The long-awaited mid-season transfer window for the LIV Golf league has officially opened, providing an opportunity for potential changes in the rosters of the 13 teams that comprise the breakaway golf competition. With the next event scheduled to take place in Houston in a month’s time, the trade window presents teams with the chance to revamp their line-ups.
The league, which initially featured 12 teams, expanded after Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII joined in February. Each team consists of four players, with the inclusion of two wildcards, Hudson Swafford and Anthony Kim, bringing the total roster to 54 players. Given the four-week gap before the next event, team captains now have the liberty to engage in trading activities with other teams.
The trade window, which opened on Monday, will remain active for one month, allowing team captains until LIV Houston on June 7 to finalize any potential deals. It’s important to note that any trade transactions must involve a direct exchange of players between two teams, with no monetary transfer involved. Furthermore, the wildcard players, Swafford and Kim, are excluded from being included in any trade agreements. The one-month period also grants teams the opportunity to extend the contracts of their current players.
Players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the current campaign will enter free agency, exposing them to the risk of losing their spots in the Saudi-backed series for the 2025 season. However, team captains have the option to preemptively extend the contracts of their players during this period. Nevertheless, such extensions will be rendered void if the player in question finishes in one of the four bottom spots at the conclusion of the individual campaign.
Last year, four players, including Chase Koepka, Jediah Morgan, James Piot, and Sihwan Kim, faced relegation after finishing in the drop zone. For the latest updates on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, readers can visit The Mirror US.
Several teams have already taken advantage of the trading system, with Koepka’s Smash GC franchise making headlines by securing the services of 2023 LIV champion Talor Gooch and parting ways with Matthew Wolff. Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats also made a significant acquisition by bringing in former PGA Tour star Peter Uihlein from Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces.
It is expected that teams at the lower end of the standings will be more active in the trade market, with Kevin Na’s Iron Heads currently occupying the bottom position. Meanwhile, the Majesticks, led by three co-captains – Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Henrik Stenson, are unlikely to undergo major changes to their roster. However, Englishman Sam Horsfield could potentially be involved in any trade deals.
As the LIV Golf league enters this exciting phase, fans are eagerly anticipating the potential reshuffling of players and the impact it may have on the upcoming events. The mid-season transfer window is set to add a new dimension to the league as teams strategize and negotiate to strengthen their line-ups.