The most common aspect of popular sports leagues is the player trade system. Several major professional sports allow teams to buy and sell players every season. This part of the sport is now scheduled to take part in golf as the PIF-funded LIV Golf is planning to bring in trade systems in 2024.
According to a recent report from Sports Illustrated, this new change will start in 2024. It will not only follow a trade deadline, like the MLB but also have a transfer window. During this period, the twelve teams will be allowed to trade some of their players. Before this, there was no such thing as transfer in golf as it was an individual sport.
One of the biggest talking points following the golf merger has been the future of LIV Golf. Despite the details revealed in the framework agreement, both CEO Greg Norman and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan have claimed that the league will be staying.
Norman recently even stated that he is getting calls from players to join the LIV league. This new development certainly gives the players some assurance regarding their future. It also hopes to provide the fans with excitement as roster changes will be likely taken place in the new year.
Is it a good move by the LIV Golf?
After their establishment in 2021 and their inaugural season in 2022, the Saudi-backed tour has been on the receiving end of various criticism. However, the league has continued to ignore all of it and focus on themselves. This new move in the transfer window and trade deadline gives the tour another significant characteristic over its rivals – the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
There have been trades before on the tour but those were free agents. Peter Uihlein was not traded after the 2022 season and was replaced by Matthew Wolff in Smash GC. This year there have been issues between Wolff and their captain Brooks Koepka with the latter criticizing the former over “giving up” on golf. This new system could allow players who are having a difficult time on one team to experience a change.
🚨🔄⛳️ #TRADE DEADLINE: LIV GOLF will allow teams to trade players in 2024. Players will have to agree to trades and teams as well as the league will be required to sign off on the transactions. There will be a transfer window as well as a trade deadline, per @SI_Golf. pic.twitter.com/8qMPVcbSul
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 15, 2023Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau claimed that this move will bring in more money and have the chance to make another unique change in golf. “Another opportunity to impact the game of golf in a unique way that’s never been done before,” he said in his statement.
The question now is how the trade will work. Like in most cases, the first thing required will be the players’ and team’s approval for the transfer. This would be followed by contract negotiations which would involve money. It would be interesting to keep an eye out for this new change as fans gear for major changes the following year.
In case you missed it:
ncG1vNJzZmiemafAtb%2FPqKmtsl6YvK57xqijn2WemsS0ecuirWafn6GzbrXMqaOepZWjwaq6xmarq5meqLOmvoywoKecn6x8