As the 2026 season approaches, LIV Golf finds itself in an unusually precarious position, still seeking the gravitational pull of true star power. With less than a month before the season opener in Saudi Arabia, the defection of Brooks Koepka, one of the league’s original headline acts, has created a vacuum that no amount of prize money alone seems able to fill. Enter Thomas Detry and Elvis Smylie: two solid, if not spectacular, additions who mark the league’s latest attempt to stay afloat in a landscape increasingly defined by legacy, not just lavishness.
Detry Reunites with Pieters in 4Aces Lineup
Detry’s signing may lack the drama of a Rahm or the buzz of a Koepka, but make no mistake, he brings pedigree. The 32-year-old Belgian’s triumph at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open not only earned him his maiden PGA Tour title but also etched his name in history as the first Belgian to do so. That emphatic seven-shot victory, coupled with a consistent season capped by a 44th-place finish in the FedEx Cup standings, offers a glimpse into Detry’s quiet but assured ascent. Joining Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces, Detry also reunites with compatriot Thomas Pieters, possibly setting the stage for a stronger team dynamic within the franchise.
Elvis Smylie Adds Youthful Spark to Ripper GC
Elvis Smylie, on the other hand, represents a different kind of gamble, a youthful spark in a league that desperately needs both longevity and national appeal. At 23, the Australian’s standout moment came with his gritty win at the 2024 Australian PGA Championship, where he bested none other than Cameron Smith. That feat alone signals a promising trajectory. Smylie is expected to join Ripper GC, LIV’s all-Australian squad, which already boasts Smith and Marc Leishman. If chemistry and national pride can translate into a competitive edge, Ripper GC may find in Smylie the X-factor it has lacked.
LIV Golf Expands Roster, But Questions of Identity Linger
Yet these signings are occurring amid quiet turmoil. LIV Golf’s decision to expand its roster to 57 players and return to the 72-hole format reveals a league still angling for legitimacy through OWGR recognition. Koepka’s abrupt exit, still unexplained publicly, underscores a potential identity crisis: is LIV a playground for rebels or a serious alternative to the PGA Tour?
With several roster spots still unclaimed, time is not on LIV’s side. The league has the funds, the format, and the infrastructure, but without more household names, it risks becoming something even worse than controversial: forgettable.
