The course for the first of eight events in the LIV Golf Invitational Series was launched late Tuesday with 42 players ready to take part in next week’s tournament in London.
Among the participants was former world number one and two-time grand champion Dustin Johnson, who swore allegiance to the PGA Tour earlier this year, saying in February that he was “fully committed to the PGA Tour”.
“Dustin has been considering an opportunity that has emerged over the past few years,” Johnson manager David Winkle of Hambric Sports said in a statement. “In the end, he decided it was in his and his family’s interest to pursue him. Dustin has never had a problem with the PGA Tour and is grateful for everything he has given him, but in the end he thinks it is too insurmountable to miss.
Johnson, Garcia title on the first LIV golf course
Johnson, the 13th-ranked player in the world, was not the only major champion to sign up for the first event. Former US Open champions Graham McDowell and Martin Kimer are on the field, as are former Masters winner Sergio Garcia and Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
The tour did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The chain rejected all requests for conflicting events to play the first LIV event. The circuit’s players’ advisory board met at the Memorial on Tuesday, but according to a PAC member, the LIV field was not discussed.
The London flight will also include Tour winners Kevin Na, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Hudson Swafford and Branden Grace.
Phil Mickelson is not on the field list next week, although LIV Golf still has six vacancies at the Centurion Club, five of which will go to players at the Asian Tour this week in England. Mickelson was linked to LIV Golf, but was quoted in a story earlier this year on the Fire Pit Collective’s website, criticizing both the LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, and has not played since.
Here is a look at the current list of fields (42 of the 48 announced players):
Oliver Becker, South Africa Richard Bland, England Lori Cantor, England Rachanon Chantananuwat (amateurs), Thailand Henny Du Plessis, South Africa Oliver Fisher, England Sergio Garcia, Spain Talor Guch, USA Brandon Grace, South Africa Justin Hardin, South Africa Justin Hardin Harding, South Africa, Samu Horstinesfield, Joan Horsfield, USA, Sana Horstinson, England, USA ThailandMartin Kaymer, GermanyPhachara Khongwatmai, ThailandSihwan Kim, USARyosuke Kinoshita, JapanChase Koepka, USAJinichiro Kozell, JapanJarichlo Kozemara, Japan USAShaun Norris, South AfricaAndy Ogletree, USALouis Oosthuizen, South AfricaWade Ormsby, AustraliaAdrian Otaegui, SpainTurk Pettit, USAJames Payot (amateurs), USAIan Poulter, EnglandDavid Puig (amateurs), SpainJC Ritchie, South AfricaAthratoral JapanPeter Wichline, USAScott Vincent, ZimbabweLey Westwood, England, Bernd AustraliaB
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