The field for the first of eight LIV Golf Invitational Series events was released on Tuesday evening with 42 players set to take part in next week’s tournament in London.
Among the field was former world No. 1 and two-time major champion Dustin Johnson, who pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour earlier this year, saying in February that he was “fully committed to the PGA Tour”.
“Dustin has considered the opportunity from time to time over the past two years,” Johnson’s manager David Winkle of Hambric Sports said in a statement. “In the end, he decided it was in his best interest and that of his family to sue. Dustin has never had a problem with the PGA Tour and is grateful for everything he has given him, but in the end he felt it was too compelling to pass up.
Johnson and Garcia headline first LIV golf course
Johnson, the highest-ranked player on the pitch at 13e in the world, was not the only great champion to have signed up to play the first event. Former US Open champions Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer are on the court, as are former Masters winner Sergio Garcia and Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
The Tour did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Circuit has declined all conflicting event posting requests to play the first LIV event. The Tour’s Players’ Advisory Council met Tuesday at the Memorial, but according to a PAC member, the LIV field was not discussed.
The field in London will also include Tour winners Kevin Na, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Hudson Swafford and Branden Grace.
Phil Mickelson is not in next week’s field, although LIV Golf still has six places available at the Centurion Club, five of which will go to players at this week’s Asian Tour event in England. Mickelson had been linked to LIV Golf but was quoted in a story earlier this year on the Fire Pit Collective website criticizing both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, and he hasn’t played since.
Here is an overview of the current list of players (42 players out of 48 announced):
Olivier Bekker, South Africa
Richard Bland, England
Laurie Canter, England
Ratchanon Chantananuwat (amateur), Thailand
Hennie Du Plessis, South Africa
Oliver Fisher, England
Sergio Garcia, Spain
Talor Gooch, United States
Branden Grace, South Africa
Justin Harding, South Africa
Sam Horsfield, England
Dustin Johnson, United States
Matt Jones, Australia
Sadom Kaewkanjana, Thailand
Martin Kaymer, Germany
Phachara Khongwatmai, Thailand
Sihwan Kim, United States
Ryōsuke Kinoshita, Japan
Chase Koepka, United States
Jinichiro Kozuma, Japan
Pablo Larrazabal, Spain
Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland
Jediah Morgan, Australia
Kevin Na, United States
Shaun Norris, South Africa
Andy Ogletree, United States
Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa
Wade Ormsby, Australia
Adrian Otaegui, Spain
Turk Pettit, United States
James Piot (amateur), USA
Ian Poulter, England
David Puig (amateur), Spain
JC Ritchie, South Africa
Charl Schwartzel, South Africa
Hudson Swafford, United States
Hideto Tanihara, Japan
Peter Uihlein, United States
Scott Vincent, Zimbabwe
Lee Westwood, England
Bernd Wiesberger, Austria
Blake Windred, Australia