LIV Golf Adds Relegated Luis Masaveu, Casting Doubt on Relegation Rule
The LIV Golf Fireballs GC team, captained by Sergio García, recently announced the return of rising Spanish star Luis Masaveu to their roster. The move is controversial, as the Madrid native finished last season in the league’s so-called “Drop Zone,” reserved for relegated players.
This action seems inconsistent with 2025 campaign messaging, which stated that relegated players could return only through LIV Promotions or the Asian Tour’s International Series, rather than direct re-signing. Let’s recall that in previous years, captains were exempt from the relegation rule, and that the rest of the relegated players could be re-signed. Bubba Watson and Branden Grace were examples of this at the end of 2024.
It’s fair to say that Masaveu did not finish the season as an active LIV player, as he was placed on the reserve list and replaced by his compatriot, Josele Ballester. This seems to be the condition that allows him to return to the Fireballs. Although few details about the rule have been given, everything indicates that relegation applies only to permanent league members.
During the 2025 season, the Saudi-backed league announced the strengthening of the relegation rule, ensuring that there would be no exceptions among relegated players. In fact, Majesticks GC co-captain Henrik Stenson has already announced his return to the DP World Tour after being relegated from LIV Golf.
However, this controversial move with Masaveu has taken place. Golf media outlet Flushing It highlighted the controversy, pointing out on X that Masaveu “played 9 events this year, finishing 52nd on the season-long standings and in the Drop Zone,” adding that “this means he should have been relegated and needed to earn his way back through Promotions or the Asian Tour.”
The same post called the signing “a terrible look” for a league that had just sold relegation as a core pillar of its competitive structure.
Flushing It argued that bending the policy for a young prospect undercuts the integrity of the system. That criticism has resonated with fans who welcomed LIV’s move to scrap earlier loopholes such as “business case” exemptions and generous captain protections.
On the course, Masaveu’s rookie LIV campaign offered a mixed picture, with flashes of promise but not enough consistency to avoid the Drop Zone. He made nine LIV starts, including a respectable tie for 14th in Singapore and a top-25 in Miami, but also a last-place finish at LIV Andalucía, where he ended 54th after rounds of 77, 75, and 76. Across the season, those ups and downs added up to 52nd in the season-long standings, leaving him outside the safety line when relegation hit.
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