Rising golf star snubs lucrative LIV Golf offer in blow to Saudis

Angel Ayora will not compete on the LIV Golf series (Image: Getty)

LIV Golf have beeen dealt a blow as Angel Ayora, the promising DP World Tour talent, has rejected a tempting offer to join the controversial series.

The 20-year-old Spanish golfer, who shone on the Challenge Tour last season, was reportedly presented with a two-year contract to switch to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf in 2025.

However, Spanish publication Ten Golf reports that Ayora turned down the opportunity to take Kale Samooja's place at Martin Kaymer's Cleeks GC. This follows Ludvig Aberg's decision to snub the league, citing "a number of red flags".

Last December, Aberg firmly stated: "I will never chase money; what I do is compete. I did the right thing."

With one slot still vacant, Kaymer's Cleeks team is on the hunt for a new member ahead of the upcoming season.

Kaymer has expressed his desire for a player who shares the "philosophy" of his team, noting at the Hong Kong Open: "You know, I don't really have a loud team, I don't have an [active] social media team."

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Ayora's decision not to join LIV Golf is certainly a setback for both Kaymer and the league, especially considering Ayora's rapid rise in the professional golf scene since turning pro just last year.

Under the guidance of Javier Ballesteros, son of Seve Ballesteros, Ayora made his transition to professional golf after competing in the Eisenhower Trophy and has since taken part in several DP World Tour and PGA Tour events.

Recently, he competed in the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS Handa Australian Open, following a successful cut at his PGA Tour debut in the Puerto Rico Open and a victory on the Challenge Tour in Poland.

His performances in the 2024-25 DP World Tour tournaments, where he finished tied for sixth and 21st, have earned him a current ranking of 238th in the OWGR rankings.

Ayora's only win to date came at the 2024 Rosa Challenge Tour, where he triumphed by three shots over Dermot McElroy.

He also secured second-place finishes in the final two tournaments of the Challenge Tour, the Hangzhou Open and the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final.

Rising golf star snubs lucrative LIV Golf offer in blow to Saudis

Rising golf star snubs lucrative LIV Golf offer in blow to Saudis

Rising golf star snubs lucrative LIV Golf offer in blow to Saudis

Rising golf star snubs lucrative LIV Golf offer in blow to Saudis

Rising golf star snubs lucrative LIV Golf offer in blow to Saudis