The pathways for players to earn their way into the LIV Golf League—or play their way out—will more closely resemble a promotion-relegation system after league officials clarified how the rules apply to LIV Golf team captains on the eve of its individual finale in Chicago. The twist means that two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson is the biggest name staring at a potential exit from LIV’s playing roster.

Captain of LIV teams—there are 15 across 13 teams including co-captains—were previously exempt from relegation should they finish the regular season outside the top 48 on the LIV points list, what the league calls the “drop zone.” But this year, no player ranked 49th or worse after LIV Golf Chicago will be able to guarantee their spot on the 2025 roster.

It means that Watson, 52nd on the points standings and the captain of RangeGoats GC, will need at least a solo 14th at Bolingbrook GC to climb inside the top 48. He is the only captain currently in the “drop zone.” Other high-profile major winners in at the bottom of the “open zone” and therefore near the bubble include 2016 Open champion and co-captain of the Majesticks, Henrik Stenson (41st with 14.41 points) HyFlyers skipper Phil Mickelson (44th with 11.93 points) and Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter, another Majesticks co-captain (46th with 9.22 points).

Stenson, Mickelson, and Poulter would need a lot to go wrong over the next three days to fall into the drop zone and be relegated but officials noted there is technically no automatic immunity. Only wildcards not currently playing for a team—including Anthony Kim and Hudson Swafford—are not subject to relegation. They could be re-signed as free agents because wildcards are decided annually and are yet to be determined for 2025.

Mito Pereira, qualifying school graduate Jinichiro Kozuma, former PGA Tour pros Harold Varner III and Pat Perez, who is 48th, are also vulnerable. Scott Vincent, Branden Grace, Laurie Canter 4.30 (reserve), Watson 3.66, Kalle Samooja 3.40 and Kieran Vincent 2.47 occupy the drop zone.

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“[There are] 13 regular-season events and nowhere to hide,” said Paul Casey, a member of Crushers. “The same world-class field every single week, this is what’s going to happen. Maybe people didn’t realize that the first season or two. We always were very aware of it. I think now it’s being talked about as only a good thing.

“I’m a guy who’s lost tour cards through the years on tours, and it’s hard, man. I try to kind of stay away from a lot of it because you don’t necessarily want to be around guys who are really stressed out. It’s going to be a difficult road for a lot of guys who do get — because of that churn, what do they do next? They’ll want to fight their way back out here, and there’s an opportunity to do that, and I love that. From another side of it, it’s also exciting to see who’s going to replace them. It’s bittersweet in a lot of ways.”

For relegated players, the clearest avenue back to LIV is through the International Series, an order of merit created by 10 designated events on the Asian Tour. John Catlin, a multiple DP World Tour and Asian Tour winner, leads that list. In addition to one spot for the International Series’ No. 1, LIV will hold a “promotions” event similar to qualifying school. Last year, three spots were up for grabs via LIV Golf Promotions. Details on this year’s event are yet to be announced but will be held towards the end of 2024.

After those two options, a LIV team could try to re-sign a relegated player but a “business case” would have to be made and approved by the team’s board.

Mickelson, whose sixth career major win came at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah, has played lackluster golf this year. The 54-year-old has had only top top-10 result from LIV’s 12 events this season and only one other top 25. He missed cuts at the PGA and U.S. Open and made the weekend but didn’t finish in the top 40 at the Masters and Open Championship. Earlier in the year, he acknowledged that his playing days could be come to an end in the not-to-distant future.

“My involvement with the HyFlyers is going to be long-term and probably through the rest of my life,” Mickelson, who owns 25-percent equity in the franchise, said. “I’m an equity shareholder and I’ll have the ability to be intricately involved in the growing out of the team throughout the course of the next many decades. But as far as my career, I’m realistic with where I’m at. I’m 54 and I’m putting in the work.”

In the majors, Mickelson is exempt for life at the Masters, which he won three times, and the PGA Championship, where he was victorious in 2005 and 2021. At the Open Championship, which he claimed at Muirfield in 2013, he can play until age 60. Lefty’s win at Kiawah also carries status at U.S. Open until next year.

LIV Golf individual standings

OPEN ZONE

44: Phil Mickelson, 11.93 (captain)

45: Jinichiro Kozuma, 9.60

46: Ian Poulter, 9.22 (captain)

47: Harold Varner III, 8.25

48: Pat Perez, 7.76

DROP ZONE

49: Scott Vincent, 5.90

50: Branden Grace, 4.42

51: Laurie Canter, 4.30 (Reserve)

52: Bubba Watson, 3.66 (captain)

53: Kalle Samooja, 3.40

54: Kieran Vincent, 2.47

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com