Bryson DeChambeau of the USA performs his shot from the 18th tee throughout a apply spherical previous to the Masters at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on April 06, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia.
David Cannon | Getty Photos
Main champions Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed plan to enroll with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational collection in time for the rival circuit to begin taking part in in U.S. cities, a British newspaper reported Wednesday.
The Daily Telegraph says Greg Norman and his workers that runs LIV Golf Investments plan to announce the newest two defections from the PGA Tour on Friday.
The inaugural LIV Golf Invitational at Centurion Golf Membership, which features Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, is ready to start Thursday.
DeChambeau was among the many early recruits to the Saudi league in January. That modified when Mickelson introduced undesirable consideration on the nascent league with interviews that disparaged the PGA Tour and the Saudis who’re funding the LIV Golf Investments.
Johnson was the largest title to announce his assist for the PGA Tour in February, and DeChambeau adopted swimsuit.
“Whereas there was plenty of hypothesis surrounding my assist for an additional tour, I wish to make it very clear that so long as the perfect gamers on the earth are taking part in the PGA Tour, so will I,” DeChambeau mentioned in a February assertion.
Requested about his curiosity final week on the Memorial, DeChambeau mentioned, “I personally do not assume that at this cut-off date I am in a spot in my profession the place I can threat issues like that.”
“I am loyal to my household that I’ve created round me with sponsors and every thing. And as of proper now, the golf world might be going to alter in some capability. I do not know what that’s. Not my job to take action. I am simply going to maintain taking part in skilled golf and revel in it wherever it takes me, play with the perfect gamers on the earth.”
His agent mentioned Wednesday in a press release that “Bryson has all the time been an innovator.”
“Having the chance to get in on the bottom ground of one thing distinctive has all the time been intriguing to him. Skilled golf as we all know it’s altering and it is taking place shortly,” mentioned Brett Falkoff of GSE Worldwide.
DeChambeau received the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2020 at a time when he captivated golf together with his out-of-the-box considering that extra pace and extra energy would change the sport. He added 40 kilos of muscle and mass and his ball pace off the driving force hit 200 mph. He additionally competed in lengthy drive exhibitions.
Reed received the 2018 Masters for his solely main. Together with being recognized for his grit and brief recreation, he was a primary supply of heckling in U.S. galleries for transferring sand away from his golf ball within the Bahamas in 2019, a transparent violation of the foundations.
Gamers are getting large signing bonuses to hitch Norman’s league. The Telegraph experiences Johnson getting $150 million even earlier than competing for $25 million funds at every of the eight LIV occasions on the schedule.
Mickelson was requested about experiences he was getting $200 million.
“I really feel that contract agreements needs to be personal,” he mentioned. “Does not appear to be the case, but it surely needs to be.”
The primary U.S. occasion for the LIV collection is the weekend earlier than the Fourth of July at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon. The PGA Tour didn’t grant releases for its gamers to compete outdoors London this week, and a few of them have resigned their memberships.
