LIV Golf

Follow all the action from the first event of the Saudi-funded breakaway series in St Albans.

He hasn’t been fantastic on the greens today and leaves himself a 15 footer for birdie on the eighth. Dustin Johnson is over the back of the green in two on the par-4 10th. DJ moves back to level par for the round. He’s battling hard though and pulled this beauty out of the bag: Louis Oosthuizen is letting the Stingers GC down here and he’s the captain! Of the $25m, $5m will be split between the top three teams.

The sport faces a watershed moment as sportswashing, history and vast sums of money collide for players' and fans' favour.

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” You have made a different choice, which is to abide by tournament regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA Tour card and - more importantly - to compete as part of the preeminent organisations in the world of professional golf.” But they can't demand the same PGA Tour memberships benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you.

As LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman watched on, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Scott Vincent teed off on the opening hole in the first 25 million (USD) Invitational ...

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” We don’t want to go, but we’re ready to go.” “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. “We’re ready to go. LIV Golf swiftly hit back with a statement which read: “Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. Players competing in the LIV Golf Invitational Series have been suspended by the PGA Tour.

The 17 PGA players competing in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series have been suspended by the tour.

In an immediate response, a LIV Golf statement said: “Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. Can they eventually play PGA Tour Champions? Trust that we’re prepared to deal with those questions, and we’ll approach them in the same way we have this entire process: by being transparent and respecting the PGA Tour regulations that you helped establish. Those who are suspended or have resigned will not be able to play on the PGA Tour – or its co-sanctioned tours – even on sponsor invites.

The PGA Tour has come down hard on players who are teeing it up in the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

“Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platforms as you," the letter reads. In a strongly worded letter from commissioner Jay Monahan, the Tour says that LIV Golf players are "suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate" in PGA Tour events.

The inaugural event will take place at Centurion Club, St Albans this week.

Oliver Fisher (979) Oliver Bekker (93) Of the $25m, $5m will be split between the top three teams. In terms of scoring, the best two individual scores will count towards the team’s overall total across the opening two rounds, with the best three scores combining on the third and final round. There will also be individual and team competitions within the same event. LIV Golf Series events will be played over three days and 54 holes, rather than the traditional four-day events with 72 holes.

Everything you need to know about the Saudi-backed breakaway series, from its format and prize money to the players who signed up or turned it down.

Each regular season event boasts a prize purse of $25m (£19.9m), with $20m (£15.9m) of the money spread from $4m (£3.2m) for the induvial winner down to $120k (£95k) for 48th. And a big question about it – not the biggest, granted – is whether this seismic shift in the sport is worth all the trouble. LIV Golf reportedly offered the higher-profile players sign-up fees to lure them in. At the end of the first seven events, an individual champion will be named based on results. The event will be seeded based on previous results, and the top four teams will receive a bye to the second day. The response from Talor Gooch (the Talor Gooch): “I am not that smart. So he is used to defending the indefensible. The competition’s bigwigs clearly know they have a hard sell on their hands, as they have recruited Ari Fleischer as a comms man. In the first two rounds, the best two scores count towards each team’s total. What is the LIV Golf prize money? How to watch LIV Golf in the UK What is the LIV Golf format?

The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from the first day of LIV Golf's London event, including the performance of both Dustin ...

9:21 a.m. — Lee Westwood is the first player to log a score. 11:00 a.m. — Shaun Norris had a nice chip-in from off the green to get to 1 under par for the tournament. 9:57 a.m. — Dustin Johnson had a long par putt on the third hole and was unable to make it. 9:06 a.m. — The LIV broadcast is now live, and you can click here to watch it. He ends up carding a double-bogey on a Par 4 and will go from 1 under to 1 over for the tournament. 9:23 a.m. — Phil Mickelson landed his second shot on the green after a massive tee shot. 11:10 a.m. — Kevin Yuan had a beautiful shot off the tee at a Par 3. 11:30 a.m. — Speaking of Vincent, he just hit a beautiful shot out of some thick rough and got the ball on the green. 11:25 a.m. — Both Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are in the fairway at the difficult ninth hole. He notches a double bogey on the Par 4 ninth which seems to be the toughest on the course. 11:42 a.m. — We are officially halfway through the first day of the LIV Golf event. 12:19 p.m. — Phil Mickelson hasn't had his best day with the putter, but he just made a birdie to get to 1 over par.

All seven regular-season tournaments in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series will beat the PGA Tour's all-time-high purse, with fewer players ...

The Telegraph reported that Patrick Reed, too, would move to LIV. Rickie Fowler, meanwhile, acknowledged in a recent interview with the New York Post that he was considering the jump. Mickelson hasn’t played competitively since generating controversy with the February publication of his comments that he was willing to ignore alleged human rights violations by Saudi Arabia in order to join the then-prospective circuit. LIV’s season, at eight events, is dwarfed by the PGA Tour’s 49-event schedule (which includes the four majors). While the upstart circuit plans to build out its slate to ten events next year and 14 in 2024 and 2025, the new tour will offer many fewer chances to compete for prize money for the immediate future, and the PGA said Thursday that golfers who switched to LIV would be suspended from its events. LIV’s London event has a field of 48 players while most of the PGA Tour’s top-paying events have at least 70 golfers who earn paychecks. Tournaments won’t cut down the field after two rounds the way the PGA Tour does, ensuring every golfer who competes at a LIV event gets a chunk of the purse. LIV’s season-ending Team Championship will also carry a prize fund of $50 million to be divided among 12 squads, including $16 million for the first-place team.

Matthew Wolff and Bubba Watson featured briefly in a LIV Golf promotional video.

Ian Poulter said that a number of golfers will be looking on this week and wanting to be a part of it. DeChambeau has reportedly signed with LIV Golf for a reported fee north of $100m, although there has yet to be an official announcement. The promo video, titled 'Evolution' finishes with the line that "the future of golf is here."

Players competing in the LIV Golf Invitational Series have been suspended by the PGA Tour. The most lucrative golf tournament in history got under way on ...

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” We don’t want to go, but we’re ready to go.” “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. “We’re ready to go. LIV Golf swiftly hit back with a statement which read: “Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. Players competing in the LIV Golf Invitational Series have been suspended by the PGA Tour.

The most lucrative golf tournament in history got under way on Thursday, following a trumpet fanfare and with fighter planes circling overhead.

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond." "But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. "In accordance with the PGA Tour's Tournament Regulations, the players competing this week without releases are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup," the statement from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan read.

Here are all the details on how you can watch the action from Centurion Golf Club for the first LIV Golf event.

1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service) 2. Best of all, ExpressVPN comes with a 30 day money back guarantee (opens in new tab). This is the #1 rated VPN in the world right now. ExpressVPN (opens in new tab) is one of the best out there. As we mentioned above YouTube will broadcast the event but for anyone away from their home country, you can still watch the action by using VPNs. Before that, for those of you unaware, the London event is a 54-hole competition, which includes 48 players competing in 12 teams of four with shotgun starts. There are loads of easy ways to watch golf in 2022 including in the US, UK and almost anywhere else in the world.

The LIV Golf International Series has arrived, and we're following Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and all of the action on the opening day.

Everyone will tee off at the same time in a shotgun start: Usually it entails an army of golf carts all launched at once from the clubhouse. Phil Mickelson is grouped with DJ, and he also hit the fairway with his opening shot on No. 1. The shotgun start is moments away. The presentation includes a constantly updating leaderboard on the left side of the screen, with players and their team logos. Dustin Johnson's opening shot was shown live on the broadcast, and he split the fairway. The Public Investment Fund, an autonomous wealth fund administered by the government of Saudi Arabia, is the main shareholder of LIV Golf Investments. The golf course is tough and conditions are really tough," Johnson said afterward on the broadcast. If you’re just tuning in, you'll notice that most of the players won’t look any different sartorially than in other tournaments. So, in theory, one player could have a poor event but three good teammates and get a nice payday. Schwartzel is a former Masters champion and one of 17 current or former PGA Tour members competing in this event. We'll have live updates throughout the first day, so check back for more highlights, news and analysis from LIV Golf's first day.

After months of controversial build-up and speculation, the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series finally got underway on Friday in London.

The eighth and final event in October is a team matchplay tournament. Those will then be combined to decide the winning team for each event. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter are among the captains - you can see the teams in full here. Play gets underway each day at 2pm BST, with all players teeing off at the same time on different holes in a shotgun start. LIV Golf Series format The former world number one has resigned his membership of the PGA Tour, a move which would prevent him playing in future Ryder Cups as it stands.

The PGA Tour has suspended the 17 current and former members -- including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia -- who are taking part in the ...

"I think it's a shame that it's going to fracture the game," McIlroy said. "We believe the players are independent contractors and have a right to go play wherever they want to go play." "We're going to end up in a worse position because these guys wanted a quick money grab to go play in an exhibition," the player said. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond." "The [Saudis] are going to lose interest eventually. "This week, the RBC Canadian Open is a shining example of what you have created with the PGA Tour: a star-studded field, a committed sponsor, sold-out hospitality offerings, record crowds and a global broadcast distribution," Monahan wrote. "We're here because we believe we're independent contractors and we believe should be allowed to compete and play where we want all over the world. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA TOUR card and -- more importantly -- to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf." "These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in a memo to the tour's membership. ... We have a compelling option, which is not agreeable to the biggest tours in the world. "I've always had the ability to play golf all around the world. I've played the Asian Tour, the Japanese Tour. I've played in China, in South Africa. I've played everywhere, the game of golf that I love.

Centurion Club had plenty of pomp for the first event of the startup series, but after the shotgun start players said 'it was just golf.'

LIV Golf spared no expense to put on this golf tournament in a matter of two and a half months. "The people were terrific and it was fun to hit some good shots and get in a competitive frame of mind again. When it was complete – and basically, all finished at the same time due to the shotgun start – the festivities began again. And it continued into the evening. Phil Mickelson was playing for the first time in more than four months, since the final round of the PIF Saudi International tournament, where he finished 17th. The shotgun start.

Golf's divide is likely to widen in the coming weeks, but the PGA Tour is adamant it will still thrive amid the chaos LIV Golf has created.

Rory McIlroy, who committed his future to the PGA Tour on Wednesday, welcomed Monahan’s letter when saying on Thursday: “All he’s doing is basically going by the book. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” I’ve earned that, and I don’t plan on just giving it up.” “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. On Wednesday, lifetime PGA Tour member Phil Mickelson had said he was unwilling to give up his affiliation. “I worked really hard to earn a lifetime exemption, and I don’t want to give that up, I don’t believe I should have to,” the winner of 45 PGA Tour events, and now captain of the “Hy Flyers”, said.

Phil Mickelson is among 17 players competing at Centurion who have been penalised by the Tour.

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” We don’t want to go, but we’re ready to go.” McIlroy added: “All he (Monahan) is doing is basically going by the book. “We’re ready to go. “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. Ian Poulter said he had not resigned and planned to appeal against his suspension.

Phil Mickelson marked his competitive return to action by getting within four strokes of the early lead at the opening event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf ...

"I struck the ball really well and didn't putt very well. I really struggled with the putter the front, the first six, seven holes but I played really well and fought back after a double on nine to shoot one under and get myself right in it on the first day." "It was fun for me to get back out playing.

Ian Poulter plans to appeal against his suspension from the PGA Tour after golf's bitter power struggle took a dramatic turn at the LIV Golf Invitational ...

"Obviously we're going to have to wait and see what the European Tour does. They are having to play the game the way they feel they have to play it, which is playing hard ball. I thought that today was a great start and that's what I'm going to focus on. "I'm not banned because I'm not a member of it," he said. I believe I've been given permission in the past to play in events around the world." "We're in the UK. You've players like myself and Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, we are in our home markets here.

LIV Golf has turned professional golf into a reality show, and the worst is just beginning.

Still, it’s not the job of Augusta National, the USGA, the R&A and PGA of America to clean up this mess, and that the tour is beholden to them to succeed should be a wake-up call. One of the things that holds our attention are the players in the arena, and when you invest as much time and emotion as being a fan requires it’s understandable to develop certain feelings towards them. The money is too tempting and where that money comes from has not been a deterrent to a contingent of golfers. It insists on selling the importance of the playoffs, and the moment you have to explain why you matter is the moment you prove the opposite. In our neck of the woods, that is golf. And a product that now raises a question of morality. LIV Golf? In spite of its trappings—perhaps in spite of itself—LIV Golf has proved over the past nine days it is very real, and its evolution from a concept to something concrete has massive consequences. If tour officials don’t take this moment to take a serious analysis of the product it’s presenting, they are just as much a threat to themselves as LIV Golf is to them. How that is additive to the sport, how that is interesting to golf fans, remains unclear. Which brings us to the problem facing the PGA Tour, and make no mistake, it is bad. LIV Golf is the antithesis of this spirit. There is a fundamental fault with the competition that LIV Golf is creating, and for a second put aside the problematic strings to this venture and focus on that competition.

Dustin Johnson looks on, with Beefeater guards in the background, during the first round of the first LIV Golf event. Aitor Alcalde/LIV Golf.

His routine par on the 492-yard opener involved a long drive into the fairway, an approach to maybe 18 feet and two putts. Time will tell, but until it does there is something different for this tournament in the feel department. All that activity didn’t end with the tee shots. There’s a red double-decker bus that is actually a “vintagebusbar.” There’s a red phone box that may or may not contain a working telephone. And putting guru Phil Kenyon was in position on the practice green. “Vindictive” LIV Golf called it in a prompt rebuttal. On the (too small) range things have looked pretty much as you’d expect on any other tour. And only four are inside the top 50. Which is not to say things may change on the front. For one thing, the overall quality of this field falls far short of your typical Grand Slam event. They all have a certain something, and not necessarily all the same something, that makes them distinct from the norm. HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England — Golf tournaments, big golf tournaments, have an individual feel that bequeaths a certain and identifiable vibe.

Phil Mickelson is among 17 players competing at Centurion who have been penalised by the Tour.

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” We don’t want to go, but we’re ready to go.” McIlroy added: “All he (Monahan) is doing is basically going by the book. “We’re ready to go. “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. Ian Poulter said he had not resigned and planned to appeal against his suspension.

Par 70. 1. Charl Schwarzel -5 2. Hennie Du Plessis -4. T3. Scott Vincent -3. T3. Phachara Khongwatmai -3. T5. Branden Grace -2. T5. Justin Harding -2

T24. Kevin Na +3 T24. Jinichiro Kozuma +3 T24. Kevin Yuan +3 T24. Oliver Fisher +3 T24. Jediah Morgan +3 T24. Richard Bland +3

Phil Mickelson is among 17 players competing at Centurion who have been penalised by the Tour.

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” We don’t want to go, but we’re ready to go.” McIlroy added: “All he (Monahan) is doing is basically going by the book. “We’re ready to go. “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. Ian Poulter said he had not resigned and planned to appeal against his suspension.

The winner at the Centurion Club will take home $4million, while there's another $5million on offer in the team event.

The top three in the team event will split $5million between them, with $3million for the winning team, $1.5million for 2nd and $500,000 for third. The $20million of individual prizes sees every player earn at least $120,000 - that’s the payday for the player who comes 48th! The 48-player field is divided into 12 teams of four after the draft earlier this week, and they are playing for both individual and team prizes.

After one of the most highly anticipated days of golf in recent memory, here are our early takeaways from the first LIV Golf Invitational.

Away from the course, he continues to face some tough questions in the wake of his recent behaviour and his decision to defect to the new series. The fallout from the controversy caused Lefty to miss the Masters and the defence of his PGA Championship title, but the 51-year-old obviously felt the opportunity to headline the first LIV Golf Invitational was too good to miss. And if the words contained in the memo sent to PGA Tour members are actionable, it is a fairly sizeable hammer, further highlighting the risk the breakaway players are taking in ditching the Old World circuits for pastures new. One of the most fascinating aspects of the inaugural LIV Golf event was how the PGA Tour would respond. After four months in exile after calling the Saudi backers of the new breakaway circuit “scary mother******* to get involved with", Phil Mickelson is back. While the shotgun start actually seemed to work quite well, after a few holes, it was still just golf. When Dustin Johnson got underway on the first, it was in front of a fairly sizeable gallery. In addition, the production deserves praise, especially for a first-time outing. At times, the stream had the attention of more than 100,000 people, which feels like a lot, certainly more than we expected. This policy clearly can’t continue, even with the might of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund backing the series, but it was a good start from an on-site viewership perspective. After all, when ticket prices were first released, many fans were left aghast at the outlay being demanded for the unknown quantity that was still lacking a proper headliner. Replacing the 72-hole strokeplay model is a three-round shotgun-start event offering up individual and team prizes.

The PGA Tour announced it was suspending the 17 players in the field who were taking part despite having been refused permission.

LIV Golf is set to formally apply for its events to be allowed to award world ranking points, which would be a big plus as a player’s world ranking can secure entry into the majors. The R&A is expected to take the same approach regarding July’s Open Championship, but the USGA statement did not address what may happen in the future. Commissioner Jay Monahan had consistently said players who competed on a rival circuit without the proper releases would face sanctions, and he proved as good as his word with the rebels handed immediate suspensions.

How have players like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson performed in the new league's inaugural event?

T24. Kevin Na +3 T24. JC Ritchie +3 T24. Kevin Yuan +3 T24. Jinichiro Kozuma +3 T24. Oliver Fisher +3 T24. Jediah Morgan +3 T24. Ryosuke Kinoshita +3 T24. Ratchanon Chantananuwat +3 Players who take part in future LIV Golf events will face the same punishment. T24. Richard Bland +3 Schwartzel took the lead Thursday after posting a 5-under 65, with Du Plessis 1 shot back at 4 under. Charl Schwartzel and Hennie du Plessis, both from South Africa, lead the field after the first round.

Players competing in the LIV Golf Invitational Series have been suspended by the PGA Tour. The most lucrative golf tournament in history got under way on ...

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.” We don’t want to go, but we’re ready to go.” “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. “We’re ready to go. LIV Golf swiftly hit back with a statement which read: “Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. Players competing in the LIV Golf Invitational Series have been suspended by the PGA Tour.

The controversial LIV Golf International Series has arrived, with Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson headlining a 48-player field for the first event, ...

What the consequences are going to be, obviously I can’t comment on how the tour is going to handle (it)." The Tour issued a statement on June 1 reiterating that members have not been authorized to participate in the series and that those who "violate the Tournament Regulations are subject to disciplinary action." Dustin Johnson, at No. 15, is the highest-ranked golfer to join the new series. The schedule runs from June through October and does not conflict with any existing majors. A total of $255 million will be awarded in prize money across the eight LIV tournaments. Norman told The Washington Post that LIV offered Tiger Woods a “mind-blowingly enormous” amount (think high nine digits) to sign on. One-time major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed are reportedly the latest players to join the new tour and will debut at LIV Golf's second event in Oregon on June 30. Understand that they still want to chase trophies and championships that mean something in the history of the game of golf. “I’m sure the money is a big part of it, but I don’t know what the other consequences are going to be, the punishments, whatever the fallout is in terms of them leaving the Tour,” Curry said. (For comparison: the U.S. Open, the biggest purse of the four majors, awards $12.5 million in prize money, with the winner getting $2.25 million.) He will be replaced by Peter Drury, The Athletic confirmed last week. There’s a number of things at play here.

Following the start of the inaugural LIV Golf event near London on Thursday, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced that all golfers playing in the ...

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond." You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA TOUR card and -- more importantly -- to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf." On Tuesday, captains selected the rest of their teams in a draft format akin to the NFL and NBA drafts. 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. Can they eventually play PGA TOUR Champions? Trust that we're prepared to deal with those questions, and we'll approach them in the same way we have this entire process: by being transparent and respecting the PGA TOUR regulations that you helped establish. As far as what happens now for the PGA Tour, Monahan added in the statement: "You probably have more questions.

Golf fans have now had a chance to watch LIV Golf, and they might be confused about the new league's format. The Sporting News looks at how it compares to ...

The golfer who wins the individual portion of the LIV Golf London tournament will pocket $4 million, while the last-place finisher will earn $120,000. Of that, $20 million will be split among the 48 golfers in the individual portion of the tournament. At LIV Golf, golfers are guaranteed a share of the purse just by entering. It is simple stroke play through 54 holes for LIV and 72 on the PGA Tour, with the golfer with the lowest score after the completion of the tournament being named the winner. The shotgun format reduces the amount of time a round will last, but it is more conducive to a smaller field. Perhaps the first thing fans will notice just by looking at the LIV Golf schedule is that there are only three rounds.

LIV has attempted to style itself as the future of golf but it remains to be seen whether it can deliver entertainment for Saudi Arabia's sportswashing ...

It also had access to many of the best players around to draw a crowd and used a simple, accessible format to put on a show. Or, as Golf Digest put it this week: “The LIV team names are in and they are the worst thing you’ve ever seen.” It used places to create a sense of identity in its teams (London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix) and turned its draft into a TV event. But what is so eye-catching about LIV Golf is the brazenness of it – no cloak and dagger, no softly softly approach, instead simply buying up stars with vast sums of money under the thinnest of thin veils about “growing the game”. Saudi’s previous forays into sport have been chips into the existing landscape; LIV is a brash, booming drive down the fairway. This is the ultimate goal, to earn legitmacy by recruiting star names, and it is an effective ploy. It is not just the players who are enabling the Saudi project. There is an element of distance between footballers and Qatar’s World Cup, or F1 drivers and race hosts such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, so much so that Lewis Hamilton could even make a statement by wearing a rainbow helmet. This was supposed to be the future of the game, as LIV’s slick publicity videos claimed. A tour that wants to rip up golf’s rule book might be expected to come up with something more radical than removing the cut, like the threat of cuts during rounds to knock out stragglers and add some jeopardy. Whatever it was, Mickelson was the star attraction as the richest tournament in golf got underway with an aerial show of vintage aircraft and trumpeters with bearskin hats, while players were transported to their tees in London cabs. The edges of this new format need smoothing. Mickelson greeted fans when he visited the extremities of several holes as his round got off to an inauspicious start.

The inaugural event will take place at Centurion Club, St Albans this week.

Bernd Wiesberger (t-90) Of the $25m, $5m will be split between the top three teams. In terms of scoring, the best two individual scores will count towards the team’s overall total across the opening two rounds, with the best three scores combining on the third and final round. There will also be individual and team competitions within the same event. LIV Golf Series events will be played over three days and 54 holes, rather than the traditional four-day events with 72 holes. Day 1 saw some of the new competition’s biggest names draw a crowd and Charl Schwartzel hit five under par to take an early lead.

After months of speculation, the opening tournament got underway yesterday at Centurion Club in St Albans but was met by confirmation from the PGA Tour that ...

In terms of scoring, the best two individual scores will count towards the team’s overall total across the opening two rounds, with the best three scores combining on the third and final round. LIV Golf Series events will be played over three days and 54 holes, rather than the traditional four-day events with 72 holes. There will also be individual and team competitions within the same event. Of the $25m, $5m will be split between the top three teams. McIlroy: “All he (PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan) is doing is basically going by the book. I have played all over the world for 25 years. After months of speculation, the opening tournament got underway yesterday at Centurion Club in St Albans but was met by confirmation from the PGA Tour that rebel players who participate in the event have been suspended with immediate effect. On the course, the scoring was led by the former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel after an opening round of 65. “I didn’t resign my membership because I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia are among other big names competing in the inaugural event. “I didn’t resign my membership because I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. “It makes no sense,” Poulter said.

LIV Golf tee times and pairings - round 2 · Hole 1: Scott Vincent, Hennie Du Plessis, Charl Schwartzel · Hole 2: Justin Harding, Branden Grace, Phachara ...

- Hole 7: Kevin Na, Shaun Norris, JC Ritchie - Hole 6: Jinichiro Kozuma, Kevin Yuan, Oliver Fisher Almost immediately, LIV responded by calling the PGA Tour's move "vindictive" and said it is "certainly not the last word on the topic."

The new golf tour began on Thursday in London, with fans arriving at the Centurion Club to witness some of the sport's biggest names playing in the inaugural ...

The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond." When contacted by CNN, it said it had "no comment to make" on the LIV Golf series. However, the new, big-money tour offers a significant earning opportunity for players around the globe, in particular the up-and-coming talent. "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. But for six-time major winner Mickelson, who has already earned lifetime status on the PGA Tour, it throws into question his long-term commitment to the tour. On Tuesday, captains selected the rest of their teams in a draft format akin to the NFL and NBA drafts. Among the headliners in Toronto will be world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas. in the biggest mass execution in decades. Defending his title in Canada will be Rory McIlroy, the world No. 8. The PIF has pledged to award $250 million in total prize money. I don't think he's a bad dude. We're not politicians.