Prime collegiate golfers often had their highway map set for skilled golf after leaving faculty. Attempt to make it to the PGA Tour, whether or not or not it’s via Q-College, the Korn Ferry Tour, different feeder and mini excursions, and many others.

Nonetheless, since LIV Golf’s launch, the brand new league has provided a brand new path ahead for aspiring execs, and some have jumped on the alternative.

Spaniards Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra and David Puig each bailed on plans to play extra years of faculty golf to hitch LIV Golf in 2022. James Piot, the 2021 U.S. Novice winner, additionally went straight from the school ranks to LIV Golf.

Lopez-Chacarra shocked the golf world when he turned down possible Korn Ferry Tour standing in saying he would return to Oklahoma State for a fifth 12 months earlier than making an about-face and becoming a member of LIV Golf two months later.

Puig competed in LIV’s inaugural London occasion in June 2022 as an novice earlier than leaving Arizona State in September of that 12 months to show skilled and formally be part of the league.

In an interview with the Asian Tour, early LIV adopter Graeme McDowell praised Lopez-Chacarra and Puig for his or her choices to hitch the Saudi-backed PGA Tour rival.

“It’s fascinating for these younger guys, you take a look at Chacarra and Puig specifically, they’ve chosen the LIV path, and we’re not actually aware of that path,” McDowell mentioned. “They’ve taken a large threat in a method however they’ve each kicked on and I’m actually pleased with these guys.”

Final 12 months within the runup to LIV’s inaugural occasion, McDowell additionally reached out to Turk Pettit, the 2021 NCAA Championship winner, and provided him a spot on his crew for LIV’s first season. Andy Ogletree, the 2019 U.S. Novice champion, additionally signed up for LIV’s first occasion.

All 5 gamers had been suspended from PGA Tour-affiliated occasions on account of their option to play LIV occasions. Whereas neither Ogletree, Piot or Pettit had membership on the Korn Ferry Tour, Lopez-Chacarra and Puig, had been prone to acquire not less than that standing upon ending school.

Within the fall of 2022, the PGA Tour made modifications to the PGA Tour College program, giving full PGA Tour membership to the highest finisher for the subsequent 12 months and a half after the tip of their senior season, and Nos. 2-5 incomes full Korn Ferry memberships.

Ludvig Aberg took benefit of the modifications to develop into the primary participant to graduate school and go straight to the PGA Tour via this system. Already this season, Vanderbilt junior Gordon Sargent locked up PGA Tour membership on the finish of the NCAA season via the PGA Tour U Accelerated program.

Lopez-Chacarra was prone to acquire Korn Ferry Tour standing as he was third within the rating when he introduced he would use his fifth 12 months of eligibility at OSU. Puig, in the meantime, made himself ineligible for the rating when he performed within the LIV London occasion. In a probable effort to dissuade gamers from becoming a member of LIV in early 2022, the PGA Tour informed school gamers they might be ineligible for advantages from the PGA Tour College program in the event that they performed in any skilled occasion that didn’t earn Official World Golf Rating factors.

LIV Golf didn’t earn OWGR factors on the time and its request to be acknowledged by the rating physique was lately denied.

“They’ve been ostracised a bit bit from the younger {golfing} world, however they’ve used the LIV Golf League as a platform and brought issues to the subsequent stage,” McDowell mentioned. “I’m glad to see them kick on the best way they’re – they’re going to be nice younger gamers. I hope the world opens up for them they usually get the chance to try to win Majors as nicely.”

That state of affairs, nonetheless, seems unlikely, with LIV Golf not incomes world rating factors anytime quickly, two main championships lately saying they wouldn’t alter their entry standards in 2024 to account for LIV golfers.

And whereas Lopez-Chacarra and Puig have had success on LIV, incomes $3,284,583 and $3,903,333, respectively, in 2023 with Lopex-Chacarra gained an occasion in 2022, the opposite three golfers have had a harder time.

Ogletree didn’t play one other LIV occasion in 2022, however will rejoin the league full-time in 2024 after successful the Asian Tour Order of Advantage.

Pettit, in the meantime was dropped by his crew after the 2022 season and joined the Asian Tour. Nonetheless, he lately made it via the primary stage of Q-College after his one-year ban for taking part in within the LIV Golf Group Championship final October lapsed (or lapsed sufficient). He’s looking for to develop into the first former LIV Golfer to earn PGA Tour standing.

Piot has performed in each LIV occasion in 2023, however he completed forty seventh within the standings, that means he was relegated and should re-earn a spot within the league by ending within the high three of the LIV Promotions occasion.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf crew and lately returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He may be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.