What happens when you try to mix the Ryder Cup’s team spirit with F1-style franchises, sprinkle in a few billion dollars, and call it professional golf? You get LIV Golf’s team format—a bold, polarizing twist that’s as fascinating as it is confusing.
Let’s unpack what’s really going on.
The New Era: Four Scores, No Hiding
Back in 2022, LIV Golf launched with 12 teams, shotgun starts, and more questions than answers. Fast forward to 2025, and there are now 13 teams battling it out across 54 holes, with all four player scores counting in every round. No cuts. No passengers.
As Bubba Watson put it, “Nobody can hide.” Every hole matters, and every bad shot is now a team problem. In theory, it’s chaos. In practice? Well, the jury’s still out.
The Format: Points, Prizes, and Pressure
On the individual side, winners earn 40 points, second gets 30, third gets 24, and so on down to 24th place. The team competition has its own ladder, with the winning squad taking 32 points.
Gone are the days of just chasing your own leaderboard. Now, your playing partners’ form—or lack thereof—can tank your weekend.
It’s a full 14-event season now, with the same no-cut, shotgun start setup throughout. For fans, that means a shorter viewing commitment. For traditionalists, it’s blasphemy.
Franchises and Rivalries (Sort Of)
Crushers GC
Led by Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers GC is the powerhouse—eight regular season wins and counting. With Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, and Anirban Lahiri in the lineup, they’ve got chemistry and a growing fanbase. Dallas pulled 50,000 fans for their recent win. Not bad for something many still call a “gimmick.”
Legion XIII
Jon Rahm’s team, the league’s first expansion squad, is dripping in symbolism. Named after Julius Caesar’s infamous legion, they’ve won six events and are already chasing the Crushers. It’s aggressive branding—but it fits Rahm’s warrior persona.
4Aces GC & Ripper GC
Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces dominated early but have struggled with roster churn, including a Pieters trade. Meanwhile, Cam Smith’s Ripper GC won the 2024 Team Championship and keeps flying the Aussie flag with pride.
What the Players Are Saying
Some pros are all-in. Others? Not so much.
Thomas Pieters, blunt as ever, said the LIV team experience “doesn’t come close to the Ryder Cup… feelings-wise, atmosphere-wise, stuff like that.” Ouch.
Talor Gooch, on the other hand, compared early LIV events to the Ryder Cup. That comment aged like milk. It was ridiculed by just about everyone.
The Fans? Still Warming Up
Online polls show fans remain skeptical. Reactions like “Unserious golf organization” and “Forgot it existed” aren’t exactly glowing endorsements. Ratings haven’t exactly exploded, and the whole “team identity” push hasn’t caught fire—yet.
One Reddit user nailed the sentiment: “The teams are fake… completely contrived and designed to prop up the stars.”
Hard to argue when there’s no draft, no geography, and no real reason why half the teams even exist—aside from having a big-name captain.
It’s Not the Ryder Cup. Not Even Close.
Let’s be real: match play is what makes the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup electric. LIV’s stroke play format, even with team scoring, can’t replicate that one-on-one tension.
Even when they do go match play—like in the Team Championship—it’s short-lived. Only the quarters and semis feature proper team battles. The final? Back to stroke play. A bit of an identity crisis, no?
So… Is This the Future or a Flash in the Pan?
LIV Golf is trying things. Some work. Some don’t.
The “all scores count” rule for 2025 is a genuine shake-up. It forces depth and focus across all 13 teams. No weak links allowed.
There’s even talk of a LIV vs. PGA Ryder Cup-style event, which could be brilliant if done right—and if fans actually care.
But the biggest hurdle remains authenticity. You can’t buy passion, rivalries, or tradition. LIV’s team format still feels manufactured. That said, they’ve sparked debates that professional golf desperately needed.
LIV Golf isn’t going anywhere. The team format? It’s either the beginning of a revolution—or a very expensive lesson.
One thing’s for sure: no one’s ignoring it anymore.
