Pat Perez was one of several LIV golf stars released to free agency in the offseason, but the American was brought back by Dustin Johnson to represent the Four Aces.
LIV golf star Pat Perez has re-signed with Dustin Johnson’s Four Aces in the breakaway group’s latest move in the offseason transfer window.
LIV entered a new unknown last month with the opening of the first three-stage transfer window. The latest move sees a number of current members become free agents after their contracts with the Saudi-backed league expired.
One of those was three-time PGA Tour winner Perez, but the 47-year-old’s future is now in doubt after he was recalled by four aces and his former captain, world number one Johnson officially secured.
Perez spent his first two seasons in the Saudi-backed series, playing for the 4Aces and helping the team win its first LIV team championship in 2022. Twelve months later, Johnson’s four-man group traveled to Miami, the perfect place to defend their title after taking first place in the 2023 team standings at the end of the regular season.
However, at Trump Doral, they missed out on consecutive victories, finishing in 4th place in the final, and Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers became the champions. Personally, it was an improved season for Perez despite landing in the open zone in a breakaway league. Although he struggled in 2022, this time he secured three top-10 finishes in 13 events and finished the season in 28th place overall.
One of those was the second of 4Aces’ two wins in 2023 at LIV London in July, and the 47-year-old admitted he was excited to contribute to the team. “We want to win every week,” he said at Centurion in the summer. “We have a really good team.”
“We have guys that always play well.” This year, the opportunity to step up my game to the point where I can actually help and contribute is really satisfying for me. Last year I didn’t do anything, which kind of sucks. I knew coming into the season I had to be a better player than I was, and I’ve worked hard at it to try to help a lot and contribute.
“The wins feel a little sweeter to me this year than last year, so I’m really happy with team wins, and it’s nice to kind of separate ourselves again.” Perez’s 4Aces recall means just nine spaces now remain on the 48-man roster for 2024, which is soon set to be reduced to five.
Three places will be taken via the third step of LIV’s offseason transfer window at next month’s Q-School event in Abu Dhabi. A number of hopefuls will head to the Middle East to compete in a 72-hole event over three days, with the top-three finishers earning a spot on the breakaway league.
Another spot was also taken by Asian Tour International Series winner, former LIV star Andy Ogletree. Ogletree was removed from the LIV roster after just one tournament in 2022, but the U.S. Amateur champion will have a chance to prove himself through a full season next year.