The 2026 LIV Golf season tees off this week with the Riyadh event, which is being played from February 4 to 7 at the Riyadh Golf Club. The league will feature numerous new developments, most notably the new purses, which have been boosted to an incredible $30 million per tournament.
LIV Golf Takes Its Purses to Another Level
LIV events were already among the most lucrative in the golf world. Until 2025, $20 million was distributed in the individual event and $5 million in the team event. By comparison, the golf event (individual) with the highest purse in the world last season was the Players Championship, with $25 million. As for team events, there is not much to compare.
And it is precisely in that niche that LIV Golf is focused, by adding $5 million to the purses of each of its 13 regular-season tournaments. According to Sports Business Journal, which first reported this news, the individual event will maintain a purse of $20 million, with $4 million going to the champion. Meanwhile, the team event will distribute $10 million, with all teams earning according to their results.
The new purse breakdown has not yet been revealed. Until 2025, only the top three teams received payouts: $3 million for first place, $1.5 million for second, and $500,000 for third.
The Saudi-backed league has demonstrated its total commitment to the team format in golf, not only by increasing the purses for the 2026 season. It has also promoted the rebranding of the teams, their identification with different regions of the world, and their autonomy to sign new players.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has maintained similar support for team golf outside of LIV. One example is the Ladies European Tour’s PIF Global Series, which is also played in teams.
What Else is New in LIV Golf?
GettyMichael La Sasso is one of many new faces on LIV Golf for 2026.
LIV Golf has taken concrete steps to comply with the requirements of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in its quest to earn points for its players. It has not abandoned the team format, but it has sought ways (albeit limited) for players to access the league. In addition, it has extended its events from 54 to 72 holes starting in 2026.
But the most notable changes in the league will be in the teams’ rosters. The exit of two heavyweights, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, as well as some other circuit founders, such as Kevin Na and Henrik Stenson, was among the most talked-about topics during the offseason. LIV has not replaced these names with others of similar status, and it remains to be seen what the long-term effect will be.
However, there will undoubtedly be some interesting players among the new faces in 2026. Such is the case with the brand-new captain of the rebranded Korean Golf Club, Byeong Hun An, a player who has 16 top-5 finishes on the PGA Tour, including five second-place finishes. Also noteworthy are one-time PGA Tour winner Thomas Detry and three-time DP World Tour winner Victor Perez.
Michael La Sasso, winner of the 2025 Division I Championship in American college golf, deserves a special mention. La Sasso is the latest example of how LIV Golf is betting on youth, as it did in previous seasons with players such as David Puig and Caleb Surratt.
LIV Golf Set to Launch 2026 With New Faces & Boosted $30 Million Purses