LIV Golf will skip Centurion this year and move to a new venue that opened in 2019 that's held only four pro events.
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LIV Golf is on the hunt for new allies to help boost its financial success. The tour shared news on Wednesday, March 20, revealing that JCB, a global powerhouse in creating and distributing construction machinery out of Staffordshire, England, is its latest sponsor. They’ve made a deal to become the headline sponsor for the LIV Golf event in the UK, which will now be called LIV Golf UK by JCB.
As a piece of this new, multi-year arrangement, the LIV Golf tour will make a stop at JCB’s golf course. The UK will host the LIV Golf event for the third time at the JCB Golf and Country Club in Rocester, Staffordshire, set for July 26-28. JCB’s boss, Graeme McDonald, is excited for what he expects to be a magnificent event in partnership with the LIV Golf tour.
Monica Fee, who is a high-ranking executive at LIV Golf, believes this collaboration is key to expanding the tour’s worldwide influence. Launched in 2021 with backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV Golf was set up to give the established PGA Tour some competition.
The scene was shaken up when prominent golfers, including Masters champion Jon Rahm, left the PGA Tour for this new series, with Rahm being barred from PGA events since his switch in December. There’s been some talk about merging the PGA with sponsors from PIF. Rahm has expressed hope that the rival tours can exist together peacefully, believing it could be a positive push for the game.
The JCB Golf and Country Club opened its doors in 2019 alongside JCB’s main offices and is set on 240 acres. The LIV Golf UK by JCB event in 2024 will mark the tour’s third event in Britain. The first event in 2022 saw Charl Schwartzel and Stinger GC as the champions. The tournament returned in 2023 with Cameron Smith and 4Aces GC claiming victories.
The next tournament will feature an even stronger lineup with the likes of Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton and introduce a new team, Legion XIII. LIV Golf is shifting its single UK event from Centurion Club to JCB Golf and Country Club this summer. Centurion was the location for the tour’s first tournament in 2022 and hosted events the following year. However, Rocester is the chosen venue moving forward.
Before the partnership with LIV Golf, the JCB course held four professional events, including the Rose Ladies Series and the European Senior Tour’s JCB Championship. Now, the LIV Golf UK by JCB will be the fifth professional event there, happening in the summer. The event will kick off on July 26, just after the Open Championship, at the expansive 7,400-yard course.
Golf enthusiast Rick Shiels has called it the toughest course he’s played, with the 17th hole being notably challenging due to water hazards. Alex Cejka successfully birdied this tough hole in 2022. However, the final round of last year’s JCB Championship was canceled due to heavy rain, with Peter Baker taking the title early.
LIV Golf is a new professional men’s golf tour named after the Roman numeral for 54, which is the total number of holes in its events. This tour kicked off with its first tournament on June 9, 2022, at the Centurion Club near St Albans, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom. What began as the LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022 transitioned into the LIV Golf League from 2023 onward.
During its debut season, the series included eight tournaments. Each tournament featured 54 holes and there were no cuts, meaning all players continued to play all the rounds. It also had a final team event in Miami in October 2022, which was a match-play knockout competition over four days. In June 2022, it was announced that LIV Golf would expand the following year into a full league with a structured calendar of 14 events.
This also came with 48 players signing up to play regularly. By late July, Greg Norman shared the news that LIV Golf would add a ranking system for its players, where four from the 48 would face relegation. The league boasts a substantial prize pool of $405 million. To avoid conflicts, LIV Golf events are scheduled not to overlap with major golf tournaments, premiere PGA Tour events, or international team competitions. The UK leg of the tour, LIV Golf UK by JCB, is set for July 26-28 at the JCB Golf & Country Club.
This is a recent addition to golf course design with varied features like island greens and even ancient house ruins to add intrigue. At this event, British golf fans can show support for home favorites like Poulter, Westwood, and Horsfield as they navigate the course challenges, especially the tough 18th hole, crafted by designer Robin Hiseman. All this action happens amidst the scenic British summer landscape, offering a great experience for numerous golf enthusiasts.
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