What Is The LIV Golf Series Format?

After years of speculation and planning, the LIV Golf Invitational Series has officially begun following the inaugural playing at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire. 

Charles Schwartzel took the individual honours and the largest pay cheque in golf's history. Not only did the South African secure the $4 million first prize, but also a share of the $3 million team aspect with the quartet of Schwartzel, Hennie Du Plessis, Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen, or Team Stinger GC, picking up $750,000 each for their efforts.

With the Centurion Club acting as the curtain raiser for the eight event Series, the format is considerably different to what is seen on the PGA and DP World Tour. With that, we breakdown just how players will be competing and how the individual and team formats will work. 

INDIVIDUAL FORMAT

This one is quite simple. Players in the LIV Golf Series will compete against each other in a traditional stroke play format. In the no cut event, the lowest 54-hole total score will be determined the winner and take home a cheque for $4m. 

Although not strictly related to the format, play will commence by shotgun start. This means each player will be assigned a tee in which they will begin their round and strike their first tee shot at the sound of the klaxon.

As a result, all players will be on the golf course at the exact same time and in a more condensed viewing window. They are also more likely to experience the same weather conditions as one another.

TEAM FORMAT

As well as the individual format, players on the LIV Golf Series will be competing in teams of four.

The teams are determined via a draft where twelve appointed captains select their players in a snake-style format. For the first two rounds, the best two stroke play scores will count for each team. For the third, and final, round the best three scores will contribute. The lowest overall team score after 54 holes is determined the winner. 

The top-three teams at each event will share $5m in prize money - $3 million to first, $1.5 million to second and $500,000 to third.

This format is slightly different in the season finale 'Team Championship' which is a seeded match play knock-out tournament across four days. The top four seeds bypass the first round with the remaining eight teams playing against each other for a place in the quarter-finals. 

Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia are among the captains for the second playing of the Series at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland.