PGA Tour SUSPENDS Phil Mickelson and 16 other defectors to rival Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series

THE PGA Tour dramatically crashed the opening day of the Saudi breakaway series by immediately suspending its defectors in a major escalation of golf’s civil war on Thursday.

In an explosive letter to PGA members, sent within half an hour of the first tee shots at Centurion Club in St Albans, Tour commissioner Jay Monahan declared that 17 players, including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Sergio Garcia, would be banned from their events indefinitely. 

While the situation around their participation in future majors remains undecided, the PGA Tour’s sanctions are a definitive line in the sand between golf’s established factions and the star players who have cashed in by joining the LIV Invitational Series. The Tour added that the same punishment will apply to players who enter future LIV competitions, with Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

LIV responded by calling the Tour ‘vindictive’.

Blasting the defectors for ‘willfully violating regulation’, Monahan outlined suspensions in a wide-ranging letter issued to members.  

‘Their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our tournament regulations,’ read Monahan’s letter. ‘The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our regulations.

‘These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons. But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners.’

Monahan added: ‘I am certain our fans and partners – who are surely tired of all this talk of money, money and more money – will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competition you display each and every week, where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner’s circle.

‘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. 

These elements are part of the Tour’s DNA, built by the likes of Jack (Nicklaus) and Arnie (Palmer), furthered by Tiger (Woods) and countless others – whose legacies are inextricably linked, with each other and with the PGA TOUR. This collective legacy can’t be bought or sold.’

The DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour, has remained silent on its own stance through the duration of this saga. A number of players – including Johnson, Martin Kaymer, McDowell, Garcia, Brenden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Na, Charl Schwartzel and Westwood – had moved to nullify the impact of the expected sanctions by resigning their membership in advance of the LIV opener at Centurion. Making up the 17 banned players were Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, Andy Ogeltree, Turk Pettit, Hudson Swafford and Peter Uihlein, who are among the 48 playing for an obscene prize pot of £20million ($25 million).

Greg Norman’s LIV rebel series hit out with a statement that read: ‘Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. 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. This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.’

Players at Centurion have been buffeted through the week with accusations that they are enabling sportswashing by signing up to the Saudi-backed series, which will have eight events in its first season. Mickelson alone is believed to have pocked a £160m ($200m) signing-on fee.

It emerged on Thursday that they had been coached on how to handle thorny questions with a crib sheet distributed by organisers. One snippet, that was echoed by several players including McDowell, read: ‘As I understand it, their goal is to grow the game, provide players additional opportunities, and give fans more fun and a better entertainment product. We all want the game to flourish. They want everyone to benefit – including the players.’

LIV Golf declined to comment.

‘As you know, players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases – or did not apply for releases at all – and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our tournament regulations,’ the letter continued. 

‘The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our regulations.’

A memo to players last month warned that the Tour would not be releasing players to feature in the opening rebel series event and that has rung true.

‘As a membership organization, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the PGA Tour and its players,’ that memo to players read. 

Thursday’s bombshell letter enhances the pressure on the sport’s other governing bodies – Augusta National runs the Masters, the PGA of America runs the PGA Championship, and the R&A oversees the British Open – to see how serious their sanctions – if any – will be on players jumping ship. 

Former world No 1 Johnson jumped before others have now been pushed as he confirmed he had resigned from the PGA Tour on Tuesday. 

Johnson said: ‘Obviously at this time it’s hard to speak on what the consequences will be, but for right now, I’ve resigned my membership from the PGA Tour. 

‘I’m going to play here for now, and that’s the plan. Majors, again I can’t answer for them, but hopefully they are going to allow us to play. 

‘Obviously I’m exempt for the majors so I plan on playing there unless I hear otherwise.’ 

Mickelson and DeChambeau both insisted they had not offered their resignations to the PGA Tour, prior to day one of the LIV Invitational Series, but that has now been deemed irrelevant. 

Mickelson, who is said to be pocketing £160million ($200 million) by defecting, showed an element of golfing tradition as he wore a black zip-up featuring the Augusta National logo when he took to the fairways. 

United States Golf Association said of the Saudi-backed LIV Series last week that participation would not end a player’s ability to feature at the US Open in Brookline, Massachusetts, next week.

‘We pride ourselves in being the most open championship in the world and the players who have earned the right to compete in this year’s championship, both via exemption and qualifying, will have the opportunity to do so,’ read the USGA statement. 

‘Our field criteria were set prior to entries opening earlier this year and it’s not appropriate, nor fair to competitors, to change criteria once established.