LIV Golf Mayakoba 2024: Field, betting odds, and tee times for the season opener

LIV Golf kicks off 2024 in Mayakoba, Mexico.

The Jon Rahm fanfare gets underway in Mexico with all eyes on the Spaniard as LIV Golf returns for its third season.

Greg Norman landing his man was a milestone moment for LIV Golf back in December, sending an unmistakably clear message to the golf world that the Saudi-backed tour is just loosening up its shoulders.

Rahm’s mega-money move will inevitably steal the limelight as players prepare for the season-opener in Mayakoba, and the first tee shot probably can’t come quick enough for Europe’s Ryder Cup talisman as he looks to let his golf start doing the talking again.

However, with Rahm’s newly revealed Legion XIII franchise announcing the signing of World No. 16 Tyrrell Hatton in a $50 million deal, the spotlight will be thrown straight back on the ensuing merger mayhem, or lack of one, as the PGA Tour loses yet another star attraction.

After withdrawing from the PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Hatton heads south of the border to link up with Rahm and new teammates – Cabel Surratt and Keiran Vincent, where Legion XIII look to make the dream start to their life in LIV.

Another fresh face of note on the roster in 2024 is four-time European Tour winner and World No.42 Adrian Meronk. The Polish Olympian from Toyko is joined by 2023’s LIV Golf Promotions champion, Kalle Samooja from Finland, and will team up with Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer, and Richard Bland for the new season.

A little less than 12 months ago it was 43-year-old Charles Howell III who climbed atop the individual podium, finishing 16-under par, spearheading his Crushers GC team to victory in the process.

DeChambeau, Howell III, Casey, and Lahiri bookended LIV’s 2023 season by lifting silverware at the season-ending Team Championship too, and will no doubt be buoyant at the prospect of spoiling Rahm’s arrival party when the action gets underway in Mayakoba on Friday.

What is the format of LIV Golf Mayakoba?

With the addition of a 13th franchise – Rahm’s Legion XIII, the 2024 field rises to 54 players, inclusive of the two wildcard players – Laurie Canter (Mayakoba & Las Vegas) and Hudson Swafford (full-season), who will compete as unsigned individuals.

The team-assigned players compete in two competitions simultaneously- an individual event and a team event. Each stroke counts in the individual event, whereas in the team event, only the combined scores of the team’s top three players count for rounds 1 & 2, with all four scores counting in the final round of each event.

Each event is played over 54 holes, with no cuts and shotgun starts. For more information, check out our LIV Golf: Everything You Need to Know page.

Where is LIV Golf Mayakoba being played?

There are few more appropriate courses to open up a new LIV season than the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon Golf Course, along the calm waters of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

One of Mexico’s premier courses, El Camaleon made golf history in 2007 when it became the home of the Mayakoba Golf Classic, the first PGA Tour event to be contested outside the US and Canada.

The 7,116-yard par 71 course offers constantly changing views for players as they navigate through three diverse ecosystems of tropical Mayan jungle, mangrove wetlands, and the Mexican Caribbean Sea coastline.

Who will win LIV Golf Mayakoba?

It’s unlikely to surprise many that Jon Rahm was the overwhelming favorite to take individual honors in Mayakoba, despite not playing a competitive round of golf since the DP World Tour Championship in November. Many of his LIV colleagues were in the same rusty boat, however, meaning everyone is in with a chance of getting their 2024 LIV season off to the dream start.

How much does the LIV Golf Mayakoba winner receive?

Like all regular season events, LIV Golf Mayakoba has a $25 million purse, with $20 million assigned for the individual competition and $5 million for the team competition.

The individual winner in Mexico is set to receive a $4 million share, ranging down to $50,000 for those finishing at the wrong end of the leaderboard.

Only the top three teams will receive prize money in each event. The winners will earn their team $3 million, with $1.5 million and $500k earned by the second and third-placed teams respectively.

Read our full guide to ‘How much every LIV player has been paid’.

How to watch LIV Golf Mayakoba

UK viewers can watch the action for free on the LIV Golf YouTube channel.

All times GMT

Saturday, February 03: LIV Golf YouTube, 17.45

Sunday, February 04: LIV Golf YouTube, 17.45

US viewers can catch all the action on the CW App & LIV Golf+ App.

All times EST

Saturday, February 03: CW App & LIV Golf+ App, 12.45

Sunday, February 04: CW App & LIV Golf+ App, 12.45

BECOME A TODAY’S GOLFER MEMBER: Unlimited access to premium content and exclusive rewards

About the author

Ross Tugwood

Golf Equipment Writer

Ross Tugwood is a golf equipment writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.

Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.

He has post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.