Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and other PGA Tour members who teed off in the Saudi-funded golf league Thursday are no longer qualified for PGA Tour occasions under charges Commissioner Jay Monahan shared quickly after the veryfirst tee shot was struck.
Still to be identified is whether those gamers are ever welcome back.
The restriction consistsof involvement in the Presidents Cup, which for the International group, is figuredout by the world ranking.
The USGA currently has stated eligible gamers can still complete in the U.S. Open next week. The PGA Tour does not run the majors.
In a memo sentout to trip members, Monahan stated that even if gamers resigned from the trip ahead of the veryfirst LIV Golf Invitational outdoors London, they will not be permitted to play PGA Tour occasions as a nonmember by getting a sponsor exemption.
Ten gamers have resigned from the PGA Tour, a list that consistsof Johnson and Sergio Garcia. Mickelson, who made lifetime subscription with his 45 PGA Tour titles, has not.
“These gamers haveactually made their option for their own financial-based factors,” Monahan composed. “But they can’t need the exactsame PGA Tour subscription advantages, factorstoconsider, chances and platform as you. The expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners.”
LIV Golf, run by Greg Norman and moneyed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, reacted to the trip’s choice by calling it vindictive and dissentious.
“It’s bothering that the trip, an company devoted to developing chances for golfplayers to play the videogame, is the entity stopping golfplayers from playing,” LIV Golf stated. “This definitely is not the last word on this subject. The age of complimentary firm is start as we are happy to have a complete field of gamers signingupwith us in London, and beyond.”
At concern is gamers contending without a clashing occasion release from the PGA Tour.
Players normally get 3 such releases a year for competitions abroad, however Monahan rejected launches for the LIV Golf Invitational since it is an eight-tournament series that has 5 occasions in the United States.
The trip does not permit launches for occasions in North America.
“We have followed the competition policies from start to surface in reacting to those gamers who have chose to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully breaching a guideline,” he composed.
Monahan stated the gamers who resigned will have their names gottenridof from the PGA Tour standings — FedEx Cup and Presidents Cup — after this week. He stated the trip will make sure those who sanctuary’t resigned will not impact rankings on different lists of trip gamers.
Questions stay, nevertheless, such as whether gamers can ever return.
The veryfirst test figures to be the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, the week after the U.S. Open. Johnson was amongst those noted in the field.
The LIV Golf Invitational was being streamed on YouTube and Facebook. Before the opening round, Norman stated he was delighted to see an effort 30 years in the making come to fulfillment.
He attempted to start a World Golf Tour in the 1990s for just the elite gamers and had a TELEVISION agreement lined up till the PGA Tour quashed the minute with assistance from Arnold Palmer. Norman didn’t recognize upuntil too late that he didn’t have as much assistance from the gamers as he believed. That circuit neverever got off the ground.
This one did, with the support of riches the likes of which golf has neverever seen. The Daily Telegraph reported that Johnson got $150 million — more than Tiger Woods’ profession PGA Tour profits — simply for finalizing up. Mickelson did not reject reports that he got $200 million.
Each competition uses $25 million in reward cash, with $4 million for the private winner. The PGA Tour’s wealthiest occasion is The Players Championship at $20 million. The Canadian Open this week, which has 5 of the leading-10 gamers in the world, has an $8.7 million bag.
Reporting by Associated Press.
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