PGA Tour’s Rival LIV Golf Finally Announces Star-Studded Field for Inaugural Event: Phil Mickelson Unnamed in Provisional List

The LIV Golf Invitational Series is just around the corner, with the opening event to start in June. It has been in the limelight because of speculations that various famous professionals are expected to join the Saudi-backed rival golf league. However, all the assumptions have ended as the new Tour has released the field for its first event of the season.

Who all are playing at the kick-off event of LIV Golf in June?

The Saudi-backed golf league announced its 42 player list yesterday for the opening event of the new Tour at Centurion Club. Surprisingly, Dustin Johnson, who had earlier pledged to stay with the PGA Tour, is also a part of the first event. On top of that, four players in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings will be playing on June 9th. The players include Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Na, and Talor Gooch. At the same time, the top 16 professionals in the OWGR are also a part of the event in the UK.

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Other notable names include Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood. Martin Kaymer is also a part of the field. The event consists of 48 players. As a result, six spots are unknown, and the remaining names will be out on June 6th.

Moreover, the notable names missing in the field include Phil Mickelson, who has connected with LIV Golf for a long time. However, we will have to wait to see if he tee’s up at the event. Do you think he will play?

The venue for the opening event in June

The kick-off event of the new tour will be taking place at the Centurion Club, just outside London. It is the first of the eight events scheduled from June-October this year. Moreover, the tournament will start on June 9th, and the final round will conclude on June 11th at the beautiful golf course. The event with be a 54-hole tournament with no cutlines coming into force, and the tournament will have a shotgun start to reduce the time. 

Apart from this, the golf course has undulating greens, which poses a massive challenge for professionals. At the same time, the layout includes 80 bunkers and four major water features that should be avoided at all costs by the players teeing at the event on June 9th. Moreover, the total length of the golf course measures a whopping 7,100 yards and is very scenic. The golf club includes a thick rough made of the indigenous fescue grasses, making the golf course even more demanding.

What will be the prize-money purse for the kick-off event?

The opening event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series will have a total prize money purse of $25 million, $20 million is the individual purse, $4 million for the winner, and approximately $120,000 for the player who finishes last. The remaining $5 million is for the team prize money purse. Not to forget, the team prize money purse will be shared among the top three teams. However, the big question remains, will the professionals in the field risk their careers on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour?

What do you think about the field for this first event of the rival tour? Share your views in the comment section.

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