LIV Players Are Becoming Increasingly Irrelevant In Majors

For much of the week, it felt like there was a mistake in the Masters app and on the broadcast.

The first page of the leaderboard. The second page of the leaderboard. Sometimes even the third page of the leaderboard.

And not a LIV player to be found.

If not for a final-round 66 from Tyrrell Hatton that surged him into a tie for third, it would have been something of a catastrophic week for LIV—none of the league’s other players finished in the top 30 of the 91-man field.

So maybe LIV playing a glorified pitch-and-putt in South Africa and then taking three weeks off wasn’t the best form of preparation for competing on a course that demands precision.

In the past, LIV has played a more American schedule closer to the Masters and other majors. It’s fair to wonder whether the 2026 schedule did LIV players a disservice.

Even with perfect preparation, it’s abundantly obvious LIV’s best guys have lost a step in the majors.

Is it about motivation? Sharpness? Something else?

DeChambeau, Rahm were total no-shows

The LIV Masters disaster starts with Bryson DeChambeau.

A popular pick to win this week based on his back-to-back LIV victories, Bryson’s week was marked by terrible wedge play and getting stuck in more bunkers than Saddam. He triple bogeyed No. 11 in his opening round and then did the same at No. 18 in the second round to miss the cut by two strokes.

I guess his own personal 3D-printed 5-iron couldn’t save him.

While it’s fair that LIV has generally been a positive for DeChambeau—he won the 2024 U.S. Open and has really been the lone consistent LIV standout in the top events—it’s clear he hasn’t solved the Augusta National problem.

Whether it’s his longer-length wedges, the difficulty of playing off so many uneven lies or something else entirely, DeChambeau’s approach play has been bad at the Masters—even during his better results at ANGC.

But far more disappointing among LIV’s top two stars? Jon Rahm.

The expectation for Rahm is to be a top five player in the world. Data Golf has had him at No. 2 for a long time now. His performances on LIV are solid, although it’s ridiculous he has only won three times against the plumbers and firemen in those limited fields.

Regardless, it’s time to officially sound the alarm for Rahm in majors.

He opened the Masters with a 6-over 78 and was completely out of the tournament by the time he reached the second nine on Thursday. It’s nice that he battled to make the cut, but that’s not much of a win for a player who has the capacity to be No. 1 in the world.

The last time Rahm legitimately contended for a major was the 2023 Masters. That was three years ago.

Since signing on with LIV, there is something missing for him mentally. He has lost an edge.

He still has the physical tools and is in the prime of his career, but that’s even more reason to be sad watching Rahm toil on LIV and then no-show at majors while players who are supposed to be his same class—Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and others—make Rahm more and more irrelevant with each passing major.

And then there is the rest of the crew on cruise control

Remember the name Cameron Smith?

He should be in the prime of his career, but he has opted not to realize that potential. He accomplished a lot, including winning the 2022 Open Championship, and now he is cashing big checks and chilling.

Hey, you can’t be critical of someone who decides that their priority in life is family, friends and not stressing about golf. That is his right. Good for him. Maybe we would do the same if given the chance.

But it’s also the right of golf fans to be grossly disappointed that we don’t get to watch him truly compete in majors. It’s the right of the fan to be bummed that a very talented player with a nasty short game doesn’t care about honing his craft.

Smith has missed his last six major cuts. This week was a 74-77 showing to miss the cut by three strokes.

Dustin Johnson? Oh, he checked out ages ago.

Sergio Garcia? He’s smashing his driver over a cooler.

The LIV cast has consistently disappointed in majors. There are a handful of guys who we have completely forgot about since they left the PGA Tour.

After initial major success, LIV stars have deteriorated

Brooks Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship and Bryson won the 2024 U.S. Open.

Those are the only LIV players to win a major since the league formed. And Koepka isn’t even on LIV anymore.

The one LIV player who has had consistent success in majors is Bryson. Rahm has enjoyed a few top-10 finishes but hasn’t been anywhere close to contention late in a major the last three seasons.

What’s the reason?

Maybe it’s not playing enough good golf courses against good competition. Maybe it’s how uneven the schedule is—including how much international play is involved—so it’s tough for players to get into a groove heading majors.

Whatever the reason, there are a lot of LIV players becoming afterthoughts in majors.

Let me know what you think in the comment section.

Top Photo Caption: Jon Rahm reacts after finishing his second round of the Masters. (GETTY IMAGES/Maddie Meyer)