Ángel Ayora has turned down an offer to join LIV Golf in recent hours. The golfer from Málaga had a firm proposal from the Cleeks team, captained by Martin Kaymer. According to Ten Golf, Ayora considered the offer for a few days but ultimately said no. He has informed the Saudi league team of his decision. For now, he prefers to focus on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour.
The offer from Cleeks came a couple of weeks ago. It consisted of a two-year contract. There was no signing bonus, but there was a guaranteed monthly salary that was quite high, in addition to the potential earnings he could accumulate on the circuit, considering there is no cut and the last-place finisher is guaranteed at least $50,000. Remember that LIV winners receive four million dollars, and the runner-up earns slightly more than two million. It is not a stretch to say that in two years at LIV, he would have certainly earned much more money than on the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour.
However, by rejecting the LIV Golf offer, Ayora has shown that at this point in his career, at 20 years old and in his first season with the European Tour card, his main motivation is not money. In fact, according to Ten Golf, the explanation he gave to his entourage for rejecting the Cleeks proposal was as follows: “I have always wanted to play golf to make history, and for now, I believe that the DP and PGA tours are the path I should follow to achieve it.”
Ayora: “I have always wanted to play golf to make history, and for now, I believe that the DP and PGA tours are the path I should follow to achieve it”
The Cleeks team in 2024 consisted of Martin Kaymer, Richard Bland, Adrian Meronk, and Kalle Samooja. This season, they lost Samooja, who lost his LIV card after a very poor season. The Finn will try to regain his place in the Saudi league through the school, the same route he took a year ago. Ayora was chosen to fill the gap left by the Nordic golfer. Now, the Cleeks will have to continue searching for the fourth member of their team.
LIV Golf continues to fish in Spain. Remember that right now, there are three of our golfers with their future secured in the Arab league: Jon Rahm, as captain of Legion XIII, Sergio García, as captain of the Fireballs, and David Puig, as a member of the Fireballs. Additionally, Eugenio López Chacarra still hopes to convince a team to stay in LIV Golf, although nothing is confirmed yet. It should not be ruled out that LIV Golf will continue to cast its net on other Spanish golfers in the coming days.
Ayora is playing this week at the ISPS Handa Australian Open of the DP World Tour. With 18 holes to go, he is in 33rd place with a total of -5. He has signed three rounds under par. He recently achieved a top 10 finish in the European Tour season opener at the BMW Australian PGA Championship. The Spanish golfer is one of the most promising projects on the European Tour. He ascended directly from the Challenge Tour this year after an exceptional season. He did not have the Challenge card at the start of the year, and through good results in the invitations he received, he grew until achieving his first victory in Poland and the card as one of the best in the Challenge. He is the first golfer in the world to wear Seve Ballesteros clothing. Edoardo Molinari, Luke Donald’s right-hand man in the European Ryder Cup team, played with him in the summer during the first two rounds of the Omega European Masters in Switzerland. He is on the radar,
