Dustin Johnson’s LIV Golf team 4Aces could be in for a major shake-up come 2025.

The two-time major champion’s squad had a challenging golf season in the breakaway tour’s Team Championship, finishing near the bottom of the leaderboard. Despite this, Johnson himself had a decent run, securing ninth place in the 2024 money list with earnings just over £6 million ($7,822,202).

His teammate Patrick Reed also had a commendable year, ending up 19th with £4 million ($5,189,300). However, the other two members of 4Aces didn’t fare as well. Harold Varner III finished 37th, while Pat Perez narrowly escaped relegation.

Players who rank 49th or lower in the 56-man league face the risk of being relegated from the league next year. Here’s what might happen to 4Aces before the 2025 season kicks off…

Perez leaves

While Perez managed to stay afloat, it’s uncertain whether he will be kept on by Johnson, who will be aiming for better results in 2025. Having finished outside of the top 24 in the so-called Open Zone Perez might be let go by Johnson, who chose to keep Perez after his 28th-place finish in 2023.

Hovland to sign up

Viktor Hovland has endured a season to forget

Viktor Hovland has endured a season to forget ( 

Image:

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

If Johnson, 40, decides to make some changes, he could potentially make a big move for PGA Tour star Viktor Hovland, who has previously hinted at a move to LIV. Earlier this year, the Norwegian admitted that he had seriously considered joining the Saudi-backed tour following Europe’s victory at the 2023 Ryder Cup. He told the Times in July that it “might have been a pretty cool opportunity”.

“Obviously, they’re throwing out a lot of money, but I’ve already made a lot of money,” he said. “I’m not a very materialistic person. It’s nice to make life easier for yourself, but that’s not what gets me up in the morning. At the end of the day, the question is, ‘What’s going to make me a better player?’ And hey, in 20 years, if I’m on the back end of my career, playing LIV Golf wouldn’t be too bad.”

So while it was a no for now, it wasn’t a never. And if golf has taught us anything over the last couple of years, it’s that previously entrenched opinions can change very quickly. Just ask Rory McIlroy!

Much will depend on continuing merger talks between LIV’s Saudi backers and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. It was reported recently that an agreement had been reached following a breakthrough in talks, with an official truce on the cards before Christmas. However, nothing can be taken for granted following Hovland’s previous criticism of PGA Tour chief Jay Monaghan.

Varner and Reed stay

While Varner had a disappointing campaign, he probably has enough credit in the bank thanks to his excellent 2023 season, which saw him finish seventh in the standings with RangeGoats before being traded to 4Aces. If Johnson can find a quality replacement for Perez, 4Aces could be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.