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Dustin Johnson's 4Aces Make First Move of 2025 LIV Golf Offseason
The first domino of the LIV Golf offseason has fallen.
The Dustin Johnson-captained 4Aces have acquired Thomas Pieters from the RangeGoats, a move signaling a new direction for the team to perhaps get younger. The 32-year-old Belgian becomes the team’s fifth player at the moment, though 48-year-old Pat Perez’s contract ends Jan. 1.
The RangeGoats will not be receiving a player back from the 4Aces and made the move to both free up a roster spot and gain financial flexibility to pursue another player.
The RangeGoats general manager, Randall Wells, explained his motivation for the trade in a quote provided to Sports Illustrated.
“The decision to trade Thomas Pieters was not easy. He has been a valuable member of RangeGoats GC since we launched two years ago,” Wells said. “But the nature of LIV and team golf requires teams to make tough decisions. Like other team sports, we have to take into account a host of factors, including player contracts and the fact we have a limited number of roster spots. In this case, we felt the roster flexibility and the possibilities it opens up was best for the RangeGoats.”
The 4Aces will be assuming Pieters’s contract, which runs through 2025. Pieters finished 30th in the 2024 LIV Golf individual standings. The team also includes Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III; Varner is under contract through the 2025 season.
The team's general manager, Chris Rosaasen, believes the acquisition will pay dividends next season.
“He’s a solid player with multiple wins in his career,” Rosaasen said. “His Ryder Cup record shows he excels in team golf. He’s going to be a great fit for the 4Aces brand both on and off the course.”
A big reason for the trade was Johnson's belief in Pieters.
“Happy to have Thomas on the team. He’s a great addition, great player and makes the team stronger. Really excited for next season," Johnson said in a statement.
In 2024 the 4Aces finished 10th out of 13 teams during the regular season but finished in a tie for second place in the team championship. The team won the inaugural team title in 2022.
Pieters was a six-time winner on the DP World Tour before joining LIV and the leading scorer for Europe in the 2016 Ryder Cup.
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Matt Vincenzi is an SI contributor covering golf. Before joining SI, he worked as a golf writer for GolfWRX and the Action Network. He is a graduate of Bridgewater State University and has been covering professional golf for five years.