LIV Golfer Describes 'Big Discrepancy' Among Players Over Schedule

When LIV Golf launched in 2022, one of the supposed advantages mentioned by some of its players was it offered the opportunity to play fewer tournaments.

After all, the opening season featured just eight events, while the inaugural LIV Golf League campaign features 14 stretching from February to the season-closing Team Championship at the end of October.

However, that is not seen as a good thing by everyone. One of those players, Charl Schwartzel, is taking advantage of a break in the LIV Golf schedule to compete in this week’s International Series Singapore on the Asian Tour to experience extra competitive action.

Speaking ahead of the event at Tanah Merah Country Club, Schwartzel explained that there is a “big discrepancy” between some LIV Golf players and others in the number of tournaments they would like to play.

He said: “I think The International Series has been an amazing product. To give guys an opportunity to get on LIV, and an opportunity to play bigger tournaments on the Asian Tour. From a LIV player standpoint, especially myself, there’s a big discrepancy between the 48 guys.

“I would think some guys are very happy to play 14 events, and some feel 14 is too much. You get guys that want to play just a few extra, and you get other guys that want to play full-year schedules. I’m in the middle there."

Player sharpness has been a talking point in recent days, particularly after all but three of the US Ryder Cup team had around a month without competitive action before their defeat in the match at Marco Simone.

Similarly, the 2023 LIV Golf League has had lengthy breaks in the schedule, including over a month between May’s LIV Golf DC event and June’s visit to Valderrama for the LIV Golf Andalucia tournament.

Schwartzel explained that, coupled with tournaments taking place over three rounds rather than four, it can be an issue. He said: “I can’t only do 14 events – I can’t stay sharp with only 14 games and three rounds. Sometimes I feel like you get into momentum, but then it’s finished, and then you’ve got a few weeks off."

Another LIV Golf player competing in Singapore this week is Graeme McDowell, and he admits he feels the same. He said: “I totally agree with Charl - 14 events is not enough for me. I need maybe six, seven, eight more events. 

"If I exclude the Majors and know that my only way to get into The Open and the US Open is qualifying at the qualifying venues for those, and I exclude those, I certainly need more playing opportunities.”

That’s where the International Series comes in, and McDowell said it also offers opportunities beyond the chance to play more tournaments. He said: “I think the International Series serves a lot of purposes for the LIV players.

“As we move into the 2024 season, as LIV really starts to stabilise its schedule, it gives the International Series an ability to build their schedule a little bit around perhaps the LIV schedule and attract some of the best players in the world to come and play these events, which I think only continues to elevate the Asian Tour.

"The International Series has given the Asian Tour the ability to go into markets that it has never been in before as well.”

The LIV Golf season resumes with its penultimate tournament of 2023 on 13 October, in Jeddah.