PGA is showing no leniency towards the defectors as they have revoked the tour memberships of everyone who still was a member, including Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau for the 2022-23 season.
LIV Golf continues to be a headache for PGA even after the multiple threats of sanction to anyone opting to play in the controversial event. The threats do not seem to work with LIV just announcing their biggest signing yet. Current world no. 2, Cameron Smith has just joined the Greg Norman-led event on a massive $143 million deal.
PGA, staying true to their threats, just canceled the memberships of whoever is still on the PGA Tour ahead of the 4th event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series in Boston. By this decision, it is now confirmed that Cameron Smith, DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka, along with a minimum of 35 golfers are ineligible for the 22-2023 season on the PGA tour.
According to Sports Illustrated, Vice president of the Competition Administration at PGA TOUR, Kirsten Burgess issued a statement through a letter to the players regarding the situation. “The terms of your contractual commitments to LIV Golf prohibit you from satisfying the material obligations set forth in the regulations and make clear that you have no intention to, and indeed cannot comply with these requirements of membership in the PGA Tour,” read the letter.
“The Tour cannot enter into a membership agreement with a player when, as here, it reasonably anticipates the player will not perform the material obligations under that agreement. Accordingly, your PGA Tour membership cannot and will not be renewed for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season.”
Many big players of LIV including DeChambeau and Mickelson are in an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. With the decision of revoking the membership, it is now imperative that many more will follow suit.
LIV Golf is a controversial event because of the all but confirmed allegations that the tour was created just to white-wash the Saudi black money. Golfers and fans alike are massively critical of anyone on the PGA Tour defecting to the controversial event.
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