Before it even began, the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series reshaped the careers of several top players, costing golfers such as Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson their relationships with the PGA Tour and some of their sponsors.
Retaliation was expected from the PGA Tour – and immediately after the inaugural LIV tournament began on Thursday, the PGA issued penalties against 17 players who defected to the new series.
Players “are suspended or no longer eligible to participate in PGA TOUR tournaments, including the Presidents Cup,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a letter to Tour members.
Golfers include Mickelson and Johnson, as well as other top players such as Louis Oosthuizen (21), Kevin Na (34), Talor Gooch (35) and Sergio Garcia (57).
Of the 17 golfers, nine had preemptively resigned from their PGA Tour memberships.
LIV Golf draws on the wealth of Saudi Arabia, enabling it to attract the best players with the promise of exceptional cash prizes – mind-blowing incentives with millions in cash prizes and guaranteed payouts.
PGA Tour says defectors are money-driven
By participating in the LIV event, the 17 golfers “have decided to turn their backs on the PGA TOUR by deliberately violating a rule,” Monahan wrote in his letter. Any players who follow them on the Saudi-backed tour will meet “the same fate”, he added.
The golfers “made their choice for their own financial reasons” and have been officially notified that they are now barred from PGA Tour events, Monahan said.
The PGA Tour sanctions do not affect major golf tournaments, such as the US Open next week. This is because the majors are run by their own governing bodies. This week, the U.S. Golf Association said it would not exclude players from the US Open if they played in the LIV event.
Saudi ties quickly raised red flags
But LIV’s ties to Saudi Arabia’s repressive monarchy immediately provoked a strong backlash due to gross human rights abuses in the kingdom. Critics – and even Mickelson himself – have also noted that US intelligence has concluded that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince approved the operation that led to the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
“It was reckless, I offended people and I’m deeply sorry for my choice of words,” Mickelson said in February, after being quoted explaining why he was embracing the new golf series despite the well-known rights violations. rights by the Saudi regime.
But on Monday, Mickelson confirmed he would play in this week’s LIV event, risking the wrath of the PGA. With the threat of sanctions looming, Johnson and other players resigned from the PGA Tour.
Critics call LIV Golf “sportswashing” – a strategy countries like China and Russia have used to try to rebuild their global reputation without changing their stance on human rights.
LIV Golf’s first tournament is now streaming online
The inaugural tournament – the LIV Golf Invitational London – is not shown on TV, but curious sports fans can watch the action online, via YouTube, Facebook and the LIV Golf site.
The players teeed off Thursday shortly after 2 p.m. local time — 9 a.m. ET.
This version of golf was made for television. Instead of the stately procession of three golfers heading for the tee box at No. 1, the LIV tournament has a “shotgun” start, with players playing 16 holes simultaneously around the course.
How is LIV Golf different?
More dramatically, the shotgun tee is designed to immediately deliver a flow of golf to fans watching online. It also aims to ensure that all players face the same conditions on the course.
The LIV also mixes team competition and individual competition. There are 12 teams, which have been determined this week. Introducing a fantasy sports element, 12 players were named captains on Tuesday, followed by a quick draft to select their four-member squads.
Players on the winning team will receive an additional $3 million. The rosters will change for each tournament.
The tournament’s individual competition takes place much like any other golf tournament, but in this case it takes place concurrently with team play.
In another change, LIV uses three rounds, instead of the four that the PGA Tour uses in its move play tournaments. And because there is no c
