list of suspended pga tour players

Which 17 Players Are Suspended By The PGA Tour?

Current stars, high-profile older players and lesser lights make up the LIV Golf players suspended by the PGA Tour

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The LIV Golf Invitational Series had its first event last week at London’s Centurion Club. Not surprisingly, the PGA Tour, which has been firm in its disdain for the venture, responded by suspending anyone opting to join it.

While the Saudi-backed Series has a field of 48 in any given tournament, so far, only 17 are affected by the PGA Tour’s suspension – and it’s a collection of players featuring some of the game’s biggest names, its brightest talents and players who, to quote Rory McIlroy , perhaps find that their best days are behind them .

The one huge name who’s still unquestionably in his peak years is Dustin Johnson , who was World No.1 as recently as July 2021. In terms of profile, Phil Mickelson is the other big name on the list. Lefty has six Major wins, including last year’s PGA Championship, which suggests that, even in his early 50s, he still has what it takes to compete with the very best.

There are also players who have scaled great heights in the game that appear to have some good years ahead of them, despite some leaner years of late. A trio of South Africans best highlight this group. So, we have World No.22 Louis Oosthuizen and winner of the 2010 Open Championship. Then there’s Charl Schwartzel, who won the 2011 Masters and is still relatively young at 37 ( Schwartzel, of course, also secured the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational series opener last week). Finally, Branden Grace is just 34 and a former World No.10 who last won a PGA Tour tournament just over a year ago ( the 2021 Puerto Rico Open ).

In the next group are players who retain high profiles, but whose most successful years seem to be behind them. This includes 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia , 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, former World No.1s Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood and former World No.5 Ian Poulter .

Others, like the experienced Kevin Na, Peter Uihlein, Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford sit alongside less seasoned pros Andy Ogletree and Turk Pettit as players whose careers have been middling to date, but with the potential to go further.

Video: Things You Didn't Know About Phil Mickelson

It's not known when - or if - the suspensions will be lifted, or whether the players will remain welcomed on the DP World Tour as an alternative, but one thing is certain: the list is sure to grow in the coming weeks. Another big name, Bryson DeChambeau, has signed with LIV Golf , with Patrick Reed following suit.

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Below is the list of all 17 players currently suspended by the PGA Tour.

• Sergio Garcia 
• Talor Gooch
• Branden Grace
• Dustin Johnson
• Martin Kaymer
• Graeme McDowell
• Phil Mickelson
• Kevin Na 
• Andy Ogletree 
• Louis Oosthuizen 
• Turk Pettit 
• Ian Poulter
• Charl Schwartzel 
• Hudson Swafford 
• Peter Uihlein 
• Lee Westwood

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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PGA Tour suspends 17 golfers playing in LIV Golf league, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson

Ten of the 17 suspended players had already resigned their memberships.

Less than an hour after LIV Golf officially teed off its first Invitational Series event on  \Thursday, the PGA Tour responded by handing down suspensions to players who previously competed in its league. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan officially announced that players participating in this or any future LIV Golf events will no longer be allowed to play on the PGA Tour.

Monahan was unclear, perhaps purposefully so, about the length of the suspensions in a statement released by the PGA Tour:

We have followed the tournament regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation. Simultaneous to you receiving this memo, the players are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup. This applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour ... As you know, players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases -- or did not apply for releases at all -- and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf events is in violation of our tournament regulations. The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our regulations.

Of the 17 golfers named in the letter, 10 had previously resigned their memberships. The other seven, including Phil Mickelson, were active members as of Thursday morning. Regardless of membership status, players choosing to play for LIV Golf will effectively be treated the same by the PGA Tour.

"Players who resigned will be removed from the FedEx Cup points list and are not permitted to play in PGA Tour events as non-members or via sponsor exemptions," according to the Tour.

At the conclusion of his letter, Monahan pivoted to what makes the PGA Tour special and encouraged players to press in on both the history and the meritocracy of the PGA Tour.

"I am certain our fans and partners -- who are surely tired of all this talk of money, money and more money -- will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competition you display each and every week, where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner's circle," he said.

LIV Golf responded quickly with a statement of its own.

"Today's announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members," said LIV Golf in a statement provided as a response to the suspensions. "It's troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing. This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."  

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MOMENTS THAT DEFINED WOMEN'S GOLF

PGA Tour suspends Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and others for defecting to LIV Golf

Aitor Alcalde/LIV Golf

The PGA Tour announced Thursday that it is suspending any current and future tour members who defect to LIV Golf.

In a memo to PGA Tour members, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said he was “responding” to those listed in this week’s LIV Golf Invitational field, including Dustin Johnson , Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, saying they are no longer able to compete in tour-sanctioned events.

“Simultaneous to you receiving this memo, the players (listed below) are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup,” Monahan wrote.

“As you know, players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases—or did not apply for releases at all—and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our Tournament regulations. The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our Regulations."

Monahan did not specify how long the suspensions would be. Others listed as suspended were Lee Westwood, Kevin Na, Talor Gooch, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen. This includes players who upon announcing they were competing in the LIV event resigned their membership from the PGA Tour.

In response to Monahan's memo, LIV Golf released the following statement: "T oday’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the tour and its members. It’s troubling that the tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing. This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.”

Monahan has long promised that any tour member who competes in a tournament on a rival league without a conflicting-event release would face disciplinary measures from the PGA Tour, and the tour denied said releases to players who requested them to compete in LIV Golf’s inaugural London event this week.

In the memo, Monahan specifically stated that players who had resigned their membership would be removed from the FedEx Cup Points List starting next week. These players also will not be permitted to play in PGA Tour tournaments as a non-member via a sponsor exemption or any other eligibility category. This was a question raised in the wake of the player resignations, with some wondering if those players who resigned could somehow still get into PGA Tour events through other critiera. Additionally, the memo explains that LIV golfers who did resign would not have a negative impact on members in good standing in terms of positions on priority rankings, tournament eligibility or eligibility to compete in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

RELATED: Can the tour legally ban its players from rival leagues?

The PGA Tour, like any other employer or organization, has the discretion to enact rules of conduct of its members, employees and independent contractors. One of the provisions in the PGA Tour Player Handbook and Tournament Regulations is that each PGA Tour member acknowledges the commissioner, the tour’s policy board and the appeals committee have the authority to permanently ban a member from playing in a tour co-sponsored, approved or coordinated tournaments if the member violates its regulations. The handbook also provides that a player ceases to be a member of the PGA Tour if, in the judgment of the policy board, the member commits a serious breach of the Tournament Regulations, the PGA Tour’s Code of Ethics, or otherwise conducts himself in a manner unbecoming of a professional golfer.

One such regulation generally prohibits tour players from playing in events when there is a PGA Tour-approved or sponsored event taking place at the same time. Per the handbook, players who reach the 15-event minimum (which a member must meet as a condition of their membership voting rights) are eligible for three conflicting-event releases per season, which is why so many tour players were allowed to play in the Saudi Invitational earlier this year. However, the regulations also state such requests can be denied.

The tour is adamant they have the legal authority to issue disciplinary measures, and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has openly expressed his desires for players to challenge that authority. Norman additionally telegraphed his litigation threats in an open letter to the tour.

“Surely you jest,” Norman wrote in a February letter. “And surely, your lawyers at the PGA Tour must be holding their breath…for decades, I have fought for the rights of players to enjoy a career in which they are rewarded fully and properly for their efforts. They are one-in-a-million athletes. Yet for decades, the Tour has put its own financial ambitions ahead of the players, and every player on the tour knows it. The Tour is the Players Tour not your administration’s Tour. Why do you call the crown jewel in all tournaments outside the Majors “The Players Championship” and not “The Administration’s Championship?

“But when you try to bluff and intimidate players by bullying and threatening them, you are guilty of going too far, being unfair, and you likely are in violation of the law.”

Antitrust issues are not new to the tour. In fact, the FTC concluded after a four-year investigation in the early 1990s that the tour had violated antitrust laws—partially due to the aforementioned rule stipulating permission for a conflicting-event release—and recommended federal action. But no action was ultimately taken, a circumstance credited to the work of then-tour Commissioner Tim Finchem (a lawyer himself who worked in President Jimmy Carter’s administration) and the tour’s lobbying mastery. Coincidentally, this clashed with Norman’s first try to challenge the PGA Tour through his attempt to launch the World Tour.

There was a 2015 class-action lawsuit brought by caddies against the tour using antitrust and intellectual property claims, an effort that proved unsuccessful. The tour has also successfully defended itself against antitrust claims from Morris Communications Corporation regarding the tour’s limitations on real-time scoring, and it prevailed in former tour player Harry Toscano’s Clayton Act antitrust lawsuit against the Senior PGA Tour.

Given the edict laid out by Monahan in his memo, he believes the tour will come out on top of this battle, too.

“I am certain our fans and partners—who are surely tired of all this talk of money, money and more money—will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competitions you display each and every week,” Monahan continued, “where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner’s circle.

“You are the PGA Tour, and this moment is about what we stand for … It’s about lifting up those who choose to not only benefit from the tour, but who also play an integral role in building it. I know you are with us, and vice versa. Our partners are with us, too. The fact that your former tour colleagues can’t say the same should be telling."

The following players are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible for PGA Tour tournament play:

Sergio Garcia* Talor Gooch Branden Grace* Dustin Johnson* Matt Jones Martin Kaymer* Graeme McDowell* Phil Mickelson Kevin Na* Andy Ogletree Louis Oosthuizen* Turk Pettit* Ian Poulter Charl Schwartzel* Hudson Swafford Peter Uihlein Lee Westwood* *- have informed the PGA Tour that they have resigned their membership

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PGA Tour suspends 17 players for their participation in Saudi-backed golf tournament

Tom Goldman

The PGA Tour has suspended 17 players – including six-time major winner Phil Mickelson alo former world #1 Dustin Johnson – after they teed off at a controversial tournament backed by Saudi Arabia.

SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:

The normally sedate sport of professional golf is in full-on battle mode. The country's top men's tour - and its oldest one - the PGA Tour, announced it's suspending 17 players who competed in today's inaugural event of the LIV Golf series. This breakaway tour is backed by Saudi Arabia to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Joining me now is NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman to tell us about this. Hi, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Hi.

PFEIFFER: Tom, the PGA had threatened sanctions, and today that threat became real. What happened?

GOLDMAN: Yeah, Sacha. So last month, the PGA Tour denied player requests to play in this first LIV event in London, and the tour said anyone who defied that decision would be punished. So when players started teeing off today, that's when PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan sent a memo saying the 17 players at the LIV event are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play.

PFEIFFER: Are there any big names among those 17 players?

GOLDMAN: There sure are - none bigger than Phil Mickelson, six-time major winner and one of the most popular players ever on the PGA Tour. Dustin Johnson is another star, a former world No. 1-ranked player. D.J., as he's known to golf fans, is 1 of 10 of the PGA players playing in London who resigned from the PGA Tour before today's sanctions. Now, Mickelson hasn't resigned as of now. Also, at least one of the sanctioned players says he will appeal.

PFEIFFER: Tom, the PGA Tour is very lucrative and successful.

GOLDMAN: Yeah.

PFEIFFER: So why are these golfers playing the LIV series?

GOLDMAN: Because LIV is more lucrative - a lot. Everyone in the 48-man field gets paid well. The 48th place finisher in the individual competition gets $120,000 for finishing last, and the winner gets 4 million. Now, to be fair to these players - especially the guys who normally play on lesser-known tours - they are not rich, and they are grinding away all year to make what they can. LIV is a chance to make quick, guaranteed money.

For the already rich, like Mickelson and D.J., they are getting staggeringly rich - a reported 200 million and more than 100 million, respectively - just to sign up with LIV. Now, they say they're doing it to fit their lifestyles. Mickelson has said he's doing it to challenge what he and some others say is the PGA Tour's greed and iron grip on their careers. Now, that's a claim that's refuted by many other players, who are remaining loyal to the PGA Tour.

PFEIFFER: It's the Saudi money behind this tour that's controversial. It's being called sportswashing (ph)...

PFEIFFER: ...This idea that Saudi Arabia is backing the tour to polish an image that's tarnished by human rights abuses. Are the players who played in it addressing that?

GOLDMAN: Yeah, they are, and they're doing so very uncomfortably. In London this week, journalists grilled the players about being - what one reporter said - Saudi stooges. Mickelson has been embroiled in this since he was quoted as saying the Saudis have a horrible human rights record, but he's going to play LIV to gain leverage against the PGA Tour. At his press conference this week - Mickelson's first public appearance in months - he was asked whether he's being used in a sportswashing effort, and here's a bit of what he said.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PHIL MICKELSON: Nobody here condones human rights violations, and nobody's trying to make up for anything. Um...

GOLDMAN: And Sacha, after that um, Mickelson shrugged, and that was the end of his answer.

LIV Golf, on the other hand, was assertive in its response to the PGA sanctions. In a tweet, it said the sanctions were vindictive, and it deepens the divide between the tour and its members, adding, the era of free agency is beginning.

PFEIFFER: NPR's sports correspondent Tom Goldman. Thank you.

GOLDMAN: You're welcome.

Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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PGA Tour Suspends Current and Former Players Now Competing in LIV Golf

• Author: John Schwarb

In a letter addressed to PGA Tour players on Thursday — released shortly after the competing LIV Golf Invitational Series began its first event — commissioner Jay Monahan announced that all current and future LIV Golf players, 17 in all, were suspended and no longer eligible for PGA Tour tournament play.

The letter specified that the move would include all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour, as well as the Presidents Cup. 

The LIV Golf players, the letter says, "did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our Tournament Regulations."

If players wish to come back in the future, the letter says that "we're prepared to deal with those questions, and we'll approach them in the same way we have this entire process: by being transparent and respecting the PGA Tour regulations you helped establish."

The letter went on to say that the expectation of LIV Golf players to continue to receive benefits and opportunities from the PGA Tour "disrespects you, our fans and our partners."

The bottom of the letter included a full list of LIV Golf players who had PGA Tour memberships, and noted that Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Turk Pettit, Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood have informed the PGA Tour that they have resigned their membership.

Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, Phil Mickelson , Andy Ogletree, Ian Poulter, Hudson Swafford and Peter Uihlein have not resigned memberships. Mickelson said Wednesday that he had earned his PGA Tour lifetime membership and that "I don't plan on just giving it up."

LIV Golf responded with a statement of its own, calling the PGA Tour's letter "vindictive."

"Today's announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. It's troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking players from playing," the statement reads. "This is certainly not the last word on the topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."

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Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson among players suspended from PGA Tour over LIV Golf involvement

PGA Tour suspends 17 players after involvement in the Saudi-backed LIV International Golf Series; PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan says "players have made choice for financial-based reasons" and "cannot demand the same benefits and opportunities" as other PGA Tour golfers

Friday 10 June 2022 06:42, UK

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Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are among the players suspended from competing on the PGA Tour following their involvement in the controversial Saudi-funded LIV International Golf Series.

Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Talor Gooch, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Andy Ogletree, Peter Uihlein and Turk Pettit are the other players no longer eligible to compete in PGA Tour events, including Korn Ferry Tour, Canada Tour and Tour of Champions.

The DP World Tour is yet to comment on whether players playing in the LIV series will also be banned from their events.

Just 30 minutes after the opening tee shots of the first LIV Golf Series event at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, the PGA Tour released a letter to its members in which Jay Monahan said the players now suspended did not receive releases - or did not apply for them at all - to participate.

• Phil Mickelson 'feels so good' about LIV Golf Series, won't quit PGA Tour
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Players suspended from PGA Tour

Sergio Garcia*, Talor Gooch, Branden Grace*, Dustin Johnson*, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer*, Graeme McDowell*, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Na*, Andy Ogletree, Louis Oosthuizen*, Turk Pettit*, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel*, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein, Lee Westwood *Have informed the PGA Tour that they have resigned their membership

Monahan said the players in question had "decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation" and that "the same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our regulations".

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LIV Golf quickly hit back with a statement, which read: "Today's announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members.

"It's troubling that the Tour, an organisation dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing.

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"This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."

PGA Tour commissioner Monahan confirmed that the players to have resigned from the PGA Tour - Garcia, Westwood, Johnson, Kaymer, McDowell, Na, Oosthuizen, Pettit, Grace and Schwartzel - will not be allowed to play in tournaments as non-members through sponsor exemptions, while they will also be removed from the FedExCup points list.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons. But they can't demand the same PGA TOUR membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners," said Mohanan.

Full letter sent to PGA Tour Members:

PGA TOUR members:

I wish to provide you with an update and share information regarding the current and former PGA TOUR players who are participating in the Saudi Golf League's event in London today.

Thank you for your trust, patience and loyalty. We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA TOUR by willfully violating a regulation.

Simultaneous to you receiving this memo, the players (listed below) are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA TOUR tournament play, including the Presidents Cup.

This also applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA TOUR: the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Champions, PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

As you know, players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases - or did not apply for releases at all - and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our Tournament Regulations.

The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our Regulations.

Also in accordance with PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations, the players who have resigned their memberships will be removed from the FedExCup Points List when the official statistics following the RBC Canadian Open are posted on Sunday evening. To be clear, these players will not be permitted to play in PGA TOUR tournaments as a non-member via a sponsor exemption or any other eligibility category.

For those who haven't yet resigned, we will ensure they will not negatively impact your tournament eligibility, your position in the Priority Rankings or your eligibility to compete in the FedExCup Playoffs. We will update you as we work through this process.

You probably have more questions. What's next? Can these players come back? Can they eventually play PGA TOUR Champions? Trust that we're prepared to deal with those questions, and we'll approach them in the same way we have this entire process: by being transparent and respecting the PGA TOUR regulations that you helped establish.

These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons. But they can't demand the same PGA TOUR membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners.

You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA TOUR card and - more importantly - to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf.

I am certain our fans and partners - who are surely tired of all this talk of money, money and more money - will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competition you display each and every week, where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner's circle.

You are the PGA TOUR, and this moment is about what we stand for: the PGA TOUR membership as a whole. It's about lifting up those who choose to not only benefit from the TOUR, but who also play an integral role in building it. I know you are with us, and vice versa. Our partners are with us, too.

The fact that your former TOUR colleagues can't say the same should be telling. This week, the RBC Canadian Open is a shining example of what you have created with the PGA TOUR: a star-studded field, a committed sponsor, sold-out hospitality offerings, record crowds and a global broadcast distribution.

These elements are part of the TOUR's DNA, built by the likes of Jack and Arnie, furthered by Tiger and countless others - whose legacies are inextricably linked, with each other and with the PGA TOUR.

This collective legacy can't be bought or sold. Please reach out with any questions, and please know that we remain committed to you - our players - as well as our fans and our partners.

Sincerely, Jay Monahan

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Every Player Suspended by the PGA Tour for Joining LIV Golf

From Phil Mickelson to Sergio Garcia to Dustin Johnson and beyond, check out the full list of golfers handed PGA Tour suspensions for committing to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.

Well, it’s here! The LIV Golf Invitational Series , the breakaway golf competition backed by the largesse of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Public Investment Fund, teed off for the very first time this week. The Centurion Club in Hemel Hempstead just two dozen miles northwest of London plays host to the proceedings — and the PGA Tour isn’t happy about it.

In fact, the PGA Tour took the dramatic but utterly expected step Thursday of suspending 17 LIV Golf participants from future events, a list of names that includes Phil Mickelson , Sergio Garcia, and Dustin Johnson.

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

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As PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced in an official memo:

“These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons. But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities, and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans, and our partners. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA Tour card and — more importantly — to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf.”

So, who are the golfers who have been handed PGA Tour suspensions as part of the ongoing LIV Golf fallout? Check out the full list below.

Golfers Given PGA Tour Suspensions for Joining the LIV Golf

Golfers who had not yet resigned pga tour membership.

Talor Gooch Matt Jones Phil Mickelson Andy Ogletree Ian Poulter Hudson Swafford Peter Uihlein

Golfers who had previously resigned PGA Tour membership

Sergio Garcia Branden Grace Dustin Johnson Martin Kaymer Graeme McDowell Kevin Na Louis Oosthuizen Turk Pettit Charl Schwartzel Lee Westwood

Click here to read Boardroom’s full breakdown of the players competing at LIV Golf’s inaugural event this week in England.

Why are so many PGA Tour golfers joining Saudi-backed LIV Golf? One reason: the prize money is INSANE! LIV Golf London Total Purse: $25M 💰💰 2021 U.S. Open Total Purse: $12.5M 💰 Read more: https://t.co/cpmySMPKyF pic.twitter.com/K2fmAenp4M — Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) June 9, 2022

LIV Golf Tour Events

June 9-11: Centurion Club , Hemel Hempstead, UK

June 30-July 2: Pumpkin Ridge , Portland, Oregon

July 29-31: Trump National , Bedminster, New Jersey

Sept. 2-4: The International , Stoneham, Massachusetts

Sept. 16-18: Rich Harvest Farms , Sugar Grove, Illinois

Oct. 7-9: Stonehill , Bangkok, Thailand

Oct. 14-16: Royal Greens , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Oct. 27-30 (Team Championship): Trump National , Doral, Florida

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Golf-Mickelson among 17 golfers suspended by PGA Tour for playing LIV event

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

By Frank Pingue

(Reuters) -The PGA Tour suspended longtime fan favourite Phil Mickelson and all other members who decided to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series that began on Thursday and said anyone else who makes the jump will face the same fate.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan sent a letter to members not long after play in the lucrative breakaway series began outside London to address the 17 golfers who he said "decided to turn their backs" on the U.S.-based circuit.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons. But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you," Monahan wrote. "That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners.

"You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA Tour card and – more importantly – to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf."

Mickelson, who counts six major championships among his 45 PGA Tour wins, former world number one Dustin Johnson and 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia are among the higher-profile golfers in the 48-player field at Centurion Club this week.

According to the memo, players who join the LIV series that threatens to blow apart men's professional golf, are no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour events, including the Presidents Cup and all other tours sanctioned by the circuit.

Even if players resigned from the tour ahead of the first LIV Golf event, as Johnson announced this week, they will not be permitted to play as a non-member via a sponsor exemption or any other eligibility category.

Both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour had declined requests from members who had asked for releases to compete at Centurion where $25 million is up for grabs, including $4 million for the winner.

'VINDICTIVE' DECISION

Players who decided to take part in the inaugural LIV Golf have faced plenty of criticism given the alleged human rights abuses by the Saudi Arabian government.

The PGA Tour's decision triggered a quick and scathing response from LIV Golf, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and has lured players over with a $255 million purse spread over eight events this year.

"Today's announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members," LIV Golf said in a statement.

"It's troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing.

"This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."

Monahan did not say how long the suspensions, which also impact former major winners Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, would be in place.

"What's next? Can these players come back?," wrote Monahan.

"Trust that we're prepared to deal with those questions, and we'll approach them in the same way we have this entire process: by being transparent and respecting the PGA Tour regulations that you helped establish."

The decision by the PGA Tour, which does not run golf's four majors, came after the United States 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 Royal and Ancient, which runs the British Open, said it was not planning to comment on entry conditions until after the U.S. Open while organisers of next May's PGA Championship said it would be premature to speculate.

Organisers of the Masters, traditionally held in April, did not respond when asked if they were evaluating entry conditions for the year's first major.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Jon Boyle, Toby Davis and Ed Osmond)

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PGA Tour suspends 17 players competing in inaugural LIV Golf tournament

The PGA Tour on Thursday announced the suspension of any current or future tour members who play for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.

>> Read more trending news

In a memo to the tour’s membership, Commissioner Jay Monahan said the 17 players competing in the inaugural LIV Golf International Series event that began Thursday at the Centurion Club outside L ondon were suspended. The field includes majors champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia, and longtime Ryder Cup players Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

“These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons,” Monahan wrote . “But they can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA Tour card and -- more importantly -- to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf.”

PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan informed the TOUR membership today that players competing without releases are suspended and ineligible to participate in TOUR-sanctioned competition. — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 9, 2022

The memo added that players who compete in LIV events are ineligible to participate on the PGA Tour or any of the other tours it sanctions, including the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.

The USGA already has said eligible players can still compete in next week’s U.S. Open, the Golf Channel reported. The PGA Tour does not run the majors.

Monahan said that players who take part in future LIV Golf events will face the same sanctions, ESPN reported. He did not specify how long the suspensions would last, Golf Digest reported.

Monahan also wrote that players who had resigned their Tour membership would be removed from the FedEx Cup Points List beginning next week.

The LIV Golf series features 54-hole events, shotgun starts, no cuts and a team format, ESPN reported.

In a statement, LIV Golf called the punishment “vindictive” and said it “deepens the divide between the Tour and its members.”

“It’s troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing,” LIV Golf said. “This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.”

Poulter said he would appeal the ruling, the Golf Channel reported. Graeme McDowell told the sports outlet that he wanted to “keep the high moral ground” by resigning his tour membership so he could keep litigation to a minimum.

Breaking: The PGA Tour has suspended the 17 players -- including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia -- who are taking part in the first LIV Golf tournament. https://t.co/SJt6GgfqjO — ESPN (@espn) June 9, 2022

PGA champion Justin Thomas and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy applauded the PGA Tour’s decision.

“I think anybody that’s shocked clearly hasn’t been listening to the message that Jay and everybody’s been putting out,” Thomas said at the Canadian Open. “They took that risk going into it, whether they thought it was a risk or not. I have great belief and great confidence in the PGA Tour and where we’re going and continuing to grow to, and those guys just aren’t going to be a part of it.”

LIV Golf, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund, is offering huge purses and undisclosed appearance fees in an effort to lure players, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to Monahan’s memo, the other players suspended included Talor Gooch, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Kevin Na, Andy Ogletree, Louis Oosthuizen, Turk Pettit, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford and Peter Uihlein.

The first LIV Golf tournament in the U.S. is scheduled to begin June 30 at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, ESPN reported.

©2022 Cox Media Group

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Seven more players suspended by pga tour; patrick reed resigns card.

• Rex Hoggard ,
• Rex Hoggard

With a distinct efficiency, the PGA Tour added seven more players to the list of those who have been indefinitely suspended because of their participation in a LIV Golf event.

In a memo sent to players Thursday, Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said those who teed off on Day 1 at the LIV event in Portland, Oregon, will join the 17 members that were suspended for playing in the Saudi-backed league’s first event last month.

“As our regulations clearly state, there are no conflicting event/media releases available for events that take place in North America,” the memo read. “As a result, these players did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV event is in violation of our tournament regulations.”

This wave of suspended players includes Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Matthew Wolff, Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer and Pat Perez. According to the memo, Reed has resigned his Tour membership.

PGA Tour suspends 17 players for participating in Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series

Adam Stanley joins Ken Reid on Sportsnet Central to discuss the Canadian Open, and the PGA Tour handing suspensions to 17 golfers participating in the LIV Golf Series, saying the discussion around the new league is that of disappointment.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and other PGA Tour members who teed off in the Saudi-funded golf league Thursday are no longer eligible for PGA Tour events under penalties Commissioner Jay Monahan shared soon after the first tee shot was struck.

Still to be determined is whether those players are ever welcome back.

The ban includes participation in the Presidents Cup, which for the International team is determined by the world ranking.

The USGA already has said eligible players can still compete in the U.S. Open next week. The PGA Tour does not run the majors.

In a memo sent to tour members, Monahan said that even if players resigned from the tour ahead of the first LIV Golf Invitational outside London, they will not be allowed to play PGA Tour events as a nonmember by getting a sponsor exemption.

Ten players have resigned from the PGA Tour, a list that includes Johnson and Sergio Garcia. Mickelson, who earned lifetime membership with his 45 PGA Tour titles, has not.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," Monahan wrote. "But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. The expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners."

LIV Golf, run by Greg Norman and funded by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, responded to the tour's decision by calling it vindictive and divisive.

"It's troubling that the tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing," LIV Golf said. "This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."

At issue is players competing without a conflicting event release from the PGA Tour.

Players typically receive three such releases a year for tournaments overseas, but Monahan denied releases for the LIV Golf Invitational because it is an eight-tournament series that has five events in the United States.

The tour does not allow releases for events in North America.

"We have followed the tournament regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation," he wrote.

Monahan said the players who resigned will have their names removed from the PGA Tour standings — FedEx Cup and Presidents Cup — after this week. He said the tour will make sure those who haven't resigned will not affect rankings on various lists of tour players.

Questions remain, however, such as whether players can ever return.

The first test figures to be the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, the week after the U.S. Open. Johnson was among those listed in the field.

The LIV Golf Invitational was being streamed on YouTube and Facebook. Before the opening round, Norman said he was thrilled to see an effort 30 years in the making come to fruition.

He tried to start a World Golf Tour in the 1990s for only the elite players and had a TV contract lined up until the PGA Tour quashed the moment with support from Arnold Palmer. Norman didn't realize until too late that he didn't have as much support from the players as he thought. That circuit never got off the ground.

This one did, with the backing of riches the likes of which golf has never seen. The Daily Telegraph reported that Johnson received $150 million — more than Tiger Woods' career PGA Tour earnings — just for signing up. Mickelson did not deny reports that he got $200 million.

Each tournament offers $25 million in prize money, with $4 million for the individual winner. The PGA Tour's richest event is The Players Championship at $20 million. The Canadian Open this week, which has five of the top-10 players in the world, has an $8.7 million purse.

The 17 suspended players are:

Sergio Garcia Talor Gooch Branden Grace Dustin Johnson Matt Jones Martin Kaymer Graeme McDowell Phil Mickelson Kevin Na Andy Ogletree Louis Oosthuizen Turk Pettit Ian Poulter Charl Schwartzel Hudson Swafford Peter Uihlein Lee Westwood

LIV International Series: Who are the golfers suspended by the PGA Tour? Complete list

Why did the pga tour suspend 17 golfers, including phil mickelson and who was suspended full list.

The PGA Tour announced early Thursday that any current and future players in the LIV Golf Invitational Series are indefinitely suspended .

According to the memo released, the suspended players “ did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights release — or did not apply for releases at all ,”

Phil Mickelson , Sergio Garcia , Dustin Johnson , Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are among these players, following their participation in the controversial Saudi-funded LIV International Golf Series.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has notified players that those competing in LIV Golf events have been suspended. pic.twitter.com/neWAZfjhpR — Golf Central (@GolfCentral) June 9, 2022

The memo also reads that PGA Tour will suspend any future LIV series players and will not be eligible to compete in the Presidents Cup in September; Bryson DeChambeau is among those who have committed to the second event in Oregon, June 30-July 2.

PGA Tour vs LIV Golf

Jay Monahan, commissioner of the PGA Tour, said the players in question had “ decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation” and that “the same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our regulations”.

He added that “ These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons. But they can’t demand the same PGA TOUR membership benefits , considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners.”

LIV Golf responds with a slam

LIV Golf immediately replied with a statement that read: “Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members .

“ It’s troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing .”

The LIV event in England is the first of eight scheduled tournaments. Five of those are to take place in the United States, with two courses owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Here is the list of players suspended from the tour . The asterisks indicate players who have already told the PGA Tour that they’re resigning their memberships. Here is the full internal memo.

• How have the LIV golfers reacted to their PGA Tour ban?

List of golfers suspended by the PGA Tour

• Sergio Garcia*
• Talor Gooch
• Branden Grace*
• Dustin Johnson*
• Martin Kaymer*
• Graeme McDowell*
• Phil Mickelson
• Andy Ogletree
• Louis Oosthuizen*
• Turk Pettit*
• Ian Poulter
• Charl Schwartzel*
• Hudson Swafford
• Peter Uihlein
• Lee Westwood*

Past, present Palm Beach County residents among 17 golfers suspended by PGA Tour

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Among the 17 golfers who have been indefinitely suspended by the PGA Tour for their participation in a Saudi-backed golf event near London are several current and former Palm Beach County residents.

Phil Mickelson, who is building a house on Jupiter Island, and Dustin Johnson, who moved from Palm Beach Gardens to Jupiter last year, are the most notable names to be suspended Thursday by PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan.

Greg Norman, who recently sold his oceanfront Jupiter Island estate and purchased a home in Palm Beach Gardens, is the CEO of the new LIV Golf tour, which consists of seven regular-season events.

LIV Golf Investments is majority owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Here's all 17 golfers who were suspended:

• Sergio Garcia
• Talor Gooch
• Branden Grace
• Dustin Johnson
• Martin Kaymer
• Graeme McDowell
• Phil Mickelson
• Andy Ogletree
• Louis Oosthuizen
• Turk Pettit
• Ian Poulter
• Charl Schwartzel
• Hudson Swafford
• Peter Uihlein
• Lee Westwood

Garcia, Grace, Johnson, Kaymer, McDowell, Na, Oosthuizen, Pettit, Schwartzel and Westwood have informed the PGA Tour that they have resigned their membership.

Monahan said in his two-page memorandum to tour members that these golfers "have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation."

The PGA Tour prohibits its members from competing in other professional tournaments.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," Monahan wrote. "But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platforms as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners."

Although many of the area's top golfers followed the money (and others may still follow), some turned it down, among them Tiger Woods, who lives on Jupiter Island, and golf legend Jack Nicklaus, who lives in North Palm Beach and founded the Bear's Club in Jupiter.

Norman told the Washington Post that Woods, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame earlier this year, rejected a "mind-blowing enormous" amount of money to remain with the PGA Tour.

Nicklaus said he twice spurned an offer to "do the job probably similar to the one that Greg is doing."

Other suspended golfers to own real estate in the county that is home to the most golf courses in the country are Tequesta's Branden Grace and Jupiter's Peter Uihlein.

Charl Schwartzel sold his Palm Beach Gardens mansion last year.

England-born Lee Westwood once lived in Palm Beach Gardens but returned to Europe after divorcing his first wife in 2017.

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PGA Tour Suspends Players Competing in First LIV Golf Tournament

Phil mickelson, dustin johnson and 15 other golfers have been suspended by the pga tour, by mike gavin • published june 9, 2022 • updated on june 9, 2022 at 11:09 am.

Shortly after the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series teed off, the PGA Tour announced that all 17 members participating in the event have been suspended.

In a memo to PGA Tour members, commissioner Jay Monahan said players competing in LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed rival league , did not receive conflicting event and media rights release and are being notified that they no longer will be eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play and other sanctioned tours.

Suspended players listed on the letter, 10 of whom had previously resigned their PGA Tour membership, include LIV Golf headliners Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, as well as Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Andy Ogletree, Louis Oosthuizen, Turk Pettit, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein and Lee Westwood.

Players who participate in future LIV Golf events will face the same sanctions. 

We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.

PGA Tour suspends current and future LIV players. pic.twitter.com/lKhxo27Ida — Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) June 9, 2022

"We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation," Monahan wrote.

The rival league began play on Thursday with the LIV Golf Invitational at the Centurion Club outside of London, conflicting directly with the PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open being held in Toronto.

Report: Major Winners Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed Set to Join LIV Golf Series

Dustin Johnson Quits PGA Membership to Play in Saudi League

LIV Golf issued a statement in response to the disciplinary action taken by the PGA Tour.

"Today's announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members," LIV Golf said. "It's troubling that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing. This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."

Official statement from LIV Golf pic.twitter.com/UBt4DpRdS4 — LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) June 9, 2022

Funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, with the Saudi Arabian government initially pledging $400 million to start the league, LIV Golf recruited PGA Tour members with lucrative contracts. According to reports, Mickelson's deal was worth approximately $200 million, and Johnson's contract was around $125 million. With Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed reportedly set to join, the league currently includes at least nine former major winners.

All of whom will be banned indefinitely from the PGA Tour events and sanctioned tours, including the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica. That does not include the sport's four majors - the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or Open Championship - which are run by respective governing bodies. The Open Championship, which is the fourth and final major of 2022, will be held in July.      

Players who resigned their PGA Tour memberships will be removed from FedExCup Points List and be ineligible for the Presidents Cup, Monahan wrote. Those players will not be eligible to play under a sponsor exemption or any other eligibility category.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," Monahan wrote. "But they can't expect the same PGA TOUR membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platforms as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA TOUR card and - more importantly - to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf.

"I am certain our fans and partners - who are surely tired of all this talk of money, money and more money - will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competition you display each and every week, where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner's circle."

LIV Golf's next event is scheduled to begin on June 30 in Oregon at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, the same day as the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic.

"You are the PGA Tour, and this moment is about what we stand for: The PGA Tour membership as a whole," Monahan wrote. "It's about lifting up those who choose to not only benefit from the Tour, but who also play an integral role in building it. I know you are with us, and vice versa. Our partners are with us, too. The fact that your former Tour colleagues can't say the same should be telling."

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LIV Golf Field: These 17 Players Are Suspended By PGA Tour

The PGA Tour has wasted no time in punishing players who have chosen to compete in the new rival golf tour. On the day of the very first LIV Golf event, 17 players have been suspended by the PGA Tour.

The LIV Golf field for Thursday’s event at Centurion Club near London features some of the PGA’s top players. Those players are no longer eligible to play in PGA Tour events, including the Presidents Cup, as well as tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in a memo to players. "But they can't demand the same PGA TOUR membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you. That expectation disrespects you, our fans and our partners. You have made a different choice, which is to abide by the Tournament Regulations you agreed to when you accomplished the dream of earning a PGA TOUR card and -- more importantly -- to compete as part of the preeminent organization in the world of professional golf."

PGA Tour suspends current and future LIV players. pic.twitter.com/lKhxo27Ida — Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) June 9, 2022

Phil Mickelson leads the list of names who have been suspended from the PGA Tour. Mickelson skipped the 2022 Masters and 2022 PGA Championship following his controversial comments about participating in the new Saudi-backed golf league. Mickelson has said he planned to compete at next week’s U.S. Open.

Dustin Johnson has been suspended two days after announcing that he resigned from the PGA Tour. It’s been reported that Johnson and Mickelson have received signing bonuses well north of $100 million in or to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Four players in the top 35 of the world golf rankings have been suspended because of their association with LIV. That group includes Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Na and Talor Gooch.

Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel and Martin Kaymer are major championship winners who have received PGA suspensions.

Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have reportedly signed on to be part of the field in upcoming LIV Golf events. Monahan’s statement suggests that DeChambeau and Reed will be suspended if and when they eventually play for LIV.

"I am certain our fans and partners -- who are surely tired of all this talk of money, money and more money -- will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competition you display each and every week, where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner's circle," Monahan said.

Here are the 17 players who have been suspended by the PGA Tour, along with their spot in the world golf rankings.

15) Dustin Johnson

21) Louis Oosthuizen

34) Kevin Na

35) Talor Gooch

57) Sergio Garcia

69) Matt Jones

72) Phil Mickelson

78) Lee Westwood

92) Ian Poulter

95) Hudson Swafford

123) Branden Grace

126) Charl Schwartzel

215) Martin Kaymer

327) Peter Uihlein

374) Graeme McDowell

600) Turk Pettit

1371) Andy Ogletree

© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.

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LIV Golf players suspended by PGA Tour, but what's their status for the majors? What we know

The PGA Tour has announced that it's suspending membership privileges for golfers who join the LIV Golf Invitational Series . However, that decision by itself has no impact on the four major tournaments in men's golf because they're all run by separate entities.

The USGA, for example, allowed Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and others will be allowed to compete in the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Here's a look at what the USGA, R&A, PGA of America and the Masters have publicly said (or not said) about LIV Golf players taking part in their events: 

Opinion: The PGA Tour is right to suspend Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, LIV golfers 

More: Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy support PGA Tour suspensions of LIV Golf players

USGA (U.S. Open)

The U.S. Open began one week after the inaugural LIV Golf event outside London. As several prominent players announced their intentions to compete in the Saudi-backed circuit, the United States Golf Association remained silent.

On June 7, the USGA finally made its position public :

“We pride ourselves in being the most open championship in the world and the players who have earned the right to compete in this year’s championship, both via exemption and qualifying, will have the opportunity to do so."

“Our field criteria were set prior to entries opening earlier this year and it’s not appropriate, nor fair to competitors, to change criteria once established.”

USGA chief executive Mike Whan later hinted that the exemption process could change in future years.

R&A (British Open)

With the U.S. Open in the books, the focus turns to the final major of the 2022 calendar year, the 150th British Open at St. Andrews, Scotland .

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, confirmed that  defectors to LIV Golf will have their exemptions honored at the 150th Open Championship to be contested at The Old Course at St. Andrews from July 14-17.

"The Open is golf's original championship and since it was first played in 1860, openness has been fundamental to its ethos and unique appeal," Slumbers said in a media release.

However, the R&A did decide in December not to grant a spot in the Open to the winner of the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. That move came just a few months after the LIV group announced a multimillion dollar investment in the Asian Tour.

PGA of America (PGA Championship)

To compete in the PGA Championship, golfers must be part of a recognized tour. At this year's tournament at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last month  PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh questioned whether the LIV setup qualified.

“We think the structure of – I don't know if it's a league, it's not a league at this point – but the league structure is somewhat flawed,” he said.

The 2023 PGA Championship will be played May 18-21 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York .

PGA of America, which oversees the selection of the U.S. Ryder Cup squad, has suggested that players that no longer have PGA Tour membership would be ineligible for future Ryder Cup teams.

Augusta National Golf Club (Masters)

The Masters has the most control over which players can participate because the field is filled by invitation only.

Augusta National also has a special reverence for its former champions, which would include LIV participants Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010), Charl Schwartzel (2011), Sergio Garcia (2017) and Dustin Johnson (2021).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LIV Golf membership may impact fields at British Open, PGA, Masters

Valspar Championship

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course)

Palm Harbor, Florida • USA

Mar 21 - 24, 2024

2024 Players Championship Friday tee times, how to watch PGA Tour at TPC Sawgrass

It was a low-scoring first round of the 2024 Players Championship .

Rory McIlroy had 10 birdies to start the day, and he and Xander Schauffele set the pace with opening 7-under 65s in the opening round at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. McIlroy was also involved in a protracted on-course discussion about a ball that went into the water.

Then in the afternoon, Wyndham Clark, who finished second last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, matched the pair with a 65 of his own.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler opened with a 5-under 67.

Fifteen players didn't finish their opening round, which was suspended due to darkness at 7:32 p.m. ET.

https://twitter.com/PGATOURComms/status/1768421017720922328?s=20

What about the rough? There was plenty of discussion about how much it was grown out, which kept several balls from finding water.

The Players Stadium Course ranks No. 1 in Florida on  Golfweek's Best list of public-access layouts  in each state. It also ranks No. 23 on  Golfweek's Best list of modern courses  in the U.S., and it ranks No. 10 among  all resort courses in the U.S.

PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ has a massive coverage plan called All-Access , which will include 21 feeds showing every shot of every group on every hole on Friday morning. There will be more than 30 streams on Saturday and Sunday, in addition to a Main Feed, Featured Groups, Featured Holes (the par-3 No. 3, the drivable par-4 12th, and the par-5 16th) and Marquee Group feeds each day. Fans will also be able to see every shot at the par-3 No. 17 island green at TPC Sawgrass.

The purse at the Players is $25 million with $4.5 million going to the winner. The winner will also receive 750 FedEx Cup points. It's the richest event on the PGA Tour.

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here's everything you need to know for the second round of the 2024 Players Championship . All times listed are ET.

Friday tee times

How to watch, listen.

ESPN+ is the exclusive home of PGA Tour Live . You can also watch the Players Championship on Golf Channel free on Fubo . All times ET.

Friday, March 15

Golf Channel/ Peacock : 1-7 p.m

Sirius XM: 12-7 p.m

ESPN+ : 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m

Saturday, March 16

NBC: 2-7 p.m.

Sirius XM: 1-7 p.m

ESPN+ : 8 a.m.-7 p.m

Sunday, March 17

NBC: 1-6 p.m.

Sirius XM: 12-6 p.m

ESPN+ : 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 2024 Players Championship Friday tee times, how to watch PGA Tour at TPC Sawgrass

Valspar Championship

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Players Championship cut: 60-footer saves Min Woo Lee, but these big names missed out

Min Woo Lee's fate at The Players Championship came down to a 60-foot putt at a 50th anniversary tournament.

"It's just one of those ones where if it goes in, it goes in, and it was very cool," he said.

Some of the game's biggest names weren't so lucky.

While Lee survived the cut by the narrowest of margins, the likes of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth were among the casualties shut out of the late-round contest that concludes Sunday for the PGA Tour's $25 million purse at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

The cut line of 1-under — the cut didn't become official until Saturday morning's completion of the darkness-suspended second round, after Ryo Hisatsune's last-chance birdie putt at No. 9 drifted right of the hole from 33 feet — left Thomas and several other former major champions stranded on the wrong side.

Until late in Friday's second round, Lee looked like joining them on the way out of Northeast Florida.

He made the turn at 2-over for the tournament, needing to make up at least three strokes to survive. But he surged to birdies at Nos. 10, 12 and 15, driving the green at the par-4 12th.

Second-round highlights: Wyndham Clark dominates, Min Woo Lee drains a bomb

"Hit a perfect drive and got it on the green, so gave myself a chance there," Lee said. "There was a bit of momentum after that."

Those birdies lifted Lee right onto the cut line at 1-under for the 17th, when his tee shot to the Island Green landed near the fringe — Lee said he thought his tee shot was soaring long but instead came up short, almost dangerously so. Then came the putt, and it kept rolling, and rolling.

"It breaks left to right, and the last maybe 6 feet it looked good," he said. "Joel [Dahmen, playing in Lee's group] was right there, and he's like, 'Let's go right,' and it ended up just going in. It was cool."

Lee's official putt length was 60 feet, 1 inch, the second-longest converted at the 17th at The Players since the PGA Tour's ShotLink era began in 2003. Only a 69-foot, 7-inch putt converted by Jhonattan Vegas in 2019 found the hole from a greater distance.

Putts from 60 feet and up are becoming a habit this March. Lee sank a putt of 64 feet, 1 inch on hole No. 1 in the opening round of last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

For the 25-year-old from Australia, who tied for sixth in the 2023 Players and had held the lead for a portion of last year's tournament, Friday's birdie meant more than just a highlight.

On his finishing 18th hole, Lee missed wildly wide right with a tee shot that sailed toward the trees and cannoned backward into a tricky lie on an adjacent hill. From there, he played conservatively out to the fairway, hit an approach within 21 feet and two-putted for bogey. But thanks for the insurance stroke from his 60-footer, his week carried on.

"Just missed a short putt on 16, so 17 was real sweet," he said. "I don't think I holed a putt outside 10 feet the last two days, so it was random to hole a putt, especially at the iconic 17th. It was very special."

JUSTIN THOMAS, JORDAN SPIETH MISS OUT

There will be no repeat for Thomas at the 2024 Players Championship.

For two-time PGA Championship winner Thomas, three years removed from his Players triumph in 2021, putting proved the primary problem. He ranked 131st in Strokes Gained Putting among players for the week, going 71-74 to end at 1-over 145.

Three-time major winner Spieth, at the center of a drop controversy involving Rory McIlroy on Tuesday, saw his chances melt away in a bumpy back nine. Spieth hit bogeys at Nos. 10 and 15 and a double-bogey at 14, his sixth missed cut in 10 visits to the Stadium Course.

A few more of the prominent golfers finishing outside the 1-under threshold:

• Justin Rose, a victim of the whims of the 17th. The 2013 U.S. Open champion stood on the right side of the line until the Island Green, when he found water twice and took a quadruple-bogey 7, finishing 3 over.
• Keegan Bradley, U.S. Open winner in 2011, also fared badly on the 17th: His tee shot found water and he three-putted for a triple bogey, finishing well off the pace with a second-round 78.
• Webb Simpson, who won The Players in 2018, drifted back and forth along the cut line throughout Friday but tipped to the wrong side after missing his tee shot wide right at the par-3 No. 8 and making bogey.
• Matt Kuchar, Players champion in 2012, began Thursday red-hot (birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie) but slumped to a 74-72 score, ending at 2 over.

Ryan Fox, who aced the Island Green on Thursday, also missed the cut with a second-round 76, and Byeong Hun An, Matthieu Pavon and Will Zalatoris — all of them ranked in the FedEx Cup top 10 — likewise fell short.

One former champion set to survive to the weekend, albeit barely, was Rickie Fowler. Playing catch-up after an opening-round 74, and making bogeys on two of his first five holes of the morning (the 11th and 14th), the 2015 winner clawed his way across the cut line with help from a birdie at the always-difficult No. 5.

And one of the wildest rides to 1 under belonged to Sam Burns, who needed a par at No. 18 to make the weekend. Burns misfired into the woods on the taxing par-4 hole, took a drop, then had to aim his second shot over a hospitality tent before sinking his par from three and a half feet.