Days Before Season Opener, LIV Golf Buries the PGA Tour With 5 Big Signings to Bolster Its Roster

LIV Golf has the ambitious aim to create a new professional golf league that offers players bigger and more lucrative prizes. Their aggressive poaching of players has caused some controversy. Many critics accusing the faction of trying to destabilize the PGA Tour.

Moreover, they are called out for undermining the traditional structure of professional golf. However, for many players, the prospect of massive paydays and a new, innovative format is simply too good to pass up.

And just ahead of its new season, they have signed on 3 more exceptional players.

Who are the new LIV defectors?

Just days before the beginning of the new season of the LIV Tour, multiple players have jumped the ship. The dynamic South American duo, Mito Pereira and Sebastian Munoz, is finally going to make their highly speculated debut on the Saudi-backed circuit.

It was officially announced on Wednesday that they will be joining the Torque GC team for the upcoming 14-tournament schedule. 

The world No. 46 came agonizingly close to claiming his first major title when he lost a one-shot lead on the final hole of the PGA Championship last May. He will be under the guidance of the esteemed Chilean captain, Joaquin Niemann. 

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2 PGA Tour winners, Brendan Steele and Danny Lee, and DP Tour star, Thomas Pieters, have also reportedly signed with LIV Golf. The ESPN Sources believe that the recent additions will be announced on Monday.

Although he was scheduled to participate in the Genesis Invitational this week, Steele unexpectedly withdrew from the event. On the other hand, Lee participated in the event, he couldn’t make the cut.

Pieters stands out as the cream of the crop among the latest inclusions. He has an impressive track record of six international triumphs. This includes the 2021 Portugal Masters and the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. 

Steele’s and Lee’s PGA Tour journey

Steele’s triumphant wins at the 2011 Valero Texas Open, and the Safeway Open in 2016 and 2017 have earned him a name in the industry. Moreover, he has amassed a whopping $20 million in just 297 career starts on the tour.

The 39-year-old has made nine impressive starts this season alone. With notable performances such as a tie for 18th at the CJ Cup in South Carolina in October and a tie for 20th at the Farmers Insurance Open last month.

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Lee emerged victorious in the 2015 Greenbrier Classic after a gripping four-man playoff. Despite his modest world ranking of 259th, the 32-year-old persevered through 303 tour starts. And amassed a staggering $15 million in earnings.

In the current season, he has already participated in 11 events, culminating in a commendable tie for 16th place at the American Express tournament last month.

Who do you think will join LIV Golf next? Let us know in the comments below.