One statistic shows why the PGA Tour remains a better fit for young players than LIV Golf

While LIV Golf will never be able to quieten all of its critics, the league has added some very talented young players over the last few years.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see names like David Puig, Josele Ballester, and Tom McKibbin not only contending but also winning majors one day.

After Michael La Sasso was brought in by LIV Golf, Graeme McDowell used his social media platform to highlight how the league is offering a strong development path for rising 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 pathway for young players, especially those looking to turn pro early and get started right away.

But McDowell also pointed out how tough it can be for young players to break through on the PGA Tour, suggesting LIV offers a more direct route.

His comments might have raised a few eyebrows among PGA Tour fans, especially with LIV now home to several top prospects.

Even so, there are still plenty of reasons to believe the future of the PGA Tour remains strong.

PGA Tour pipeline looks strong heading into 2026

For the first time since the 2019/20 season, the PGA Tour has started with two events won by players under 30. Chris Gotterup took home the Sony Open in Hawaii, while Scottie Scheffler triumphed at The American Express.

Across all tours, five of the last seven events – excluding the Hero World Challenge – have been won by players in their 20s. And let’s not forget, Blades Brown, only 18, found himself in the final group at La Quinta.

And it’s not just this year. In 2025, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Min Woo Lee, Ben Griffin and Cameron Young all added to that list of under-30 winners.

LIV also had five events last year won by players under 30. But every one of those victories belonged to Joaquin Niemann.

In fact, only five different players have ever won a LIV event before turning 30: Niemann, Eugenio Chacarra, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.

While Puig and McKibbin have picked up wins on other tours recently – and Puig in particular looks like a future star – LIV’s approach to targeting younger talent may still pay off down the line.

Even so there shouldn’t be any debate over which tour currently offers better pathways for young players to win big events. Right now that title still belongs to the PGA Tour without question.

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