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The unexpected inclusion of Dustin Johnson in the list of 42 golfers who will play at the inaugural LIV Golf event has aroused the apparent anger of a major sponsor. After the formation was announced on Tuesday night, the Royal Bank of Canada issued a statement specifically stopping severing ties with the double winner, but said it was “extremely disappointed” by the decision. of Johnson.
“RBC is a proud partner of the PGA Tour. Our partnership is anchored in two world-class golf tournaments: the RBC Heritage and the RBC Canadian Open. The PGA Tour has made its intentions clear in accordance with its regulations. tournament if a golfer decides to play in an off-tour tournament, including the LIV Golf Invitational Series, “RBC said in a statement.
“We recently learned that Dustin Johnson has made the decision to play the opening of the LIV Golf Invitational Series. DJ has been a valuable member of the RBC team since 2018. Although we are very disappointed with his decision, We wish you the best. “
RBC has been sponsoring Johnson since 2018 and was scheduled to play at the RBC Canadian Open, which begins June 9 and takes place the same weekend as the initial LIV Golf event. Johnson won the Canadian Open in 2018, and tournament organizers said in a statement that they are “disappointed to learn at this late stage” that Johnson will skip this year’s tournament, the first since 2019.
Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, is another RBC golfer who will play at the LIV Golf event.
The names of Johnson and McDowell were among the 42 public events on Tuesday by organizers of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, which will be played at the Centurion Club on the outskirts of London from June 9-11. Each of the eight events scheduled this year will feature 48 players competing for lucrative purses in 54-hole formats with team competitions, shotgun outings and no cuts.
Partly due to the Saudi government’s heavy investment, as well as threats of punishment from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, especially after the incendiary comments of Phil Mickelson were published in February, most of the most important members of the PGA Tour had closed the ranks behind the established. circuit. At the time, Johnson issued a statement stating that he was “fully committed to the PGA Tour.”
Prior to the May PGA Championship, Johnson was asked about LIV Golf’s interest in attracting him and how he saw the “crossroads” the sport could come with a potential PGA Tour rival.
“I mean, I think golf is in a good place,” Johnson said. He said he thought LIV Golf’s involvement “could be good for the game of golf”.
After Johnson added that he was “excited to see what’s going on here in a few weeks,” he was asked what he meant by being “excited.”
“I’ll be watching,” he said.
Assuming Johnson plays at the London event, it will give LIV Golf not only a shake-up of stellar power, but also its top-ranked player. The 37-year-old American is number 13 in the world rankings.
“Dustin has been contemplating the opportunity from time to time for the past two years. Ultimately, he decided it was in his and his family’s best interest to pursue it,” said Johnson’s agent David Winkle. , in a statement (via the Associated Press).
“Dustin has never had a problem with the PGA Tour and is grateful for everything he has given him,” Winkle continued, “but in the end he felt this was too convincing to pass up.”
As a Saudi challenge he changed the PGA Tour and the legacy of Phil Mickelson
The only other top 20 player on the list is Louis Oosthuizen, a South African who won the 2010 British Open and ranks 20th in the world. As expected, many of the other big names at LIV Golf Course were European, such as Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. Other prominent Americans who will join Johnson in England are Kevin Na and Talor Gooch, who are among the top 35.
Mickelson, who has imposed himself in exile after the firestorm for his comments, was not on the list. He has not played in the PGA Tour since the end of January and has sat in this year’s Masters, for the first time since 1994, and in the PGA Championship, where he was the 2021 champion.
Mickelson could be one of six players not yet announced for the England pitch. His coach said in April that Mickelson had requested the release of the PGA Tour to play at the event.
In May, however, the PGA Tour denied the launches to all of its players looking for a chance to compete in the first LIV Golf event. “As a member organization, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the PGA Tour and its players,” the organization said in a note.
Last year, Monahan threatened players with immediate and potentially long suspensions if they joined the Saudi-backed company. Greg Norman, a golf major who runs the company that organizes the series, responded in February by threatening Monahan with legal action if the commissioner tried to continue with these punishments. After the PGA Tour refused to issue exemptions for the opening tournament, Norman would have sent the players a letter stating that “LIV Golf will help you and help you on any of the tours. [including the top European circuit] try to act against your interests and the progress of the sport. “
In a statement Tuesday, Norman proclaimed that “free agency has finally reached the gulf.”
“This is an opportunity to start a movement that will change the course of history by bringing a new and open competition to the sport we all love,” he continued. “The desire shown by players to participate in LIV Golf demonstrates their emphatic belief in our model and confidence in what we are building for the future.”
Other prominent names in the inaugural field include 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, former US Open and PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer, Branden Grace and Bernd Wiesberger.
The choice of Johnson and other players to compete in the event will test Monahan’s determination and the PGA Tour. As of Tuesday evening, the PGA Tour had not yet commented on the announcement of the London camp.