other top-20 finish. He ended the season at 37th in the individual standings.
The two-time PGA Tour winner will have to convince Ripper GC or the other teams for the contract extension or look for a good finish in Abu Dhabi.
4) Bernd Wiesberger
Bernd Wiesberger was another Cleeks GC player out of contract at the moment, but he has gone back to the DP World Tour for the new season. His membership application was accepted by the European Tour on Thursday, November 23.
The Austrian didn't find a lot of success in his two-year stint at the Saudi-backed circuit as he could finish only once in the top 10. This season, his best result was an 11th-place finish in Jeddah.
5) Chase Koepka
Earlier this year, Chase Koepka made a hole-in-one at the party hole of LIV Golf Adelaide at the Grange Golf Club. Little did he know, this would be his only highlight of an otherwise disappointing season.
Koepka ended up being one of the worst performers in the LIV Golf 2023 season, as he failed to make even one top-20 finish this season. He finished 48th in the individual standings with just one point. After ending up in the lock zone, he will head to LIV Golf Promotions to grab one of the three spots.