via Reuters
Aug 28, 2021; Owings Mills, Maryland, USA; Dustin Johnson looks on from the first green during the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament | Courtesy: Reuters
via Reuters
Aug 28, 2021; Owings Mills, Maryland, USA; Dustin Johnson looks on from the first green during the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament | Courtesy: Reuters
There is only a week left for the rival league of the PGA Tour, the LIV Golf Invitational Series, to begin. The Saudi-backed league has already released the field list of the upcoming event that includes some of the prominent players. However, the recent declaration from the Tour officials might lead to some changes in the list!
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According to Golf Digest writer Dan Rapaport, the PGA Tour is to take disciplinary actions against all the Tour players who will attend the league event next week. Rapaport revealed the stunning news through a social media post.
From PGA Tour:
“As communicated to our membership on May 10, PGA TOUR members have not been authorized to participate in the Saudi Golf League’s London event, under PGA TOUR Regulations. Members who violate the Tournament Regulations are subject to disciplinary action.”
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) June 1, 2022
The Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series is an 8 tournament league that will begin on June 9th. Centurion Club of London is hosting the inaugural event. The officials also released the field list of the event on Tuesday.
Surprisingly, the former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson is a part of the Centurion Club field. “Dustin has been contemplating this opportunity off-and-on for the last couple of years,” the golfer’s agent said in a statement on Tuesday. “Ultimately, he decided it was in his and his family’s best interest to pursue it,” he further stated.
Other than Johnson, some other prominent players are also part of the field. The Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia, South African Louis Oosthuizen, English golfer Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are also included in the field list.
Read more: Has Phil Mickelson Ever Been Ranked World #1 in Golf?
Notably, the golfers have chosen to attend the event despite the Tour not allowing the release of the players. The Tour cited a violation of their regulations to block the player’s release.
Is Phil Mickelson playing on the LIV Golf Series by going against the PGA Tour?
According to the field list released by the LIV Golf officials, the 6-time major winner Phil Mickelson is not playing at the event in London. However, they have only listed 42 players as of now, whereas the site says a total of 48 players will be playing.
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USA Today via Reuters
Jan 27, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Phil Mickelson acknowledges the crowd after a putt on the fourth green during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course – South Course. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports/REUTERS
Significantly, the 51-year-old has applied for a release to play in London for the Saudi-backed league. Mickelson hasn’t played in any of the events since February. He decided to do so after Alan Shipnuck posted his controversial comments about the league online.
Notably, he didn’t play at the Augusta National for the Masters for the first time since 1994. Mickelson also chose not to attend the PGA Championship, even though he was the defending champion.
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With the new declaration of the PGA Tour, do you think the players will withdraw from the league? Do you think Mickelson will play next week in London? Let us know your thoughts!
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