Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and other PGA Tour members who took part in the Saudi-funded Golf League this morning are no longer eligible for the PGA Tour event under penalty commissioner J Monahan who shared after hitting the first three shots.
It remains to be seen whether these players will be welcomed back.
The ban includes participation in the Presidency Cup, which is determined by the world rankings for international teams.
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The USGA has already said that qualified players can still compete in the US Open next week. PGA does not run tour major.
In a memo sent to tour members, Monahan stated that even if players resigned from the tour before the first LIV golf invitation outside London, their sponsors would not be allowed to play the PGA Tour event as non-members.
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Ten players have resigned from the PGA Tour, a list that includes Johnson and Sergio Garcia. Mickelson, who has earned a lifetime membership with his 45 PGA Tour titles, did not.
“These players have chosen them for their own financial reasons,” Monahan wrote. “But they can’t claim the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platforms as you. This expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners. “
LIV Golf, run by Greg Norman and funded by Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, has reacted by calling the visit a retaliatory and divisive one.
“It’s difficult that Tour, an organization dedicated to creating gaming opportunities for golfers, is blocking golfers from playing,” LIV Golf said. “It simply came to our notice then. The era of free agency is beginning because we are proud to have a full field of players in London and beyond. “
The problem is players are competing from PGA tours without conflicting events.
Players typically receive three such releases a year for overseas tournaments, but Monahan rejects releases for LIV Golf Invitational because it is an eight-tournament series featuring five events in the United States.
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The tour does not allow releases for North American events.
“We have followed the rules of the tournament from the beginning to the end to respond to those players who have deliberately decided to withdraw from the PGA Tour in violation of a rule,” he wrote.
Monahan says the players who resigned will be removed from the PGA Tour Standing – FedEx Cup and Presidency Cup later this week. He said the tour would ensure that those who did not resign would not affect the rankings on the various lists of visiting players.
The question remains, but whether the players will be able to return.
The first Test figures for the Travelers Championship in Connecticut the week after the US Open. Johnson was among those listed on the field.
LIV Golf Invitational was streaming on YouTube and Facebook. Ahead of the opening round, Norman said he was thrilled to see 30 years of effort pay off.
He tried to start a World Golf Tour only for elite players in the 1990s and had a TV deal until the PGA Tour was canceled in support of Arnold Palmer. Norman did not realize until too late that he did not have as much support from the players as he had hoped. That circuit never fell to the ground.
This one has done, in support of the wealth that golf has never seen. The Daily Telegraph reports that Johnson received $ 175 million – more than Tiger Woods’ career PGA Tour earnings – just for signing up. Mickelson did not deny the report that he received $ 270 million.
Each tournament offers মান 34 million in prize money, including $ 5.5 million for individual winners. The richest event on the PGA Tour is the Players Championship for 27 million. The Canadian Open this week, featuring five of the world’s top 10 players, has a 8.7 million purse.
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