Three-time PGA Tour winner faces uncertain future after LIV Golf Q-School disaster

Multiple PGA Tour winner Hudson Swafford now faces an uncertain future after he fell at the first hurdle of LIV Golf's version of Q-School. 

Swafford played the 2024 campaign with the breakaway tour as one of two wildcards alongside Anthony Kim. 

But he finished the season in the relegation zone, meaning that he had to either convince another LIV franchise to take a chance on him or earn his spot back at the Promotions event.  

Swafford fell at the first hurdle, though, and finished dead last after 18 holes. 

Only the top 20 players and ties advanced to round two. 

From there, the 93-man field was whittled down further with a total of 20 golfers advancing to a 36-hole shootout with only one golden ticket on offer. 

Other notables who missed out include former European Ryder Cup member Chris Wood.

Kalle Samooja, who was part of Martin Kaymer's Cleeks this year, also missed out.  

As did John Catlin. 

Catlin looked as though he was going to graduate to the LIV Golf League as the International Series' order of merit winner, but Joaquin Niemann's victory at the PIF Saudi International ended that dream. 

For Swafford, though, he will have to make some tough choices as to where he goes from here. 

He will have status on the aforementioned International Series that is played under the banner of the Asian Tour.  

The 37-year-old has won three PGA Tour events, the most recent of which came at the 2022 American Express. 

He joined LIV Golf shortly after that victory and was originally part of Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers outfit. 

Injury meant the entire 2023 season was a write-off, but as he was under contract he was able to participate this season as a wildcard. 

He has no status on the PGA Tour and, as things currently stand, will have to serve a one-year suspension. 

In many ways, Swafford is the embodiment of a hypothetical question that has been asked repeatedly for more than two years. 

Would players like Swafford be allowed back into Tour-sanctioned events?

Earlier this month, Swafford told Golf Channel that he wanted to return to the PGA Tour. 

"I miss seeing a lot of my old buddies, for sure," he said. 

Swafford told the publication he asked the Tour's senior vice president, Jason Gore, and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, if he would be allowed back as a past champion. 

"I did everything pretty cordially," he said. "Just told them how I felt. They could never give me an answer."

Swafford explained he understood the idea that LIV players should have to serve some sort of suspension. 

But he pointed out that higher-profile players such as Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are unlikely sit out for more than a year. 

It's also annoyed Swafford, he said, that the DP World Tour have taken a completely different stance. 

"What gets me is guys are returning to the DP World Tour, they paid their fine and now they have free reign," he said.

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