Phil Mickelson commented on the Saudi-financed Super Golf League. (3:39)
The Saudi Arabian-financed golf league is still going strong.
The eight-event series will start in London in June and will include four tournaments in the US. There will be seven regular season events and a team championship match-play finale in October.
The total prize money for the eight events will be $255 million, and the seven regular-season tournaments will have total purses of $25 million, which would be the richest in professional golf, with $20 million in individual prizes and $5 million for the top three teams. The $30 million bonus will be shared by the top three individuals after the seven regular-season events.
$50 million in prizes will be provided by the season-ending team match-play championship.
LIV Golf Investments CEO Greg Norman said in a release that he wants golf to grow, players to have additional opportunities, and fans to have more fun. We are a start-up in many ways. We want to grow and have a long-term vision. I believe we have a bright future.
There will be a maximum of 48 players on 12 four-man teams at each event, and rosters will be determined.
A lot of new fans would be attracted by a faster paced and shorter variation and non-traditional format of play.
The schedule of the LIV Golf Series will not compete with existing major championships, international team events or heritage tournaments, so players who are independent contractors will always be able to make their own choices about where to play.
| LIV event dates | Opposing PGA Tour event |
|---|---|
| June 9-11, London | RBC Canadian Open, Ontario |
| July 1-3, Portland, Ore. | John Deere Classic, Silvis, Ill. |
| July 29-31, New Jersey | Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit |
| Sept. 2-4, Boston | No PGA Tour event scheduled |
| Sept. 16-18, Chicago | Fortinet Championship, Napa, Calif.* |
| Oct. 7-9, Bangkok | Shriners Children's Open, Las Vegas* |
| Oct. 14-16, Saudi Arabia | CJ Cup, Las Vegas* |
| Oct. 28-30, TBD | Butterfield Championship, Bermuda* |
| * Dates for PGA Tour events in 2021 |
The series is scheduled to start in June. Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon will host the first event in the U.S. in July. The International in Boston, Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, and Rich Harvest Farms in Chicago will host the other U.S. events.
There will be tournaments in Thailand and Saudi Arabia in October.
Norman said that the events are a part of the world of golf. I think players will make progress in achieving their right to play where they want. We will help in any way we can and will give golfers opportunities to achieve their full potential.
The new circuit has four U.S. events that conflict with a PGA Tour tournament. The John Deere Classic will be played the same week as the event in Portland, the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, and the Fortinet Championship in California.
The Tour Championship at East Lake will be held the week after the LIV Golf Invitation tournament in Boston.
Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, didn't seem too concerned about the threat of the new league at last week's Players Championship.
The PGA Tour is moving on and we have too much to accomplish to be distracted by rumors of other golf leagues and their attempts to disrupt our players, partners and fans.
Many of the best players in golf have pledged their support to the tour.
Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Lee Westwood, and other players have expressed interest in the new league.
The Saudi Arabian financiers of the new league were the subject of comments made by Phil Mickelson. The Saudis have a history of human rights violations, but according to Phil, he was looking past that to gain leverage with the PGA Tour.
I am grateful for the strong support our top players have shown recently and publicly, and I am extremely proud that we have turned the conversation around to focus on what we do best: delivering world-class golf tournaments with the best players to the best fans.
Anyone who joined the Saudi-financed league could face a lifetime ban from the PGA Tour. The tour wouldn't grant any releases for its players to compete in conflicting events in the U.S., according to two agents who represent tour players.
One of the agents was not sure if the players on the PGA Tour would defect to the rival league.
The agent said that it was almost too hot to touch right now. I am sure that the fear of God put into some of them the way Phil was crucified.
I guess there is a chance some would get releases for the events on foreign soil, but I don't know. They should have learned by now that the mentality won't work.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
