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LIV Golf’s brand new player movement programme has reached its second stage. 

The sport’s first ever transfer window is here after team captains decided in ‘Phase One’ whether to re-sign their players who finished in the top-24 of the individual standings, also known as the “Lock Zone.”

Peter Uhlein (4 Aces), Richard Bland (Cleeks GC), Anibarn Lahiri (Crushers GC) and Scott Vincent (Iron Heads GC) have all signed extensions with their respective teams after the expiry of their contracts.

• Four players relegated from LIV Golf

• How does the LIV Golf transfer window work?

But the Mexican Carlos Ortiz, who was out-of-contract at the end of the season, has rejected to chance to stay on Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC team, meaning he will be looking for a new team in ‘Phase Two’.

It is widely anticipated Ortiz will sign for Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC, the other Spanish-speaking team on the LIV roster.

Torque player David Puig, who finished inside the Open Zone (24-44), could replace Ortiz in the Fireballs roster after it was confirmed by LIV that “Niemann will look to add one player via free agency or the draft.”

Interestingly, Matthew Wolff is currently still contracted to Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC side, despite a bitter public fallout with the five-time major champion.

A team with a spot available in their roster can sign a top-24 player who opted to enter free agency, or any player in the Open Zone whose contract has expired.

And with Ripper GC’s Jediah Morgan, HyFlyers GC’s James Piot, Smash GC’s Chase Koepka and Iron Heads GC’s Sihwan Kim all relegated, there will be plenty of movement ahead of the LIV Golf Promotions event in December.

As it stands, Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks GC and Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC both have two open spots available, while six other teams have one position to be decided.

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The four LIV Golf teams that will remain the same in 2024 are…

Crushers GC – Bryson DeChambeau (C), Paul Casey, Charles Howell III,  Anibarn Lahiri

Majesticks GC – Ian Poulter (C), Henrik Stenson (C), Lee Westwood (C), Sam Horsfield

RangeGoats – Bubba Watson (C), Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III, Thomas Pieters

Stinger GC – Louis Oosthuizen (C), Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmester

The Promotions Event in Abu Dhabi starting on December 8 marks ‘Phase Three’ of LIV’s offseason.

The top three finishers in the potentially-lucrative 72-hole event will be drafted into the remaining teams with open roster spots before the 2024 campaign.

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Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.

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