LIV Lands DJ For First Event Filled Out Mostly By Once-Greats, A Lot Of South Africans And Mostly People You've Never Heard Of
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The LIV field lives! It took a while but the June 9-12 event finally has a field, almost.
There’s so much to shake your head at and so much to laugh at who will play for gobs of undeserved money next week in London.
Dustin Johnson is the headliner for now and despite being a well-know RBC team member obligated to play the Canadian Open—one would think—he will likely lose his partnership based on this RBC statement obtained by Adam Stanley:
Johnson’s participation is silly on so many levels. Besides the lack of loyalty to the PGA Tour and a sponsor like RBC that puts him in ads despite being a less than eloquent pitchman, the 2020 Masters champion has been back and forth on his desire to grab the Saudi cash. In February he was out, but by May’s PGA he was looking forward to seeing how the event played out.
He’s all about the money.
The move rules out a future Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup captaincy. Ok those were not happening anyway. The Hall of Fame might be tougher now despite those two majors. Not that he cares. And definitely no Rolex billboard on Washington Road—that might actually matter to him.
From February:
What a brand!
As for others in the field, you have to wonder what’s going on in South Africa to make eight of their guys sign up, including Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace. The RSA’s are also wheeling out a Hennie Du Plessis and JC Ritchie who make Shaun Norris and Justin Harding seem like global superstars.
Decent PGA Tour players to make the leap include Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones. Not exactly folks anyone is paying to see.
Decent European Tour players include Sam Horsfield, Bernd Wiesberger and Pablo Larrazabal.
Aging stars like Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer probably ended any hopes of captaining a Ryder Cup squad to take the easy money.
Randoms include former US Am Champ Andy Ogletree, whose done nothing with the perks of winning that event, and the same goes for last year’s NCAA individual champ and current world No. 706 Turk Pettit. Then there’s former Titleist CEO Wally Uihlein’s son Peter Uihlein jumping ship.
Note to Jay Monahan: Taylormade makes a great ball now and ChromeSofts are getting better! Plus, the ball goes too far and straight.
The Friends of Greg division suggests the Shirtless Shark’s Rolodex is not filled with many Aussies. That contingent is led by the recently hapless Wade Ormsby (one top 10 in the last two years), another Aussie named Jediah Morgan and one more named Blake Windred. The latter won the Australian PGA this year.
Then there are the amateurs, including one competing in the NCAA final Wednesday as part of the Arizona State squad.David Puig sounds bitter he has not received European Tour sponsor’s exemptions but still dreams of playing the PGA Tour. He’s taking an NIL deal to appear, as Ryan Lavner reports after hearing Puig’s thoughts.
Current U.S. Amateur champion James Piot is also playing in London and teeing up in this week’s Memorial. Ah the spirit of Bobby Jones…is gone.
As for Phil Mickelson? Morning Read’s Bob Harig says this is still just a field of 42 and more openings means Phil’s probably just waiting as long as possible. You know, because that grey Old Tom beard will be tough to say goodbye to.
