Major winners like Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson have agreed to join Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational series amid accusations of 'sportswashing' by human rights campaigners
Forty eight rebel players led by the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson teed off at the Centurion Club just north of London to begin the first of eight events in theSaudi Arabia-financed LIV Invitational Series.
The 54-hole format, with no cuts and a team element bolted on, is aimed at shaking up golf's status quo and giving players more opportunities, according to LIV Series organisers. But the PGA Tour and the Europe-based DP World Tour have declined requests from members for releases to compete at Centurion where finishing last guarantees a cheque of $120,000.
The decision by the PGA Tour, which does not run golf's four majors, came after the U.S Golf Association said it would allow LIV golfers to play in next week's U.S. Open if they are exempt or had already qualified. The super-sized prize money available at Centurion dwarfs the $8.7 million on offer at the Canadian Open.
"It's a new chapter for golf," Johnson, playing alongside Mickelson, said on the first tee. "I can't wait to get started."
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