The PGA Tour officially reacted Thursday to the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf Series and the players taking part in it.
All players competing in the LIV Golf Series without the proper releases have been notified that they are suspended and ineligible to play in the PGA Tour tournament, which includes the Presidents Cup, according to a release from the PGA Tour official website. The site also listed the 17 suspended players, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
Tour suspends the LIV guys—and, crucially, makes clear that they won’t be able to play PGA Tour events on sponsor’s invites. That’s a significant distinction. pic.twitter.com/vN1HaW2kV7
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) June 9, 2022
“The players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting events and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is a violation of our Tournament Regulations,” Commissioner Jay Monahan wrote to the tour’s membership, and was included in the release.
The release was issued less than an hour into the LIV Golf Series starting, according to CBS. Ten of the 17 players named in the press release had already resigned their memberships from the PGA. whereas the other seven were active members, the outlet reported.
The LIV Golf Series issued a response to the PGA Tour on Twitter, calling the suspensions “vindictive and deepens the divide between the Tour and its members.”
“The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond,” the response concluded.