Which LIV Golf players will take part in golf's four majors in 2024?
Yes, we know it’s February, but with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, WM Phoenix Open, The Genesis Invitational in the rear-view mirror, and with March right around the corner, The Masters – marking the official onset of spring – is coming up fast.
Where it’s going to get interesting, especially from a sports betting perspective, is the current LIV Golf players who get to play in golf’s four majors this year – The Masters (April 11-14) being the first, followed by the PGA Championship (May 16-19), the US Open (June 13-16), then The Open Championship (July 18-21).
A good chunk of them will, since LIV Golf features many players who have won major championships. None of the four major organizations have blocked LIV players from competing so far. That means we’ll see faces like Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson again.
Futures Betting on Masters Tournament
LIV Golf TV ratings, even after adding Rahm this off-season, are terrible. According to Outkick, the final round of LIV Las Vegas earlier this month had 297,000 viewers on CW. The PGA’s WM Phoenix Open final round – won by Canadian Nick Taylor – had 2.38 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch. So, most of us haven’t seen these guys in a while.
Mickelson, 53, was one of the first PGA players to bolt for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and its multi-millions in 2022, believed to have been paid $200 million, followed by others, and that has left a sour taste in the mouths of those who stayed loyal to the PGA.
⭐ Bet on Golf Masters Tournament at DraftKings ⭐
Woods is of course committed to the PGA Tour, reportedly spurning hundreds of millions of dollars to join Mickelson and the others at LIV Golf.
Woods, 48, is making his way back from a serious car accident three years ago. He got through one round of The Genesis Invitational last weekend in Los Angeles but then had to pull out of the tournament mid-way through Round 2 because of a stomach ailment.
Woods and Mickelson Lead Respective Tours
After last weekend’s buzz around his return to golf, no one is questioning Woods’ ongoing impact on golf, even at his age.
Some Masters Futures this morning, for an early taste: At DraftKings, it’s Scottie Scheffler is at 9.00 for outright winner, followed by Rory McIlroy (9.50), Rahm (9.50), Viktor Hovland (13.00), Kopeka (19.00) and Jordan Spieth (19.00). Woods is at 101.00, as is Mickelson.
Over at BetMGM it’s much the same: Scheffler 9.00, Rahm 10.00, McIlroy 10.00, Hovland 15.00, Spieth 17.00, and Koepka 17.00. Woods and Mickelson are at 101.00.
⭐ Bet on PGA Tour at FanDuel ⭐
In the short term, it’s the Mexico Open, at Vidanta Vallarta, which tees off tomorrow. Tony Finau is the defending champion. In Canada, the tournament will be broadcast on TSN.
Finau is the betting favourite at DraftKings to win – 9.50 – followed by Nicolai Hojgaard (15.00), Keith Mitchell (23.00), Thomas Detry (26.00), and Canadian Taylor Pendrith (26.00). Canadian Mackenzie Hughes is at 56.00.
