Growing speculation that Viktor Hovland will be the next high-profile golfer brought over to the LIV tour will increase the need for Ryder Cup Europe to adopt a simple qualification process for golfers on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.
LIV is moving forward with plans for 2025, including new events and the recruitment of more players from the PGA and DP World Tours. Attrition is likely to increase with the number of golfers who had a three-year contract when joining LIV, which expires at the end of 2024.
Chatter on the range at the LIV event in Miami this month and again at the Masters largely surrounded Hovland, the world No. 6 who played for Europe in last year’s defeat of the United States in Rome. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who also played on that team, subsequently joined LIV. Hovland missed the cut at the Masters and promptly withdrew from the PGA Tour’s $20 million stop in Hilton Head this week.
The popular Norwegian has denied that he was previously on the verge of joining LIV. Yet he was sharply critical of Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, during this year’s Players Championship. Hovland is one of a number of players unhappy with the handling of a framework agreement reached last summer between existing tours and the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
“There were a number of things said that were later revisited, but things were very contradictory,” Hovland said. “As a leader of an organization, I want someone like that to take some ownership and say, ‘Hey, we made some mistakes, but this is how we’re going to fix it, rather than scrutinizing it. the rug, which I felt was done to some extent.
Any move to Hovland would cause headaches for the European Tour Group. Rahm and Hatton have retained their DP World Tour membership, which is required for participation in the Ryder Cup, but are subject to fines and suspensions for playing on LIV. The bans are especially problematic when it comes to qualifying for or playing in the Ryder Cup, which takes place next year at Bethpage in New York. Guy Kinnings, the newly installed CEO of the European Tour Group and former director of the Ryder Cup, is under pressure to find a method that will not jeopardize the biennial event while not seeing the DP World Tour as ‘ admitted’ to LIV. converts.
The U.S. team is expected to announce Bethpage’s captain within two weeks. The PGA of America is waiting to see if Tiger Woods will accept the role or wait for Adare Manor and 2027. Should Woods pass on 2025, Stewart Cink will likely take on the role. However, there is increasing confidence that Woods will be the captain.
Ludvig Åberg looks a certainty to play for Europe in numerous Ryder Cups after cementing his growing status with second place at Augusta National. It was the 24-year-old Swede’s big debut.
“Anyone in my position will want to become a great champion,” said Åberg. “They want to be number one in the world and for me it’s the same, there’s nothing different.
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“It’s been that way since I bought a golf club and it hasn’t changed. So I think Masters week validates a lot of those things that are there, and we just have to continue to do those things and put ourselves in a position to win tournaments.
Åberg’s performances in Georgia have taken him to seventh place in the world rankings. He insisted he is completely relaxed about the increased attention he will receive following his Masters exploits.
“I’m okay with all these things that come with it,” Åberg added. “Obviously my main focus is to play good golf and all the media stuff that comes with that is not really up to me. We are doing a lot of good things and we are not going to change much.”