LIV Golf has already attracted big names like Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson from the PGA Tour. But their aggressive pursuit of star players for big money is unlikely to stop there, and it's become increasingly clear the sort of names likely to be on their wish-list as they eye future signings.
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Rahm recently made headlines with his mega-money move to the Saudi-backed series, signing a record-breaking deal reportedly worth £450 million. He was later joined by Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton and DP World Tour Player of The Year Adrian Meronk, marking a successful offseason for LIV Golf.
The Saudi-backed series, which debuted at Centurion in June 2022, has gone from strength to strength and plans to further bolster its roster. Several big names have been linked with joining Greg Norman's venture, and here are five players that the Saudi bosses would undoubtedly love to sign, with attempts to sign some of them already public knowledge.
Viktor Hovland
Topping the wish list is Viktor Hovland, one of the PGA Tour's most valuable players. The Norwegian has established himself as a leading player globally, culminating in his crowning as FedEx Cup champion in 2023.
Hovland himself has previously expressed his thoughts on the potential move to the Saudi league at the end of the last season, but also voiced his annoyance with PGA Tour's commissioner Jay Monahan over the handling of the LIV saga. Despite his allegiance still lying with the Tour, a recent report from the Guardian revealed that Hovland remains a prime target for Norman and his team.
Ludvig Aberg
Hovland's Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg has only recently appeared on the LIV Golf radar due to his meteoric rise in the past year. Aberg is currently the talk of the golfing world, having ascended from amateur status to the seventh-best player in the global rankings within just 10 months.
His standing among the world's elite was further solidified last week when he finished as runner-up in his Masters and major debut at Augusta National. Even before his recent success, LIV had already recognised the Swede's talent, with Aberg disclosing that he had declined the breakaway league's offers twice in 2023.
Hideki Matsuyama
2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama has frequently been on the LIV recruiters' radar. Despite rumours linking Matsuyama to the breakaway league, he continues to remain with the PGA Tour - at least for now. However, this hasn't deterred CEO Norman from expressing his keen interest in the green jacket winner.
"We've been trying to get Hideki Matsuyama (over to LIV Golf)," he told Australian Golf Digest. "I don't mind admitting that. When Hideki won (The Genesis Invitational) in LA, what's the first thing I did? I said, "Congratulations, Hideki. I'm proud of you, mate."
Wyndham Clark
Another name backed to follow in the footsteps of Rahm during the offseason is U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark. Whilst he opted to remain with the PGA Tour for 2024, Clark did admit he met with LIV representatives over a possible move. "I definitely met with LIV and went through those discussions," Clark said after his victory. "I wanted to see what they could bring to the table.
"I ultimately declined going to LIV because I felt like I still have a lot of things left in the tank on the PGA Tour and I wanted to chase records, I wanted to chase world ranking." Clark may well have burnt his bridges with Norman and co though, after taking a brutal swipe at the breakaway league before missing the cut at last week's Masters.
Rickie Fowler
Clark's Ryder Cup teammate Rickie Fowler was also on the radar of former world No. 1 Norman, having been linked with a move to the LIV setup on numerous occasions. He too received a mega-money offer to make the Saudi switch, but like the U.S. Open champion opted to decline.
"[Joining LIV] wasn't the best choice for me," expressed the six-time PGA Tour champion on the Netflix show Full Swing. " I'm not out there playing for a pay check, I'm out there playing to compete with the best players in the world and I believe the Tour is the best place to be. I'd like to see it continue to be like that. ".
