A total of 15 men from the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking have signed up for the first LIV Golf Invitational Series at London's Centurion Club in June, it has been revealed.
UPDATE: Phil Mickelson requests Saudi Golf League release
Today is the final day for PGA Tour players to request a release to play in a non-PGA Tour event - 45 days - with the releases set to be granted 30 days prior to the tournament. The DP World Tour also has a 30-day policy, so we can expect to find out in 15 days' time as to who have signed up.
A LIV Golf spokesperson confirmed to SI.com/Morning Read that 15 of the top 100 had signed up but names are currently under wraps due to player confidentiality agreements. More than 70 players have apparently registered interest in the Saudi-backed golf league opener, which will have a field of 48.
Of the 48, and of the 15 world's top 100 players, it could be likely that one or more of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Kevin Na have signed up according to previous reports. World No.1053 Robert Garrigus has signed up for the event after reports last week.
The eight-tournament schedule begins at the Centurion Club in June, which is the same week as the PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open. Bubba Watson was rumoured to be playing at the Centurion Club but then released his schedule on social media that included the Canadian Open. That takes place in the week prior to the US Open.
The 48-man field will play 54-holes without a cut, with a huge $25m purse. The Canadian Open purse stands at $8.7m whilst the DP World Tour's Scandinavian Mixed, also in the same week, carries a purse of $2m. A leaked email revealed that DP World Tour Keith Pelley had pleaded with DP World Tour members to remain loyal to their tour amid the Saudi threat.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series will then head Stateside to Pumpkin Ridge in Portland before trips to New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Bangkok, Jeddah and then, if reports are true, Trump Doral in Florida for the season-ending Team Championship.
The PGA Tour does not allow releases to play in other US events so there's set to be some tricky conversations coming over the coming months if players wish to tee it up in any of the US-based LIV Golf Invitational events.
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