With LIV Golf’s 48-player fields and new signings including Thomas Pieters, Dean Burmester and Danny Lee for the 2023 season, it meant that some of the players that had been there from the start of the circuit had to make way.
Seven players were dropped ahead of season 2 of the venture, but what have they been up to since? For one, it was a case of business as usual… almost, while for others, the prospect of a LIV Golf return is not out of the question. And how about a spell away from the game to live as a Buddhist monk?
Here is what became of the seven dropped players while many of their former colleagues were battling it out on the big-money League.
Laurie Canter
Canter wasn't handed a place among the 48 players for the 2023 season, but he was kept on as a reserve and it wasn't long until his services were called upon, first as a replacement for Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer, who missed the first three tournaments of the season through injury, and then for Majesticks GC's Sam Horsfield, when injury forced him to miss much of the season.
Given Canter ended up playing 11 of the 14 LIV Golf events, it didn't leave much room for anything else, though he did make a handful of appearances on the Asian Tour and DP World Tour. Most noteworthy was a creditable performance at The Open, where he finished T17.
Hennie Du Plessis
Du Plessis wasn't kept on by LIV Golf despite getting his career on it off to a flying start with runner-up in its first tournament in London, which banked him $2.125m. However, he only appeared in three more of the remaining seven events in 2022, and returned to DP World Tour action after the season-closing Team Championship.
It's been a mixed bag for the South African in 2023, with six missed cuts. However, a T2 in March's Jonsson Workwear Open in his homeland was impressive, while a T10 at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth also caught the eye.
Sadom Kaewkanjana
Kaewkanjana was one of two Thai players dropped after season one, whose best LIV Golf finish came with a T13 for Iron Heads GC at in Boston. In truth, Kaewkanjana can count himself unlucky to say goodbye to the circuit considering his higher ranking than some of its winter signings and his T11 at the 15th Open.
Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, he hasn't really kicked on since heading back to the Asian Tour, although fourth at February's Saudi International followed by a T2 at the International Series Oman offered reminders of his abilities. Kaewkanjana's season has been largely frustrating, though, with four missed cuts - including at the PGA Championship and only one top 10 finish since his effort in Oman.
Perhaps most noteworthy was what Kaewkanjana did off the course, living as a Buddhist monk on a spiritual retreat during the Asian Tour's mid-season break.
Phachara Khongwatmai
The second Thai player who was shown the door by LIV Golf was Khongwatmai following a season where his best finish, like Kaewkanjana, was a T13, this time at Bedminster. Also like his compatriot, Khongwatmai has returned to the Asian Tour, where he has racked up six top-10 finishes, including two in the International Series.
Both his and Kaewkanjana's talents have been given the seal of approval by one out-of-contract LIV Golf player, Graeme McDowell, who thinks they could both be soon back on the big-money circuit thanks to the LIV Golf Promotions event, where three players will receive deals.
Before the Hong Kong Open, he said of the pair: “I have played a bit of golf with Sadom and Phachara and I’ve been impressed with both.
“I feel they are on the edge of making that next step, but it is how you make that next step. The only way to do is to get on big stage and find that belief in yourself. No one can teach it and it can’t be found on a range – it can only be found during a big event.
“So you must get onto that LIV Golf Promotions event, get a big weekend in, get onto LIV and then have a big year there next year. Unfortunately, there is no way to practice that. Phachara is a nice player. I like his game and his attitude. It is tough to speak for all on the Asian Tour but a lot of these kids are so easy going yet so competitive and talented.”
Wade Ormsby
The best Ormsby could muster in the inaugural LIV Golf season was a T22, and the Australian has since been playing on the Asian Tour, where he won the International Series Thailand.
Ormsby, who was a LIV Golf reserve in 2023, is targeting a full-time return for next season via the LIV Golf Promotions event. Before the Hong Kong Open, he said: "LIV has been the biggest show in golf, and is a huge opportunity. Every Asian Tour member has got that opportunity, which is incredible to know that you’re going to be three or four rounds of golf away from having that opportunity.
"I’ve been lucky enough to play the first season on LIV, and the events are unbelievable. To be next to the best golfers in the world, week in week out is pretty special and something I wanna get back to, but I’ve got some work to do before that."
Adrian Otaegui
Otaegui played in three LIV Golf tournaments in the inaugural season, including the Team Championship at Trump National Doral, but when he wasn't kept on, he returned to the DP World Tour.
There, he has produced three top-10 finishes this season, including runner-up at the KLM Open. The Spaniard also appeared in two of the year's four Majors, but he missed the cut in the PGA Championship, while in The Open at Royal Liverpool, he finished T55.
His performances over the season have been largely impressive enough, though, and he may have even briefly come into Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald's thoughts for a wildcard for the match, but after finishing ninth on the European points list, it proved to be not quite enough for a maiden appearance.
Turk Pettit
One of the more intriguing journeys since leaving LIV Golf is that of Turk Pettit. The American was suspended from the PGA Tour when he played for LIV Golf. However, he is now eligible for PGA Tour-sanctioned events and made it through the first stage of PGA Tour Q-School in October.
Whether he will go on to claim a PGA Tour card remains to be seen, but it would be some story if he manages it less than a year after being told his services were no longer required at LIV Golf.
Before joining LIV Golf, Pettit had spent much of his time on the Korn Ferry Tour. After a best finish of T6 in LIV Golf's first season, though, he played most of his golf on the Asian Tour, and struggled for much of it, too, with missed cuts in seven tournaments.
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