They came in as icons—veterans with packed trophy cabinets and reputations that commanded respect. But in the cutthroat world of LIV Golf, past glory offers no immunity. As the 2025 season barrels toward its conclusion, the league’s unforgiving relegation system is forcing even the biggest names to look over their shoulders.
For those falling behind, the consequences are brutal: lost income, lost status, and possibly, a one-way ticket out of the league. And now, with just two events remaining, a handful of golf’s most familiar faces are teetering on the brink—facing a very real threat of being pushed out of the spotlight they once owned.
Ian Poulter
Starting his pro career back in ’96, the Englishman steadily built a reputation as a fierce competitor on the global golf stage. Over the years, he collected 17 wins, including two standout victories at the World Golf Championships. A regular fixture in major tournaments, he reached the pinnacle of his career around 2010 when he cracked the top five in the world rankings, a clear mark of his place among golf’s best.
However, those glory days now feel distant. This season, he has struggled to regain form, failing to break into the top 25 consistently. His best finishes were a T13 in Korea, T31 in Adelaide, and T30 in Riyadh. Compounding his challenges, his driving distance ranks just 52nd in the league at an average of 288 yards, limiting his competitiveness.
Given his recent struggles, he now finds himself precariously low on the points leaderboard, and he is already in the drop zone of the league, at 51, facing a tough battle to avoid relegation. With just two events left, turning things around will be a steep challenge considering his current form.
Lee Westwood
Few golfers have shaped European golf quite like Lee Westwood, with 22 weeks spent as the world’s No. 1 and a record seven Ryder Cup wins under his belt, he’s proven time and again why he’s a true legend of the game.
But this season has been a test of endurance. Westwood’s only top-10 finish came in Virginia, where a T10 earned him 7.2 valuable points. Alongside two solid T25 finishes in Riyadh and Dallas, and a respectable T34 at The Open, he currently finds himself 46th on the points leaderboard just inside the safety zone. With only a couple of tournaments left, the pressure is mounting for Westwood to hold his ground and avoid the threat of relegation.
Henrik Stenson
He once ruled the fairways with calm authority, his 2016 Open Championship win marking the peak of a career built on consistency and control. That victory gave him a ticket back to golf’s oldest major in 2025, but the return was anything but triumphant. A T45 finish left him well outside the conversation, a reminder of just how much the game has shifted since his prime.
In LIV Golf, the struggles have continued. A T12 in Adelaide offered a glimpse of form and earned him 4.66 points, his highest all season. A T20 in Korea followed, but the 0.85 points it brought barely moved the needle. Beyond that, it’s been a quiet, frustrating campaign. Now hovering just above the relegation line, he heads into the final two events knowing what’s at stake. There’s no room left for an off week; it’s a fight to stay in the league, and the clock is ticking.
Andy Ogletree
Few players are walking a thinner line in LIV Golf right now than Andy Ogletree. Sitting right at the edge of the league’s lock zone, he’s holding on to his spot by the slimmest of margins, and one misstep in the final stretch could cost him everything. It’s a nerve-wracking position for any player, let alone someone still trying to cement his place in the pro golf world.
Ogletree turned professional in 2020 and joined LIV in 2022, though his early involvement was limited to just one start in his debut season, followed by three appearances in 2023. Last year, he showed signs of commitment and promise, finishing 34th in the standings with 29 points. But this season has been far less forgiving. With only 4.93 points to his name and no top-10 finishes, his campaign has lacked momentum. His three best showings in T20 in Hong Kong, T17 in Korea, and a recent T18 in the UK have kept him afloat, but just barely.
As the final two events approach, Ogletree faces a high-stakes test. For him, it’s not just about finishing strong; it’s about saving his spot in the league, and possibly his entire LIV Golf career.
Brendan steele
Brendan Steele’s 2024 season may sting, but it doesn’t paint the full picture of his game. Just last year, he comfortably sat at 24th in the standings with 48.10 points, showing serious form. One of his standout moments came at Greenbrier, where he tamed the beastly 615-yard par-5 17th during round two, a glimpse of the precision and control he brought to LIV Golf.
Fast forward to this season, and it’s a different story. Steele finds himself teetering in 45th place with just 7.36 points. He hasn’t cracked the top 10 even once this year, and while the form has clearly dipped, he’s still posted six top-25 finishes, something many below him can’t claim.
It’s not over yet. If he can summon just a flicker of last season’s brilliance, Steele might just hold onto his spot as the final events close in.
As LIV Golf barrels toward its season finale, the stakes couldn’t be higher. For these five names, the next two events won’t just shape their standings; they’ll define whether their future lies inside the ropes of this bold league or beyond its limits. The margin for error is gone. What’s left is a final shot at survival.
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