Over the past week there has been speculation flying left, right and centre as to who will be joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series. Recently, there was growing expectation that Matt Wolff will be joining, with World No.2 Amateur, Eugenio Chacarra, revealing that he has signed a three-year deal with LIV Golf.
Although the second event at Portland has an almost full field, there are still players allegedly being linked to the series, with The Times reporting that "there is speculation around Tommy Fleetwood, whose wife and manager, Clare Craig, was at the Centurion Club. There is also speculation that Henrik Stenson’s management team has been in talks with LIV."
Stenson will captain the European Ryder Cup side in 2023
Stenson is captaining Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in 2023, however “should Henrik cross to the other side,” said one European Tour official, “he will not be captain at next year’s Ryder Cup.”
According to a tweet by Telegraph reporter, James Corrigan, "there were loads and loads of golfers' agents at Centurion for the first LIV event". One thing that is for certain though are the sanctions introduced by the DP World Tour regarding the LIV Golf rebels who featured at Centurion Club in June.
Players that appeared in Hertfordshire are now banned from teeing it up in co-sanctioned DP World Tour and PGA Tour events. That includes this year's Genesis Scottish Open. Within those sanctions were the £100,000 fines, with players risking further sanctions for teeing it up in future LIV Golf events without permission.
On Saturday, it was reported that LIV Golf are to reimburse the 17 players who featured at Centurion, with the £1.7 million fine being covered by the Saudi-backed series.
Garcia is reportedly set to feature at all eight LIV Golf events in 2022
What has been the Tour's reaction you may ask? Well, back in mid-June, Golf Monthly revealed that the PGA and DP World Tour were in 'advanced negotiations' to combat the Saudi LIV golf threat, with a deal being seismic for the game and perhaps officially formalising the strategic alliance between the two Tours.
If that deal was agreed at board level, it would then need to be cleared by 75% of the PGA Tour membership. Golf Monthly understands a vote will be taking place within a month if approved by executives.
