A number of players are facing relegation from the LIV Golf tour.
Pat Perez has previously taken aim at Tiger Woods. (Image: Getty)
No rebel player has lauded LIV Golf more than Pat Perez but now the American faces the prospect of a humiliation on the Saudi-backed venture. The 48-year-old, one of the first big name players to jump ship from the PGA Tour in June 2022, is in danger of finishing in the ‘Drop Zone’ in the 2024 standings, meaning relegation from the tour for next season.
Perez is currently 47th in the individual standings with just five events of the LIV season to go.
The first of those takes place in Valderrama, Spain, from July 14-16 before further tournaments in Rocester in the UK, and West Virginia, Chicago and Dallas in America.
Players who finish 49th or lower at the end of the year stand to lose their position in the lucrative series. And the possibility of those who are cut being offered an olive branch appear remote, given Greg Norman and co are expected to target more big names from the PGA Tour to replace them for 2025.
Perez tasted glory in the inaugural LIV campaign as part of Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team that won the Team Championship title. And it was following that win that he took aim at Tiger Woods, who questioned the desire of LIV stars to improve knowing they could earn big money regardless.
“That’s the stupidest s*** I have ever heard of in my life,” ranted Perez on the Son of a Butch podcast. “That’s one of the stupidest things I think he has said.
Pat Perez is struggling in the LIV Golf standings. (Image: Getty)
“The incentive is the fact that last place is £120,000, first place is £4million. You cannot win £4m on the PGA Tour. He had a lot of guarantees. You know what, and he was the hottest thing. He’s made so much money off the course, he found incentive to go.”
Perez was vociferous as soon as he put pen to paper to sign a deal with LIV, having previously won three times on the PGA Tour. He initially vowed not to become embroiled in warfare with his former employees, a vow he’s regaled on since.
“I have no ill feelings toward the PGA Tour or any of the players. I’m a LIV guy 100 per cent,” he said at the time. “I’m going to play for them. But I don’t feel any need to go after the PGA Tour.”
Perez isn’t the only star currently looking over his shoulder. 4Aces team-mate Harold Varner III, as well as South African Branden Grace are also in serious risk of falling into the relegation spots.
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson however, is safe despite being in the bottom five. Watson leads the Range Goats GC team, with captains currently exempt fro, being demoted.
