Six new players, including Australian Cameron Smith, winner of the 2022 British Open, announced Tuesday that they will join the Saudi-funded independent golf tour, the LIV Golf Series.
No. 2 in the world, Smith is the highest-ranked player participating in a competition organized by LIV, whose next edition is an invitational tournament to be held in Boston from September 2-4.
Rumors of an impending retirement began shortly after his victory at the 150th British Open, but he has remained silent on the subject while playing the Tour Championship in recent days.
Speaking to Golf Digest, the Australian assured that his decision was not due to the large checks paid to LIV: “It was definitely a factor in making that decision, I’m not going to discount that or say it wasn’t a . It’s clearly a business decision for you and an offer you can’t ignore.”
“The most important thing for me is the calendar [de la LIV] it is very attractive. I can spend more at home in Australia and maybe have an event there too. I’ve never done it before, and getting that part of my life back is really fascinating.”
There will be five more “rookies” in the Boston event, as Smith will join his compatriot Marc Leishman, Chile’s Joaquín Niemann (world 19), Americans Harold Varner III (world 46) and Cameron Tringale (world 55). ), as well as India’s best golfer, Anirban Lahiri (92 in the world), according to a statement released by LIV.
“LIV Golf is showing the world that our truly global league attracts the best players in the world and will grow the game well into the future for the next generation,” LIV CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman said in a statement.
Launched in early June, the LIV Golf Tour – LIV stands for the Roman numeral 54, the sum of three 18-hole courses, the tournament format – has already attracted many professional golfers to the historic circuit, along with the $25 million in prizes for each of their tournaments.
Big names like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson fell for their siren songs, despite the fact that the PGA Tour announced that it will increase prizes to keep their players.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
