Ahead of the LIV Golf League’s 2025 season, Viktor Hovland, a Ryder Cup player and current World No. 6 player, is being predicted to be the league’s next big goal.
According to The Guardian, LIV is moving forward with ambitions to solidify its standing in the golf industry at a pivotal juncture for the 54-hole circuit.
According to Ewan Murray, the PIF-backed competition plans to expand both its player base and the number of events it hosts in the near future. A number of golfers who signed on during the league’s founding will have their three-year contracts expire at the end of 2024.
Hovland, who has frequently criticized PGA Tour CEO Jay Monahan for his management of the framework agreement in recent months, may also be one of the new hires.
Shortly after Jon Rahm departed the PGA Tour to play for LIV, Hovland stated: “I completely comprehend Rahm’s decision to leave. That is a huge sum of money. And at least in cases where the PGA Tour’s management has performed so poorly.
During the Masters, Viktor Hovland watches from the second green.
To be clear, I’m grateful for everything and have no complaints about the position I’m in. However, the management hasn’t performed well. They essentially regard the players as employees rather than fellow members. We are the PGA Tour, after all. There wouldn’t exist without the participants.”
Following that, Hovland stated the following in front of The Players Championship in March: “There were some things that were said that have been walked back on and then things have been very contradictory.” “I feel like we’ve done it to some extent, but as a leader of an organization, I will want someone like that to take some ownership and say, hey, we made a couple of mistakes, but this is how we’re going to rectify it.”
The Norwegian rejected any intention to leave the US-based tour, citing his belief that it would not be beneficial for his career, even in the face of harsh criticism.
“I’m not such a fan of, say, playing without a cut,” he remarked. A cut and 150 players are required. You’re out if you don’t do well enough. It seems to improve the edge of your game in some way. I don’t believe my golf game would have improved if I had attended LIV. And then the conversation is, in a sense, over.
At the 2024 Ryder Cup, Viktor Hovland celebrates winning his singles match.
But if Hovland were to have second thoughts, the European Tour Group would find itself in a very challenging position leading up to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
As of right now, only players who are members of the DP World Tour are eligible to be selected either as a captain’s pick or through qualifying. Both Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton maintain this status despite facing penalties and suspensions following their respective move.
Furthermore, the entire competition could be jeopardized if a significant portion of Luke Donald’s winning dozen from Marco Simone turns out to be ineligible for the biannual match against the US.
In the past, Rory McIlroy has advocated for modifications to the Ryder Cup regulations to enable LIV’s European teammates, especially Rahm, to continue playing for the blue and gold team. However, if he contributes to that happening, new CEO of the European Tour Guy Kinnings has to be careful not to come out as caving in to the demands of LIV or the Saudi PIF.
