Dustin Johnson in danger of huge blow as 10 LIV Golf stars at risk of relegation

With only four events left in the LIV Golf individual season, the threat of relegation is a real concern for several players at the bottom of the rankings.

The breakaway tour has yet to publicly announce the specifics of its relegation plans for this season, but last year saw Jediah Morgan, James Piot, Chase Koepka and Sihwan Kim lose their spots in the league.

If the same model is used, the top 24 players in the standings at the conclusion of the individual championship at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Illinois in September will land in the Lock Zone. They will be offered contract extensions if their deal with the league is due to expire, or they can choose to decline and become a free agent.

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Those finishing between 25th and 44th will find themselves in the Open Zone, if their contracts are expiring, leaving their future with the tour uncertain. Five out of the six players in this situation in 2023 re-signed with their teams or joined new ones, with Bernd Wiesberger being the only player who did not secure a deal. The Austrian has since returned to the DP World Tour.

Players who ended up in 45th place or lower were in the Drop Zone and faced the threat of relegation unless they held the position of team captains. Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood managed to dodge relegation due to this rule, but Morgan, Piot, Koepka and Kim had no choice but to participate in the LIV Golf Promotions qualifying event in Abu Dhabi in December to secure their spots. All four were knocked out and won’t be eligible to play on LIV in 2024.

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Team captains Ian Poulter, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson are teetering around the Drop Zone, but they’re safe from relegation regardless of their final standings. However, several others don’t have this safety net to fall back on.

Anthony Kim, once a promising talent before injuries forced him out of the game for over a decade, made an unexpected comeback this season after years of obscurity and is currently at the bottom with zero points, along with fellow wildcard Hudson Swafford.

Brothers Scott and Kieran Vincent are in 53rd and 54th places respectively, following disappointing starts to the season. Stinger GC’s Branden Grace, who finished in the top 10 last season, is now struggling in 52nd place. Finland’s Kalle Samooja is in 51st.

Further up the leaderboard, some big names find themselves in precarious positions. Pat Perez – Dustin Johnson’s teammates at 4Aces GC – Harold Varner III, Mito Pereira and Danny Lee are between 48th and 42nd and will need to finish the campaign strongly to boost their chances of extending their LIV Golf careers.

The season will kick back into gear in Spain at the legendary Valderrama on July 12, before moving to the UK for LIV Golf at JCB Golf and Country Club on July 26. The individual season will wrap up with two events in the US at The Greenbrier and Bolingbrook, leading up to the team championship in Dallas come September.