LIV Golf League: Teams and Players 2023

The teams for the LIV Golf League 2023 have been set.

What are the teams and who is playing in the inaugural LIV Golf League season in 2023?

The LIV Golf Invitational Series becomes the LIV Golf League for 2023, with 12 teams and 48 players competing across 14 global events. Find out everything you need to know about LIV Golf here, but the season starts in Mayakoba in February and ends with the Team Championship at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in November.

2023 sees the arrival of several new players, including Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters and Mito Perreira, and two new team names with Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC replacing Punch GC and Bubba Watson’s RangeGoatsGC replacing Niblicks GC.

The 48 players are split into 12 teams of four, with one of the players leading their team as captain. Every event will be played over three rounds to decide an individual champion and a team champion, with an overall individual champion and team champion crowned at the end of the season. See the full schedule.

More than a quarter (13) of the league’s star-studded, international field are Major champions, with 24 Major victories amongst them.

The field of 48 represents 16 different nations, includes 18 Olympians, and has made 125 combined appearances in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, with more than half of the league having competed in the biennial team events.

In total, LIV Golf League players have amassed 526 worldwide wins across multiple tours, and four players (Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood) have held the title of World No. 1. As its stands, though, LIV players don’t receive Official World Golf Ranking points and the battle looks set to rumble on.

“In less than a year, LIV Golf has reinvigorated the professional game and laid the foundation for the sport’s future. In 2023, the LIV Golf League comes to life,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner and one of our most influential people in golf.

“The most popular sports in the world are team sports, and our league format has already begun to build connections with new audiences around the globe.

“Major champions, current and future Hall of Famers, and up-and-coming stars are all committed to creating this new platform for world-class competition as the sport evolves for the next generation.”

What are the LIV Golf League Teams called?

4Aces GC

Cleeks GC

Crushers GC

Fireballs GC

HyFlyers GC

Iron Heads GC

Majesticks GC

RangeGoats GC

Ripper GC

Smash GC

Stinger GC

Torque GC

Which players are playing in the LIV Golf League 2023?

Abraham Ancer

Richard Bland

Dean Burmester 

Paul Casey

Eugenio Chacarra

Bryson DeChambeau

Sergio Garcia

Talor Gooch

Branden Grace

Sam Horsfield

Charles Howell III

Dustin Johnson

Matt Jones

Martin Kaymer

Sihwan Kim

Brooks Koepka

Chase Koepka

Jason Kokrak

Anirban Lahiri

Danny Lee

Marc Leishman

Graeme McDowell

Phil Mickelson

Jed Morgan 

Sebastian Munoz

Kevin Na

Joaquin Niemann

Louis Oosthuizen

Carlos Ortiz

Mito Pereira

Pat Perez

Thomas Pieters

James Piot

Ian Poulter

David Puig

Patrick Reed

Charl Schwartzel

Cameron Smith

Henrik Stenson

Brendan Steele

Cameron Tringale

Peter Uihlein

Harold Varner III

Scott Vincent

Bubba Watson

Lee Westwood

Bernd Wiesberger

Matthew Wolff

How do players qualify for LIV Golf League?

Players who finished in the top 24 of last year’s LIV Golf Invitational Series Individual Standings (minimum four events played) secured spots in the 2023 LIV Golf League.

Additionally, winners of the 2022 Asian Tour Order of Merit and the 2022 Asian Tour International Series Order of Merit qualified for a team roster position in 2023.

League exemptions and captains’ selections make up the remainder of team rosters for the league’s first full season.

Which 2022 players aren’t part of the LIV Golf League for 2023?

Seven players who finished the inaugural LIV season are absent from the 48-man roster for 2023. While they could return to the LIV setup at some stage, it’s most likely that we’ll see them on the Asian Tour or DP World Tour this season.

Wade Ormsby

The Australian Wade played in every LIV tournament last season, but his T22 finish in the season opener at London’s Centurion Club was the highlight.

Laurie Canter

Englishman Laurie Canter also played every event and enjoyed a T8 finish in Chicago and a T10 in Bangkok. He’ll spend 2023 back on the DP World Tour seeking his first victory. He finished 3rd in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December.

Sadom Kaewkanjana

Kaewkanjana is one of two players to leave Kevin Na’s Iron Heads GC. The Thai star finished T13 in Boston and T20 in Bangkok. His absence is among the most surprising when you consider he ranks 76th in the world – higher than new LIV signings Sebastian Munoz, Brendan Steele and Danny Lee. He’s also been playing well recently and even finish T11 at The Open in 2022.

Phachara Khongwatmai

Khongwatmai is the second player to leave Iron Heads GC, although his absence is less surprising. Khongwatmai’s LIV high came in Bedminster where he tied for 13th.

Hennie Du Plessis

After a fast start to LIV life, Hennie Du Plessis could feel a little hard done by for missing out on 2023. The South African finished second in London and won $2.125m for his efforts, but then only played three more events for the remainder of the season. Du Plessis has been playing DP World Tour and Asian Tour events in recent months.

Adrian Otaegui

Spain’s Adrian Otaegui made history when he became the first LIV player to then win on the DP World Tour when he cruised to the title at the Andalucia Masters. Otaegui had finished 6th in LIV’s London event and 21st in Portland but wasn’t seen again until the Team Championship, where his Torque GC team was knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Since then the 30-year-old has been back playing DP World Tour and finished as runner-up in December’s Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Turk Pettit

Pettit loses his spot despite playing every tournament in 2022, falling victim to the strengthened RangeGoats (formerly Niblicks) line-up. The highlight of Pettit’s LIV career saw him finish T6 in New Jersey, but he endured an otherwise mediocre season and has been playing on the Asian Tour since.

Other 2022 players who aren’t playing in 2023

Oliver Bekker, Itthipat Buranatanyarat, TK Chantananuwat, Oliver Fisher, Justin Harding, Yuki Inamori, Ryo Kinshita, Jinichiro Kozuma, Pablo Larrazabal, Viraj Madappa, Shaun Norris, Andy Ogletree, JC Ritchie, Travis Smyth, Ian Snyman, Hudson Swafford, Hideto Tanihara, Blake Windred, Kevin Yuan.

What are the Liv Golf League Teams for 2023?

4Aces GC

Dustin Johnson (captain), Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Peter Uihlein 

Dustin Johnson, the two-time major winner and Individual Champion of the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series, captains 4Aces GC, which also features 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed.

Winning last year’s Team Championship and four regular-season events, 4Aces dominated in LIV Golf’s inaugural Invitational Series. Peter Uihlein replaces Talor Gooch in the all-American roster, which now has three of the top four players from last season’s Individual Champion race in Johnson (1), Uihlein (3), and Reed (4).

Johnson produced one of the 2022 season’s biggest moments by winning the individual title at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston with a dramatic eagle putt on the first play-off hole. He pocketed more than $35m during the inaugural season. See how much every player earned.

Cleeks GC

Martin Kaymer (captain), Graeme McDowell, Richard Bland, Bernd Wiesberger

Two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer captains Cleeks GC, which features 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell among its four veteran European players.

The experienced group boasts three former Ryder Cup participants (Kaymer, McDowell, and new addition Wiesberger) while Richard Bland, who turned 50 in early February, is playing some of the best golf of his career having finally secured his first DP World Tour win in 2021.

Crushers GC

Bryson DeChambeau (captain), Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri

Crushers GC is led by 2020 US Open champion and big-hitter Bryson DeChambeau.

The Crushers finished second in last year’s regular season team standings and include former world No. 3 and Ryder Cup star Paul Casey, India’s top-ranked pro Anirban Lahiri and veteran Charles Howell III, who have nearly 60 years of professional experience among them.

Fireballs GC

Sergio Garcia (captain), Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Chacarra

The Spanish-speaking Fireballs GC is led by 2017 Masters champion and Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia.

The Fireballs captured the team title at the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok last year, while rookie and former world No. 2 amateur Eugenio Chacarra claimed his first individual trophy in just his fifth pro start.

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who already has one victory this year at the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers, and former Tokyo Olympics teammate Carlos Ortiz expect to be fan favorites at the league’s debut event, LIV Golf Mayakoba.

HyFlyers GC

Phil Mickelson (captain), Cameron Tringale, James Piot, Brendan Steele

HyFlyers GC is headlined by World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, one of the most decorated golfers of all time.

The six-time major winner has amassed 57 career wins, including the 2021 PGA Championship, and continues his pursuit of individual and team championships at the age 52.

Mickelson’s team includes veteran Cameron Tringale, 2021 US Amateur champion James Piot and LIV Golf newcomer and 10-time professional champion Brendan Steele.

Iron Heads GC

Kevin Na (captain), Sihwan Kim, Scott Vincent, Danny Lee

Iron Heads GC is captained by veteran Kevin Na, who led the Iron Heads throughout 2022.

The squad is bolstered by Scott Vincent, who secured his spot for 2023 as the top performer in the International Series – 10 premier global tournaments on the Asian Tour that deliver pathways into the LIV Golf League.

Sihwan Kim, who competed for the Iron Heads in the final seven LIV Golf events last year, also earned his spot for 2023 as winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and as one of the top 24 (24th place) in the final LIV Golf individual standings.

The team is rounded out by veteran New Zealander Danny Lee, a three-time winner who is making his LIV Golf debut.

Majesticks GC

Ian Poulter (co-captain), Henrik Stenson (co-captain), Lee Westwood (co-captain), Sam Horsfield

Majesticks GC is led by a trio of European captains who have had exceptional careers: former world No. 1 Lee Westwood, Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter and 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson. Poulter speaks in-depth about LIV Golf as the featured player in an episode of Netflix’s new golf documentary Full Swing (read our full review of the series).

Their experience in global team competitions includes 23 Ryder Cup appearances among the three of them, and as the most veteran LIV Golf team, they have combined for nearly 1,900 worldwide starts.

In Stenson’s first LIV Golf competition, the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster, he joined the Majesticks and made an immediate impact by winning the event’s individual title. 

RangeGoats GC

Bubba Watson (captain), Harold Varner III, Talor Gooch, Thomas Pieters

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson captains RangeGoats GC, which debuts an updated team name and roster from last year’s Invitational Series.

Watson returns to action after rehabbing from injury and welcomes in Talor Gooch, who played for 4Aces GC and finished just outside the top 10 in last year’s Individual Champion standings.

The squad is rounded out by the captivating Harold Varner III and Belgium’s top-ranked pro Thomas Pieters, who is LIV Golf’s highest-profile signing of 2023.

Ripper GC

Cameron Smith (captain), Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Jed Morgan 

Reigning Open champion and 2022 PGA of America Player of the Year Cameron Smith headlines Ripper GC, a new name for the all-Australian team.

Smith’s squad finished strong in last year’s Invitational Series, coming just one shot short of winning the Team Championship.

Featuring veterans Marc Leishman and Matt Jones along with youngster Jed Morgan, Ripper GC will be a crowd favorite – especially in April when Adelaide hosts the first-ever LIV Golf event in Australia.

Smash GC

Brooks Koepka (captain), Matthew Wolff, Jason Kokrak, Chase Koepka 

Smash GC is captained by four-time major champion and former world No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who won the individual title in the 2022 regular-season finale in Jeddah while leading Smash to the team title.

Koepka, Jason Kokrak and new team member Matthew Wolff each finished in the top five in driving distance during LIV Golf’s invitational season.

The captain’s brother, Chase Koepka, provides steady shot-making for the all-American team.

Stinger GC

Louis Oosthuizen (captain), Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Dean Burmester 

Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen captains the all-South African team, which includes 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

Stinger comes off a very successful 2022 Invitational Series, having earned LIV Golf’s first-ever team victory at the inaugural event in London. In addition, Schwartzel (London) and Branden Grace (Portland) won the first two individual titles, with the latter finishing second in the season-long Individual Champion race.

The 2023 squad now includes Dean Burmester, a nine-time winner on professional tours.

Torque GC

Joaquin Niemann (captain), Mito Pereira, Sebastian Munoz, David Puig

Twenty-four-year-old sensation Joaquin Niemann captains the all-Latin Torque GC, which adds three new players in fellow Chilean Mito Pereira, Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz and Spanish youngster David Puig.

Niemann finished seventh in the Individual Champion standings last year despite making just four regular season starts.

Munoz and Pereira, members of the 2022 Presidents Cup International Team, make their LIV Golf debuts and should provide a spark as the league’s youngest squad.

Will the LIV Golf League teams stay the same throughout 2023?

That hasn’t been confirmed. LIV originally said the 48 players and 12 teams would be set for the season but there are rumors that there could be a soccer-style transfer window in the middle of the season, and that certain events may allow captains to swap in guest players.

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