LIV Golf celebrated its milestone of 100 rounds on Friday, following its shocking entrance into the golf world 26 months ago.

The concept, created by Greg Norman, gained momentum after Saudi Arabia agreed to invest billions via its Public Investment Fund.

LIV promoted this initiative as a means to expand golf’s reach internationally with its unique format. While the effectiveness of this claim may be debatable, what is clear is that LIV has captured the PGA Tour’s attention and has directly influenced its financial strategies.

“We’ve altered the landscape of golf,” said Bubba Watson on Wednesday before the upcoming LIV event at Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. “It’s exciting to be part of this historical moment.”

Watson likened the situation to the pivotal moment when Jack Nicklaus played a key role in the formation of the PGA Tour in 1968. Nicklaus, however, disagrees with this comparison.

Scheffler can thank LIV for record earnings

Regardless, Watson accurately noted, “Scottie Scheffler has made a significant income this year due to the changes we’ve initiated.”

LIV’s influence on the PGA Tour has been profound. Over the past two years, every adjustment the Tour has made to enhance financial support, including the introduction of Signature Events and significantly higher prize pools, has been a response to the financial pressure from LIV.

One strategy to reduce the number of players moving to LIV is to raise financial incentives, which the Tour did by injecting millions into its prize pools and striking a $3 billion agreement with Strategic Sports Group. This includes an initial $1.5 billion investment into launching PGA Tour Enterprises.

Scottie Scheffler has amassed $28.1 million in prize money this year, with two $20 million championships—the St. Jude and BMW championships—still to come before the Tour Championship, which has a whopping $100 million purse, including $25 million for the winner.

By season’s end, Scheffler could earn five to seven times the amount that the highest earner made in 2020-21, the year before LIV’s launch. This figure excludes his portion of the $50 million from the Player Impact Program, a reward system for brand exposure.

In 2021, Jon Rahm led the PGA Tour earnings with $7.7 million. Now, he is among the latest major recruits for LIV, being lured with a reported contract worth $350 million, which could exceed $550 million with bonuses.

Joaquin Niemann LIV’s money leader in 2024

Joaquin Niemann currently tops the LIV prize money list in 2024, having earned $14.2 million over 12 of the 13 individual events. LIV’s season will wrap up with the team championship from September 20-22 at Maridoe, located north of Dallas.

However, the substantial prize money isn’t the primary incentive for the elite golfers who switched to LIV. The substantial contracts, particularly those worth at least $100 million, drew players like Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, and Cameron Smith.

“There’s a need for evolution and change,” stated LIV’s Patrick Reed on Wednesday. “I believe that’s what LIV represents. We’ve entered an arena that has historically focused solely on tradition, and we’ve transformed golf for the better. With LIV, we’re able to explore a wider and more engaging version of golf. Golf tends to be monotonous, slow, and prolonged, and we’ve introduced a faster and more entertaining approach.”

While LIV has indeed made waves in terms of financial gains for many players, its overall effect on other aspects of the sport remains limited.

The LIV format, which revolves around 13 four-player teams playing 54 holes without a cut, hasn’t gained the traction as hoped. Although LIV players enjoy the team dynamics, which add some drama and a sense of connection, the league struggles with viewer engagement and has been hindered by the OWGR board neglecting its application for ranking points.

Despite these challenges, the financial impact of LIV is undeniable, and its potential to influence the sport could increase, even if no agreement is reached with the PGA Tour. Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan mentioned this week that the two entities will continue to operate independently in the upcoming year, leaving doubts about any near-term agreements.

“I believe that as people come to recognize the genuine benefits we’re providing, this inherent value will only grow exponentially over time, which excites me,” DeChambeau expressed. “I’m eager for that domino effect to kick in and see it progressing positively, especially with the team element we’re developing at LIV.”