Sergio Garcia Amongst More Players To Cancel PGA Tour Membership

Per the Associated Press, Sergio Garcia and the South African trio of Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace have resigned from the PGA Tour ahead of their involvement in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Centurion Club this week.

Garcia gave an indication on his impending decision at the Wells Fargo Championship when he declared that he couldn’t “wait to leave this Tour” after an incident with a rules official. A little over a month later and it would seem the Spaniard’s intention has come to fruition.

Garcia, who is the record Ryder Cup point scorer for Team Europe, holds honorary membership with the DP World Tour with his future involvement on his home circuit still unclear.

Kevin Na was the first to offer his resignation from the PGA Tour when he confirmed his decision last week. Rationalising his judgement, the 38-year-old said: “If I exercise my right to choose where and when I play golf, then I cannot remain a PGA Tour player without facing disciplinary proceedings and legal action from the PGA Tour.” 

Throughout his PGA Tour career, Na has earned almost $40 million in career earnings, with the World No. 34's last win coming at the 2021 Sony Open in Hawaii.

The recent run of resignations will add to Greg Norman’s surprise after he recently insisted that “players don’t have to resign from the Tour.” The former World No.1 added: “I respect the person for wanting to come on board with us, because he knows he has a great opportunity with LIV. I'll applaud him for it, but he didn't have to, from our behalf, because LIV would be there (for him). Like I've always said, we're going to back up the players. I'll back up the players as much as I need to, to give them their rights to be able to do whatever they want to do as independent contractors."

The inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event gets underway this week at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire with Phil Mickelson set to end his four month hiatus from the game after confirming his entry into the field. The American, who made history by becoming the oldest Major champion at the PGA Championship last year, said he feels "healthy and much more at peace" after therapy and time with his loved ones.

Mickelson, a 45-time PGA Tour winner, revealed that he still wants to play the Majors and said he is "incredibly grateful" for what the PGA Tour has given him. His deal with LIV Golf is reportedly worth $200m, dwarfing his PGA Tour career earnings of $95m.

Lefty will join the likes of Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia in the LIV Golf Invitational Series field for the $25m event at the Centurion Club.