Who are the top PGA Tour players for the 2022-2023 season now that LIV players are excluded?
Of the current top 20 golf players, only two have jumped the pond over to LIV Golf. Here’s a look at the top PGA Tour players for the 2022-2023 season
The LIV Golf tour has emerged as a rival to the original PGA Tour, with a few big names jumping the pond to join the startup league since its initiation. Luring players with massive money, the Saudi-backed League started with big names, and only upped their ranks from there, acquiring the likes of major champions Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.
However, while their bags are certainly full, these players, and all who have converted over to the controversial league, are ineligible to play at the original Tour events, including the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
Back in June, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced “indefinite suspensions for all current and future players who choose to join LIV Golf,” and the Tour hardened its stance again in September, claiming that LIV players are no longer eligible to renew their PGA Tour membership for next season.
Mickelson, who was the first and most notable player to join the new league, holds the record of American golfers who played in the Ryder Cup, with 12 appearances. This October, however, Mickelson will be watching PGA Tour golfers take on Rome on TV instead. The ‘Lefty’ was reportedly offered $200 million to make the switch.
Related: Should LIV Golf players be allowed to play on the President’s Cup and Ryder Cup?
Only twelve of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking have joined LIV Golf, and two players from the top 20- Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann- are no longer with the PGA Tour.
Smith sits in second place, while Niemann sits in 19th place.
Here are the rankings of the top 20 players in golf as of Sep., 2022, excluding LIV Golf players:
Top 20 PGA Players
| PLAYER NAME | COUNTRY | AGE |
|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | U.S. | 26 |
| Rory Mcllroy | Northern Ireland | 33 |
| Patrick Cantlay | U.S. | 30 |
| Xander Schauffele | U.S. | 28 |
| Jon Rahm | Spain | 27 |
| Justin Thomas | U.S. | 29 |
| Collin Morikawa | U.S. | 25 |
| Will Zalatoris | U.S. | 26 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | England | 27 |
| Viktor Hovland | Norway | 24 |
| Sam Burns | U.S. | 26 |
| Jordan Spieth | U.S. | 29 |
| Tony Finau | U.S. | 32 |
| Billy Horschel | U.S. | 35 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | Japan | 30 |
| Cameron Young | U.S. | 25 |
| Sungjae Im | South korea | 24 |
| Max Homa | U.S. | 31 |