Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia headline London event

By:

Sean Zak

May 31, 2022

Dustin Johnson, No. 13 in the world, is the headlining name in the field of the first LIV Golf event.

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After much deliberation and repeated delays, the field for the first LIV Golf Invitational has finally been released, and there are some surprises: Dustin Johnson is in. Sergio Garcia is in. And for now, 40 others.

A list of 42 players announced on Tuesday – just nine days before the first round of the event, which will take place at Centurion Club outside of London. It is the first of eight LIV events scheduled for 2022, five in the United States and three international, which will compete both directly and indirectly with the PGA Tour.

Johnson’s inclusion is somewhat surprising as three months ago he pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour in a statement. “Over the past several months, there has been a great deal of speculation about an alternative tour,” the statement read. “Much of which seems to have included me and my future in professional golf. I feel is now time to put such speculation to rest. I am fully committed to the PGA Tour. ” The PGA Championship had two weeks ago:

“I mean, I think golf is a good spot, and I think what [LIV Golf is] doing is – could potentially be good for the game of golf. I’m excited to see what happens here in a few weeks, ”Johnson said.

“Excited meaning?” a reporter asked.

“I’ll be watching,” Johnson said.

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Garcia’s inclusion is far less surprising. Just a few weeks ago he was caught on a PGA Tour rules official, saying “I can’t wait to leave this tour.” Other notables include Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Na and Talor Gooch.

Absent, for the moment at least, is Phil Mickelson, who has long been rumored to be involved with the league, but who has taken leave of absence in recent months. Comments that Mickelson made about the PGA Tour in a recently published book drew widespread backlash, and even scorn from fellow Tour players. Mickelson skipped the Masters and even the PGA Championship, where he was defending champion. When he plans to play, both in LIV Golf events or on the PGA Tour, remains to be seen.

The event will move forward starting Tuesday of next week, with 12 captains selecting players in a snake-style draft. Wednesday will feature a pro-am, with the first three rounds starting on Thursday afternoon, the first day open to spectators. The event will offer a purse of $ 25 million, $ 20 million of which will be awarded for individual performances, and the remaining three dished out among the top three teams. The last-place finisher will earn $ 120,000.

The huge payouts – the largest single-event purse in golf history – have been calling for both the event and the LIV Golf series, which are funded by the deep pockets of the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund. It is that connection, paired with Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, that has made the series controversial.

Largely, the best players in the world have shunned the league, pledging their allegiance to the PGA Tour. But, as ever, allegiance seems to be fluid. At one point, before Mickelson’s comments, LIV Golf looks set to announce a field that includes top 10 players. But the Mickelson backlash was so severe that many players wavered, according to reports. Now, the full list is out there.

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