LIV Golf will never be able to silence all its critics, but the league has added some very talented young players in recent years.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see names like David Puig, Josel Ballester, and Tom McKibbin one day not only compete in major championships, but win them.
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After Michael La Sasso was poached by LIV Golf, Graeme McDowell took to his social media platforms to highlight how the league provides a strong development path for up-and-coming talent.
There’s an obvious reason why LIV Golf is still chasing the PGA Tour
Photo by Jason Butler/Getty Images
There’s no denying that LIV has become a legitimate path for young players, especially those looking to turn pro early and hit the ground running.
But McDowell also pointed out how difficult it is for young players to break through on the PGA Tour, suggesting LIV offers a more direct route.
His comments may have raised some eyebrows among PGA Tour fans, especially since LIV currently has several top prospects.
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Still, there are still plenty of reasons to believe the PGA Tour’s future is solid.
PGA Tour pipeline looks solid heading into 2026
For the first time since the 2019/20 season, the PGA Tour started with two tournaments won by players under the age of 30. Chris Gotterup won the Sony Open in Hawaii, and Scottie Scheffler won the American Express.
Throughout the tour, players in their 20s have won five of the past seven tournaments, excluding the Hero World Challenge. And let’s not forget that Blaze Brown, just 18 years old, made it to the final group at La Quinta.
And it’s not just this year. In 2025, Ludwig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Minwoo Lee, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young join the list of under 30 winners.
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Last year, five events at LIV were won by athletes under the age of 30. But all those wins belonged to Joaquin Niemann.
In fact, only five players have won a LIV event before turning 30: Niemann, Eugenio Chacala, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm.
Puig and McKibbin have won on other tours recently, and Puig in particular looks like a future star, but LIV’s approach to targeting young talent may still pay off in the future.
Still, there should be no debate as to which tour currently offers a better path for young players to win big events. Today, that title still undoubtedly belongs to the PGA Tour.
