LIV Golf Invitational Series: How much money will players make?

Big names have agreed to participate in the innaugural event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series which will take place in London from June 9 to 11. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson or Sergio García have turned their back on the PGA Tour and perhaps the huge cash prices offered at this new tournament are to blame.

Last year was another profitable one for golf’s high earners. Three of them - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, appeared in Forbes’ highest-paid athletes list for 2021. Woods finished number 12 in the ranking with gross annual earnings of $60 million, Johnson came in at number 20 after taking home pre-tax earnings of $44.5 million just ahead of Mickelson in 29th place on $41 million.

A big chunk of those earnings came from prize money earned on the PGA Tour circuit, who dished out a total of $367 million last year - a figure which is set to rise to $427 million this year.

And some pro golfers will have the opportunity to earn big money in Greg Norman’s LIV Golf Invitational Series - an eight-leg series taking in London, Portland, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Bangkok, Jeddah and Miami between 9 June and 30 October.

The prize money which PGA Tour members have the chance to win in 2021/22 pales in comparison to what is being offered by LIV Golf. For instance, the total purse for next month’s US Open is $12.5 million with the winner taking home $2.25 million.

LIV Golf Invitational Series Team and Individual prize money

LIV Golf’s purse for each of its eight events is double that - $25 million in total. Every individual player will receive a cut for taking part - $4 million for first place with staggered payments down to $120,000 to 48th; a total of $5 million will go to the top three teams - $3M, $1.5M and $500,000.

When the first seven events have been completed in October, an individual champion will be proclaimed, with a total purse of $30 million for the top three individuals of the season (First: $18M, Second: $8M and Third: $4M). Only players who have played in a minimum of four events will be eligible for this prize money.

And on top of that, there is the $50 million Team Championship cash pot which all 12 competing teams will receive a cut of - $16 million to the team which ends in first place, staggered down to $1 million for the team in 12th. Each player will receive a 25% cut of team earnings.

The 54-hole LIV Golf tournaments feature smaller courses, fewer rounds, a defined season, shorter playing windows, and shotgun starts (players tee off simultaneously from different holes). The inaugural edition of the series is set to get underway at the Centurion Club in London on 9 June, amid speculation that fully signed-up PGA members who take part without gaining permission could be fined, suspended or have their membership revoked.

The 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series dates and courses

9-11 June: Centurion Golf Club. London, England

1-3 July: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. Portland, USA

29-31 July: Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. New Jersey, USA

2-4 September: The International. Boston, USA

16-18 September: Rich Harvest Farms. Chicago, USA

7-9 October: Stonehill Golf Club. Bangkok, Thailand

14-16 October: Royal Greens Golf Club. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

27-30 October: Team Championship, Trump National Doral, Miami, USA