Saudi-backed golf league will feature $255 million in prize money

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Final month, Rory McIlroy was one among most of the recreation’s greatest stars who pledged their allegiance to the PGA Tour flag and waved away enjoying in a proposed golf league pushed by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia.

“It is useless within the water, for my part,” McIlroy mentioned.

Not so quick.

Norman, aka the Nice White Shark, reemerged Tuesday by sending a letter to gamers stating the league backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund was not on its final breath. On Wednesday, Norman, the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf Investments, which is funded by the Saudis, introduced the league that may rival the PGA Tour has severe enamel.

Beginning in June, the LIV Golf Invitational Sequence will start and have eight occasions and encompass particular person and group play with prize cash reaching $255 million. The primary occasion shall be performed June Sep 11 at Centurion Golf Membership in London; the primary seven occasions could have $20 million purses with an extra $5 million break up among the many prime three groups every week.

After the primary seven occasions are performed, the highest three within the particular person format will break up $30 million. The ultimate occasion, Oct. 28-30 at a web site but to be decided, shall be a group championship with $50 million in prize cash.

Within the U.S., Pumpkin Ridge Golf Membership in Portland, Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Bedminster in New Jersey, The Worldwide in Boston and Wealthy Harvest Farms north of Chicago will host occasions.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has mentioned any gamers becoming a member of the league would face banishment from the PGA Tour. Norman replied in a letter the PGA Tour can’t ban gamers. Litigation appears seemingly sooner or later.

Extra: Premier Golf League plan to accomplice with PGA Tour options huge paydays, possession stakes for tour members

LIV Golf Investments, which has already invested $300 million over 10 years on the Asian Tour, is offering greater than $400 million to launch the collection.

The occasions will characteristic 48 gamers and 12 four-man groups. They are going to be 54 holes with no reduce and shotgun begins.

“I need golf to develop, gamers to have further alternatives, and followers to have extra enjoyable,” Norman mentioned in a launch. “My mission is to assist the sport attain its full potential and we all know the function of golf as an leisure product is essential to general participation within the sport.

“In some ways, we’re a start-up. We now have a long-term imaginative and prescient and purpose to develop. I consider now we have a really vibrant and thrilling future.”

The schedule is not going to compete with the 4 main championships or heritage occasions. Every occasion could have groups comprised of various gamers decided by a draft the week of the occasion.

“Our occasions are really additive to the world of golf,” Norman mentioned. “We now have performed our greatest to create a schedule that enables gamers to play elsewhere, whereas nonetheless taking part in our occasions. I consider gamers will more and more make progress in attaining their proper to play the place they need. We are going to assist in any approach doable and can present golfers with alternatives to attain their full potential.”

Mentioned Joel Schuchmann, senior vp of Communications for the PGA Tour: “As now we have said repeatedly in current weeks, the PGA Tour has moved on.”

LIV Golf Invitational 2022 schedule

Date	Location
June Sep 11	Centurion Golf Membership – London
July 1-3	Pumpkin Ridge Golf Membership – Portland
July 29-31	Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Bedminster – New Jersey
Sept. 2-4	The Worldwide – Boston
Sept. 16-18	Wealthy Harvest Farms – Chicago
Oct. 7-9	Stonehill – Bangkok
Oct. 14-16	Royal Greens Golf Membership – Jeddah
Oct. 28-30	Workforce Championship – TBD

One other league is circling within the waters, too. The Hearth Pit Collective was the primary to report that the Premier Golf League has divulged plans to the PGA Tour and sure gamers together with McIlroy for a collection of occasions that may accomplice with varied excursions. The format consists of 18 occasions, with 12 groups of 4 gamers competing in group and particular person championships that run concurrently all through the season. Purses can be value $20 million, with an extra $1 million going to the winners of the group occasion. A winner-take-all prize of $20 million can be up for grabs to the winner of a season-ending group occasion.

The PGL additionally plans to allocate 100 million shares to PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour gamers in a tiered system.