World golf is in chaos this week, with the PGA Tour announcing a ban on all players who have played in the brilliant release of Greg Norman’s LIV Invitational series, backed by Saudi Arabia.
Key points:
- The Saudi-backed tournament kicked off on Friday with fighter jets, black London taxis and a band amid ongoing criticism of sports laundering.
- Players compete for a $ 5.6 million winning check while defending their decision as a “free agency.”
- Six Australians are among those banned by the PGA
Half an hour before the inaugural LIV event, which began in England on Friday, the Tour announced that Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and 15 other PGA Tour members playing at the St Albans event had been suspended.
One of the banned players is 42-year-old Matt Jones, a two-time PGA Tour winner and the best-ranked of the six Australians at LIV at No. 69 in the world.
“It’s not a shock, it’s not a surprise,” Jones said after AAP told him the news after his initial round.
“I don’t think it’s good for anyone. It’s not good for golf, it’s not good for the PGA Tour and it’s not good for us as independent contractors to tell us where to play and when to play.”
The most lucrative golf tournament in history had kicked off at the Centurion Plush Club amid a mix of fanfare and criticism. The great Australian Norman, CEO of LIV, emerged to declare: “I am proud and very happy to have brought free agency to the game of golf.”
However, it was the passage of vintage fighter jets that seemed most appropriate, as in 30 minutes it was learned that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan had sent a note to all members informing -those that any participant was being suspended.
Greg Norman (right) shot himself celebrating with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which is funding the tournament. (Getty Images: LIV Golf / Aitor Alcalde)
Prohibited players include top winners Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, who had already informed the PGA Tour of their resignation.
In response, LIV Golf responded just as quickly, saying the ban was “vindictive and deepens the divide between the Tour and its members.”
Monahan said players would be banned from playing all PGA Tour features, such as the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latin America.
Separate golfers would also be removed from the FedEx Cup rankings and would not be eligible for the FedEx Cup or the Presidents Cup.
“These players have made their choice for their own financial reasons. But they cannot demand the same benefits, considerations, opportunities and platforms of PGA Tour membership as you,” Monahan’s note read.
“This expectation does not respect you, our fans and our partners.”
Mickelson, who wants to maintain his lifelong membership in the PGA Tour, declined to discuss the suspension after his round.
Not surprisingly, off-course dramas overshadowed the golf course itself, as the 54-hole, 54-hole, 54-hole event, which includes an individual event along with a new team competition, resulted in an enthusiastic reception. in the countryside.
When the 48-man field began competing for an unprecedented $ 25 million ($ 35 million), former Masters Johnson champion said on the first tee before the start of the “shotgun”: “It’s a new chapter for the game … I can’t wait to get started “.
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The 16 groups of three players were brought into the game in a fleet of black London taxis, with the galleries obviously undisturbed by all the controversy over whether the $ 255 million ($ 358 million) series of eight tournaments was just an exercise in Saudi Arabia “. sports washing”.
The leader of the first round was the winner of the 2011 South African Masters, Charl Schwartzel, who shot a 65 of five below the pair to put himself in pole position for the record winner’s check of 4 million. dollars ($ 5.6 million).
The six-strong Australian challenge got off to a bad start, with European Tour veteran Wade Ormsby leading the way to 16th place overall after a more than 71.
If he holds that position, however, he will still be able to earn $ 240,000 ($ 337,000) on Saturday.
Jed Morgan and Kevin Yuan turned 73 and were in 24th place, while Jones shot 74 (joint-34th), Travis Smyth 75 (joint-38th) and Blake Windred (78, tie-46th).
AAP