Phase two of the LIV Golf offseason is now into swing after teams and players began making decisions on their future for the 2024 LIV Golf League.
The offseason so far has seen a number of players re-sign with their teams, while plenty of line-ups are in need of extra players after pros were relegated, became free agents or, in one case, declined a contract extension.
One player who turned down a contract extension was Carlos Ortiz. The Mexican, one of Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC members, declined a deal to remain on the Spaniard's quartet. Ortiz, winner of the 2020 Houston Open, finished 15th in the LIV Golf standings this year so was entitled to a contract extension - although he clearly sees his future elsewhere.
The Fireballs' two other players, Abraham Ancer and Eugenio Chacarra, both have contracts with the team for at least one more season.
The Fireballs won two LIV Golf League events this year, in Jeddah (pictured) and Tucson
It remains to be seen where he goes from here, with eight of the 12 teams currently featuring openings. One likely destination for him could be Torque GC, which is captained by Joaquin Niemann.
The side currently has room for one more, alongside Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz. The Spanish-speaking team seems a likely destination for Ortiz, with Torque's fourth and final spot currently open due to Spaniard David Puig being a free agent.
It appears that Puig will be on the move, with LIV Golf saying that "Niemann will look to add one player via free agency or the draft."
The Free agency phase of LIV's offseason ends once there are just four spots remaining on the teams. That's because there will be four new players qualifying for the league in 2024 - one of whom is Andy Ogletree who earned his spot via the International Series Order of Merit. The other three will be decided at the LIV Golf Promotions event next month in Abu Dhabi. The three players will be drafted onto teams after the three-day, four-round event.
A mid-season transfer window is also planned for the 2024 LIV Golf League so there may well be more moves to come.
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