LIV Golf star at risk of relegation takes matters into own hands
Caleb Surratt is set to make his International Series Morocco debut this week as the youngest player in the LIV Golf League looks to avoid relegation.
The 20-year-old is one of the brightest stars in the league and has already claimed three team titles with Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII. But he faces a battle to keep his place in the league with him currently 37th in the player standings with just four events left to play.
Due to LIV Golf’s League rules, those players who finish in places 45 and below and are not team captains are relegated out of LIV Golf and can’t be signed by another team unless they earn their way back in through competing on the LIV Golf Promotions event. While Surratt is currently above the drop zone, he’s taking no chances to help secure his future.
Surratt is set to join the International Series at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course in Rabat from July 4-7. The event is the third of 10 on the Asian Tour that provides a direct pathway to the LIV Golf League and offers golfers already on the roster a chance to practice their game while competing for the big purses on offer – with the prize fund for this weekend $2million.
The former University of Tennessee star will use the four days in Rabat to prepare for LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain. “I am excited," Surratt said. "It is a privilege because I have never been to Morocco before. To be honest I have not really been abroad too much at all, so I am really excited for it and will prepare my best for it. I have heard nothing but awesome things about the International Series and the golf course in Morocco. I am excited to be making my debut there.”
Surratt reflected on his opponents and the quality of graduates that the Asian Tour has produced. “Obviously the cream is going to rise to the top and that is a great thing for a tour to produce,” he said. “You cannot fake it. They [the Asian Tour] are clearly doing something right.
Caleb Surratt
“Part of the whole deal is even just learning how to travel, as it is harder to go from country to country and adapt rather than state to state, and that’s part of the experience the International Series provides. The players know how to adapt, and I am excited for that.”
The 20-year-old is under the stewardship of his team captain and two-time major title winner Rahm, lauding that the experience so early in his career is priceless. “To be able to come straight from college and be one of Jon Rahm’s right-hand men, on a daily basis, is vital for my learning,” Surratt added. “It is cool to be able to get comfortable around him, because if you can get comfortable and compete with him you can do it with anybody.”