With just one individual event left in the 2025 LIV Golf League season, Ian Poulter knows he is drinking in the last-chance saloon as he looks to save his career on the PIF-backed circuit.
The Postman was among the first crop of players to move over to LIV from the PGA Tour back in 2022, scoring 16 points and finishing 31st thanks to four top-24 results from seven starts in his inaugural season.
It was a similar story for the five-time Ryder Cup winner in 2023 as his 22 points secured him 34th place in the season's standings. Then, last term, Poulter's fifth-place result in Chicago and T8th in Hong Kong went a long way to securing his status for 2025.
But, through 12 events this term, the European golf legend has only finished in the points once. That occurred at LIV Golf Korea as rounds of 69, 73 and 68 helped Poulter to a T13th-place finish.
His best result otherwise is a T30th at LIV Golf Riyadh - the first tournament of the year - with a handful of other finishes in the low-30s, still outside of the top-24 where points are awarded.
Ahead of LIV Golf Indianapolis, which is the final individual event of the season, Poulter has 4.5 points and knows he requires a top-20 finish as a minimum if he is not to be relegated.
While Poulter is one of several big names in danger of relegation from LIV Golf, he is arguably the brightest star of them all and needs one of his best results this year if he is to play another season in the 54-hole competition.
The message out of LIV Golf this year is that absolutely no one is exempt from relegation, no matter their standing. So despite being a co-captain of Majesticks alongside Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood, Poulter could still lose his spot.
Should that happen, the only way back immediately would be for Poulter to take part in and triumph at the LIV Golf Promotions event later this year.
However, that would not be necessary should he bridge the 1.02-point gap to 48th place at The Club at Chatham Hills.
This is where it could become slightly awkward for Poulter and his Majesticks GC teammates, though, because the two players directly above the dotted line are Stenson and Westwood.
The Swede is in the most danger on 5.52 points while Westwood has 7.20. Mito Pereira holds the first relegation spot with 5.10 so could only need to finish T24th with one other player to survive.
For Westwood to be hauled under, the Chilean will need to finish 17th or higher at LIV Golf Indianapolis while Poulter would require the same result and Andy Ogletree - who sits one place above him - to end outside the points.
Should Poulter not manage to secure the necessary points to retain his place, the Englishman's three-year stint with LIV may end with earnings of over $8.1 million.
In that scenario, Poulter's subsequent options are limited. He would not be allowed back to the PGA Tour for at least a year and has resigned his DP World Tour membership, leaving him with the potential to make starts on the Asian Tour via the International Series.
However, should that not appeal, Poulter may consider retirement off the back of career earnings in excess of $40 million.
Ultimately, a career which began in 1995 could be days away from ending with a potential goodbye set for the LIV Golf Team Championship in Michigan later this month.
LIV Golf Relegation Zone 2025
Position |
Player |
Points |
Events |
|---|---|---|---|
OPEN ZONE |
OPEN ZONE |
OPEN ZONE |
OPEN ZONE |
46th |
Brendan Steele |
7.36 |
12 |
47th |
Lee Westwood |
7.20 |
12 |
48th |
Henrik Stenson |
5.52 |
12 |
DROP ZONE |
DROP ZONE |
DROP ZONE |
DROP ZONE |
49th |
Mito Pereira |
5.10 |
12 |
50th |
Andy Ogletree |
4.93 |
12 |
51st |
Luis Masaveu |
4.59 |
9 |
52nd |
Ian Poulter |
4.50 |
12 |
