Golf: US PGA bans LIV 'rebels' as Saudi-backed breakaway event starts

Phil Mickelson (right) and Dustin Johnson line up a putt on the third hole during Round 1 of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, in St Albans, Britain. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

ST ALBANS, UNITED KINGDOM (AFP) - No sooner had players competing in the breakaway LIV Golf Invitational London , the most lucrative event in the sport's history, teed off Thursday (June 9) than they were suspended by the US PGA Tour.

The US$25 million (S$35 million) event in St Albans - the biggest prize pot golf has known - is the first of eight tournaments this year bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, worth a combined US$255 million.

But the LIV International Series, featuring the likes of six-time major winner Phil Mickelson, former world number one Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia is being staged in defiance of the main established tours.

And barely 30 minutes after the first shots had been struck, US PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan banished 17 players who have joined the "rebel" series.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," said Monahan as he announced the indefinite suspensions and other sanctions.

"But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners."

'Vindictive'

LIV Golf, with the largest purse in golf history at US$25 million for this week's three-day event, responded by saying the PGA had deepened the fracture in the global game.

"Today's announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the tour and its members," LIV Golf said in a statement.

"It's troubling that the tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing.

"This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."

Nine of the 17 players named by Monahan had already resigned their PGA Tour membership.

But Thursday's suspensions, and LIV Golf's response, appeared to herald a courtroom battle that has long looked the most likely way of resolving this split in world golf.

Players asked for releases to compete in the event in St Albans, north-west of London, and were rejected by the PGA Tour, in part because the event conflicts with this week's US PGA Tour Canadian Open.

Monahan warned players who take part in future LIV Golf tournaments, five of which are scheduled for US venues, will face the same fate.

Those involved will also be barred from the Presidents Cup and the US PGA playoffs in August.

The DP World Tour, as the European Tour is now known, has yet to announce what, if any sanctions it will impose on the rebels.

All 48 players in the inaugural LIV field at the Centurion Club in St Albans, including European Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell, teed off at the same time in a "shotgun start", with 16 groups of three spread around the course.

Players have faced tough questions over Saudi Arabia's human rights record in the days running up to the new event and have been accused of greed in chasing the huge prize money on offer.

Mickelson confirmed earlier this week he had signed up for the breakaway series but he did not dispel rumours he was receiving an eye-watering fee of $200 million to compete.

Mickelson faced an uncomfortable grilling at a press conference on the eve of the tournament.

He insisted he did not "condone human rights violations", adding that golf could be a force for good.

Amnesty International renewed its call for players to speak out about "human rights abuses" in Saudi Arabia, rather than being "willing stooges of Saudi sportswashing".

Two-time major winner Johnson, who is reportedly receiving US$150 million in appearance fees, is among a handful of players to have resigned their PGA Tour membership.

When asked whether he had opted for money over his country, he said he had chosen "what's best for me and my family".

LIV Golf is fronted by two-time major winner and former world number one Greg Norman, who pledged last month he would "defend, reimburse and represent" any players sanctioned.


Football news:

<!DOCTYPE html>
Kane on Tuchel: A wonderful man, full of ideas. Thomas in person says what he thinks
Zarema about Kuziaev's 350,000 euros a year in Le Havre: Translate it into rubles - it's not that little. It is commendable that he left
Aleksandr Mostovoy on Wendel: Two months of walking around in the middle of nowhere and then coming back and dragging the team - that's top level
Sheffield United have bought Euro U21 champion Archer from Aston Villa for £18.5million
Alexander Medvedev on SKA: Without Gazprom, there would be no Zenit titles. There is a winning wave in the city. The next victory in the Gagarin Cup will be in the spring
Smolnikov ended his career at the age of 35. He became the Russian champion three times with Zenit

3:05 Adani auditor EY faces India accounting regulator inquiry: Sources
2:28 Ford, UAW reach tentative deal to end strike including record pay raise
2:28 Ford agrees to record 25% wage hike in tentative deal to end UAW strike
2:18 ESR-Logos Reit posts 19.4% rise in Q3 net property income, positive rental reversions
1:58 'I don't know why he went crazy': Man beats up cleaner and 5 passers-by in Punggol Park
1:55 EC World Reit fails to sell two China logistics assets
1:48 South Korea economic growth holds steady on exports as risks loom
1:32 ATP roundup: Daniil Medvedev headlines day of sweeps at Vienna
0:38 'Big Show' Maxwell blasts World Cup light show
0:27 NBA All-Star Game reverts to East-West classic format
0:14 UOB Q3 net profit drops 1% to $1.38 billion after one-off Citi acquisition costs
0:09 SK Hynix sales decline slows in sign of recovery for chips
23:57 Telegram channels offer explicit sex videos and photos for a fee, similar to SG Nasi Lemak
23:55 Morgan Stanley’s Ted Pick will succeed James Gorman as CEO
23:28 Facebook parent Meta quarterly profit more than doubles
23:22 Jail, fine for woman who verbally abused SGH staff, argued with police in viral video
22:22 Injuries add to Newcastle woes in Dortmund loss
21:57 Top cycling teams explore creating new competitive league -sources
21:22 Atletico fight back to draw thriller with Celtic
21:17 Leipzig battle past Red Star 3-1 to tighten hold on Group G second spot
21:00 S&P 500, Nasdaq end sharply lower as Alphabet disappoints, Treasury yields bounce
20:32 Alcaraz on the mend, plans to play Paris Masters, ATP Finals
19:22 Mercedes to move on from Austin blow with 'sunny optimism'
19:12 Three changes for Argentina to face England
19:07 Gimenez double leads to Feyenoord 3-1 win over Lazio
18:17 Perez to feel the love even if the dream is dashed
17:42 Bosnia FA sanctioned by UEFA over crowd trouble
17:27 Australia's Maxwell puts on 'Big Show' with incendiary hundred
15:27 Forget Twickenham’s record win for Boks, it’s this weekend that counts
15:06 Apple raises prices of TV+ to US$9.99 from US$6.99 per month; fees of other services also up
14:51 Mapletree Industrial Trust Q2 DPU falls 1.2% to $0.0332 on enlarged unit base
14:27 Online abuse of Curry unacceptable, says Farrell
14:07 Sri Lanka hope Silverwood insights can help topple England
14:05 29 local brands honoured with Singapore Prestige Brand Award this year
13:57 Gakpo available for Liverpool's game with Toulouse, says Klopp
13:22 iFast Q3 net profit gains 308.4% to $8.5 million
11:13 Honda, GM scrap plan to co-develop cheaper EVs
10:40 $2.6 billion renewal project of North-South, East-West MRT lines to be mostly completed by Dec 2023
9:52 Jail for man who cheated 68 victims of $380k in one of Singapore's worst rental scams
9:38 $2.8b money laundering case: Porsche, 2 Rolls-Royces among luxury cars seized from Bukit Timah bungalow
11:03 VAR officials replaced after offside error in Liverpool defeat
11:01 Ajax Amsterdam league match abandoned after RKC goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen knocked out
10:58 Sabalenka shines in first match as No. 1, Vondrousova crashes in Beijing
10:43 Players would pay to play in Ryder Cup, says Johnson
10:13 Fiji will not look past Portugal in quarter-final hunt
10:00 London on cusp of becoming biggest stock market in Europe again
9:56 Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s strength a surprise for his MMA trainer
9:34 Pep Guardiola criticises Ruben Dias and Mateo Kovacic after defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers
9:07 New York remains world's top financial center in survey, London second
8:53 Games-S.Korea beat China for badminton gold, but hosts gain shooting world record
8:43 Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez dominates Jermell Charlo to maintain super middleweight supremacy
8:03 Wing Graham revelling in Scotland’s attacking approach
7:52 Duane Vermeulen happy to don Springboks jersey after watching Ireland loss from stands
7:07 Tears as South Korea whitewash China for 'precious' badminton gold at Asian Games
6:48 Japanese Grand Prix red-flagged due to heavy rain
6:43 Cricket-England at the ODI World Cup
6:43 Cricket-India at the ODI World Cup
6:43 Cricket-Australia at the ODI World Cup
6:00 Slowing, greying and in debt, can China’s industrial heartland be revived?
5:58 Games-Athletics official in stable condition after being hit by hammer
5:58 Games-Yubol claims surprise golf gold for Thailand as Ashok crashes out
5:40 1,900 BTO flats along the Rail Corridor in Choa Chu Kang to be launched in early October
5:25 Hazy days ahead? PSI nears 100 on Saturday; NEA says it may increase if wind direction changes
5:08 Flawless Kudermetova stuns Pegula to claim Tokyo title
4:02 Saved by doctor's appointment: Siblings narrowly escape Hougang flat fire
3:19 Shanti Pereira wins 200m heats to qualify for Asian Games final just 12 hours after clinching silver medal in women's 100m
2:55 Lalit Kumar completes 150 international appearances for Indian hockey
2:36 Shanti Pereira tops 200m heats to qualify for Asian Games final
2:01 New scam alert: UOB says circulating Taylor Swift meet-and-greet invites are fake
2:00 What the US-China chip war means for a critical American ally
1:28 'Impossible': Staff at Choa Chu Kang stall claims cockroach on siew mai is not from stall but from customer's house
0:55 SIMBEX 23: India, Singapore bilateral maritime exercise concludes
22:57 Ageing Singapore offers a blueprint for action
22:08 Klopp fumes over decisions as nine-man Liverpool lose at Spurs
21:58 Romania will improve if they learn from harsh lessons - coach
21:58 Romania will improve if they learn from harsh Rugby World Cup lessons - coach
21:38 Scotland's Townsend faces decisions ahead of Ireland showdown
21:08 Unstoppable Martinez scores four as Inter cruise past Salernitana
21:08 Scotland set up Ireland showdown with huge Romania win
20:08 Lazio are on right track despite Milan loss, Sarri says
19:13 Back to basics helps Fiji rally to sink Georgia
19:08 'The Korean guy' gets Guardiola's attention
19:03 Courageous Cantlay rams taunts down European throats
18:43 Ten Hag understands Man United fans booing after Palace defeat
18:38 It's not all on Eddie, says Wallabies assistant coach
18:23 Europe lead by five in Ryder Cup, but US finally show fight
18:03 Fiji dig deep to beat Georgia and close on last eight
17:58 Champions City shocked by Wolves, Manchester United lose again
17:58 Luton learned valuable lessons to secure first Premier League win
17:43 WTA roundup: Ons Jabeur coasts to title at Ningbo Open
17:28 Italy tries to digest All Black avalanche
17:03 Bowen, Soucek on target as West Ham ease past Sheffield United
16:58 Luton sink sorry Everton to secure first Premier League win
16:58 Games-India win thriller over arch-rivals Pakistan for squash gold
16:33 Arsenal heap more misery on Bournemouth with 4-0 away win
16:25 In 11.27 seconds, Pereira writes a fast and fabulous history
16:13 Almiron, Isak score as Newcastle see off Burnley
16:05 Manchester clubs hit by surprise defeats in English Premier League
15:23 Napoli keep on climbing table with 4-0 win at Lecce
15:13 Sanchez shines as Argentina set up Japan showdown