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Johnson, who said he was “fully committed” to the PGA Tour in February, eventually decided the opportunity was too good to miss, his agent said.
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June 1, 2022 • 4 minutes ago • 3 minutes reading • 22 comments Dustin Johnson of the United States plays his 16th strike during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club on June 6, 2019. in Hamilton. Photo by Mark Blinch / Getty Images
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Royal Bank of Canada broke off business with Dustin Johnson and Graham McDowell on Wednesday, a day after PGA Tour players were among the 42 players revealed to be competing in the first event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
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“As a result of the decisions made by professional golfers Dustin Johnson and Graham McDowell to play at the start of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, RBC is terminating its sponsorship agreement with both players,” the banking giant told Sportico. “We wish them success in their future endeavors.
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This statement was RBC’s second in so many days regarding the 37-year-old Johnson, who signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the company in February 2018.
“RBC is a proud partner of the PGA Tour. Our partnership is linked to two world-class golf tournaments – RBC Heritage and RBC Canadian Open, “RBC said in a statement on Tuesday. “The PGA Tour is clear of its intentions in accordance with the tournament rules if a golfer chooses to play in an off-tour tournament, including the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
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“We recently learned that Dustin Johnson decided to play at the opening of the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The DJ has been a valuable member of the RBC team since 2018. Although we are extremely disappointed with his decision, we wish him success. ”
The 42-year-old McDowell won the 2010 US Open. He has four victories in the PGA Tour.
Greg Norman celebrated the addition of Johnson to the new tour as the arrival of the free golf agency.
“This is an opportunity to start a movement that will change the course of history by bringing new and open competition to the sport we all love. “The desire of the players to participate in LIV Golf demonstrates their strong faith in our model and confidence in what we are building for the future,” he said. “We could not be happier with the diversity of our field, which includes players from all over the world, including great champions and those who debut with us, competing in their first professional event.”
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Johnson was the biggest hit in the field so far for the opening event of the tour, which does not include six-time grand champion Phil Mickelson. The chain, seen as a potential rival to the PGA Tour, has become controversial over its acceptance of funding from Saudi supporters.
Other notable names in the field include Englishmen Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Richard Bland, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, Talor Guch, German Martin Kaimer and South Africans Louis Osthuisen and Brandon Grace.
The PGA Tour did not grant its members an exemption to play in the event, which will take place on June 9-11 against the Canadian Open. Johnson – who won the 2018 Canadian Open – and other members could be penalized for choosing the LIV Golf event without permission from the tour.
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Johnson, who dropped third to 13th in the official world golf rankings this year, is the highest-ranked game on the list. The former world number one earlier said in a statement that he was “fully committed to the PGA Tour”.
The Startup League became radioactive after Mickelson admitted to author Alan Shipnook that the Saudis were “scary (obscene) to be involved”, but that he still planned to deal with them as a lever game to make more money from the PGA. Tour, including getting players their individual media rights.
Johnson and several other PGA Tour stars said in February that they had committed to the PGA Tour, and Mickelson issued a mea culpa for his actions and took time off from the game. He did not compete in the Masters or PGA Championship, the first two major tournaments of the season.
Mickelson’s representatives applied for him to play in the LIV event at the same time as he registered for the PGA Championship and the US Open. After he retired from the PGA on the Friday before the start, it is unclear when he will return to the sport.
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