Golf champions Johnson and Oosthuizen surrender to lucrative bid with new Saudi tour | other sports
Former US #1 golfer Dustin Johnson leads the field in the first tournament in the controversial new LIV Golf Invitational Series. Saudi Arabia is funding the tournament in England with $25 million. This is the largest prize pool in the history of professional golf.
The US PGA Tour does not allow players to play with the rival organization led by golf legend Greg Norman. The first LIV golf tournament will take place from 9-11 June at the Centurion Club in St Albans near London. 48 players will participate and the winner will receive $4 million. Even the golfer who finishes at the end wins over a ton. There are currently eight such tournaments on the table, with the teams championship in Miami at the end of the season.
Johnson, the two-time main champ in February, said he would remain loyal to the PGA Tour, but appears to have changed his mind. South African Louis Oosthuizen is the second player among the top 20 players in the world to earn Arab money. Other big names pledging to take part include Spain’s Sergio Garcia, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Germany’s Martin Kaymer, all of whom are big-name winners.
“Dustin has been thinking about this possibility from time to time in recent years,” Johnson manager David Winkler said. “In the end he decided it was in his best interest and that of his family. He thought this was too attractive to miss.”
Six-time champion Phil Mickelson missed the starting list. The American had previously criticized the PGA Tour’s “greed” and voiced support for the tempting LIV Golf Invitational Series, though he called Saudi investors “frightening” with a “terrible human rights record”.
Notable players who turned down Spain’s new world-ranked 2nd golf course included John Ram and Northern Ireland main champion Rory McIlroy. Currently, the names of 42 participants have been announced, with the last six to follow later this week.
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