What happened to 13 LIV Golf flops who were axed by Greg Norman after PGA switch

A host of players have rued their moves to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series after being axed by Greg Norman for below-par performances

LIV Golf has undeniably revolutionised the professional game, but for some rebel players, their defection has been as fleeting as it has been profitable.

The majority of those who chose to abandon the PGA Tour are now earning astronomical amounts, with Jon Rahm leading the 2024 standings having pocketed nearly £13million in tournament winnings alone.

That figure jumps to £26.5m after his bonus for topping the standings, with Joaquin Niemann pulling in £21.8m for finishing second and Tyrrel Hatton £12.25m for securing third place. Even Anthony Kim, who ended up at the bottom of the list of the 54 full-time LIV players, earned himself more than £709,000.

Fortunately for Kim, he's safe from relegation due to his wildcard status, with Kieran Vincent, Bubba Watson, Branden Grace, Scott Vincent and Kalle Samooja being the ones likely to be cut before 2025. These five will have the opportunity to reclaim their LIV spot through the promotions tournament, otherwise they'll have to accept an Asian Tour card next year as a consolation prize.

Express Sport examines what happened to those who have already been let go by the Saudi-backed tour since their departure, including nine players who only survived the inaugural event at the Centurion Club in June 2022....

Oliver Bekker

The South African pocketed £611,000 for his tied-sixth finish at Centurion, but it wasn't enough to secure him a permanent spot in LIV and he swiftly returned to the DP World Tour. His only victory since then was at a Challenger Tour event, the 2023 Dimension Data Pro-AM, and he hasn't appeared in any major championships.

Ratchanon Chantananuwat

He made a splash in April 2022 when, at just 15, he clinched the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup, becoming the youngest ever winner of an OWGR event. This achievement earned him an invite to LIV's inaugural act, but after finishing tied-38th, there's been little news about him and he remains an amateur player.

Oliver Fisher

Matching the teenager's score was Englishman Oliver Fisher, who quickly reverted to the status quo only to miss the cut at the BMW International Open. Since then, he has spent most of his time on the Challenge Tour.

Pablo Larrazabal

Despite seeming committed to the DP World Tour, he was a surprise participant at Centurion and ended up tied-13th, earning £275,000. Shortly afterwards, he was back in Europe and finished fifth at the BMW event, later winning the Korea Championship and KLM Open in 2023.

He did participate in three major championships last year, but his best performance was a tied-65th at the PGA Championship. Now 41, he seems to be a fading force.

Viraj Madappa

Another one-hit LIV wonder, was tied-30th in Centurion before promptly being sent back to the Asian Tour. Still competing there and the Professional Golf Tour of India, but there's been little sign of LIV recall.

Andy Ogletree

After arriving at Centurion and finishing last, he soon returned to the Asian Tour. However, the US amateur champion has since made a comeback by winning their 2023 International Series Order of Merit to re-earn his spot at LIV for 2024, and was 33rd in the overall standings this season.

JC Ritchie

Another forgotten man. The South African was tied-17th at Centurion, made £177,000 and has rarely been seen since after struggling on the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour.

Blake Windred

Like Ritchie, one of the more underwhelming 'where are they now' merchants. Struggled at Centurion, and the Australian was soon back on the Challenge Tour and missed 12 consecutive cuts before falling away to obscurity.

Kevin Yuan

Another Asian Tour star who was invited to the LIV Golf debut, but only seemingly to makeup the numbers. Yuan finished tied-33rd just weeks later, was back playing the Korean Open.

He's continued to compete on the Australasia and the Asian Tour, and his ranked 747th in the world.

Jediah Morgan

The 2022 Australasia Tour order of merit winner secured a full-time position on the LIV Golf circuit the following year, raking in £3.5million, but only managed to finish 46th overall. His relegation was confirmed after he failed to secure a lifeline in the subsequent promotion event.

Since then, the Aussie has returned to both his former organisation and the Asian Tour, delivering some impressive performances. There might still be hope for this LIV reject.

Chase Koepka

Perhaps the most well-known axed LIV star, if only because of his surname. He played on his brother Brooks' Smash GC team but only managed to secure 48th place individually, earning £5.1million.

Like Morgan, he failed to rescue himself in the promotions event and hasn't participated in a world ranking event since.

James Piot

Piot stuck around longer than most on this list, playing full-time on the LIV Golf circuit in both 2022 and 2023. Like Morgan and Koepka, he was relegated after finishing 47th in the standings last year, but has since pledged to attempt a return to the rebel circuit, where he made over £3m, via the Asian Tour.

Sihwan Kim

Kim earned a similar amount to his compatriot Pitt, primarily through his Heads GC team. He finished 50th and last in the standings and has carried his poor form back to the Asian Tour and KPGA Tour, where he's since failed to contend for victories.