Phil Mickelson claims more players want to jump to Saudi-backed LIV Golf – News18

Phil Mickelson sounded assured as ever Wednesday that more PGA Tour and European tour players would jump to Saudi-funded LIV Golf subsequent yr, even because the league was denied in its bid to get world rating factors.

“Do I think that? No. I know that’s going to happen,” Mickelson mentioned at Trump Doral close to Miami, website of the season-ending group championship.

“When players look at LIV, they are wanting to be a part of it,” he mentioned. “Everybody here is happy and enjoying what we are doing and enjoying the team aspect of it and enjoying each other and the camaraderie and enjoying playing golf globally and all the benefits that come with playing this tour.”

Mickelson was seen because the chief recruiter even earlier than LIV Golf started in June 2022.

LIV picked up a number of premier players for its inaugural season, reminiscent of Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and finally Cameron Smith a month after he gained the British Open.

The insurgent league this yr added Brendan Steele, Danny Lee, Sebastian Munoz, Mito Pereira and Thomas Pieters.

LIV at all times anticipated to be taking part in in 2024 amid an settlement by its Saudi Arabian backers, the PGA Tour and the European tour for a industrial enterprise. That beautiful settlement, introduced on June 6, has not been finalized.

Key to the settlement was dropping all lawsuits. Below that part was a non-solicitation clause that mentioned the Saudi Public Investment Fund and each excursions would now not recruit players to be a part of their leagues.

The Justice Department, which is conducting an antitrust assessment, really helpful that clause be eliminated. The tour agreed, saying it was pointless as a result of all sides have been negotiating the settlement in good religion.

There has been no indication of high players wanting to depart the PGA Tour, which subsequent yr will characteristic eight “signature events” with $20 million in prize cash and restricted fields, most of them and not using a reduce.

Mickelson mentioned the variety of newcomers can be tied to what number of spots have been accessible. LIV relegated 4 players as a result of they completed on the backside of the factors standings. They face a “promotions” occasion.

“The reality is I’ve been fielding calls, as we all have, from players that are free agents to PGA Tour players to DP World Tour players that want to come over,” Mickelson mentioned, utilizing the industrial identify of the European tour.

One of the obstacles in reaching an settlement on the brand new enterprise deal is how to combine group golf and what penalty players would face in the event that they want to return to the PGA Tour or European tour.

The Official World Golf Ranking board final week rejected LIV’s bid to be acknowledged as a result of it operates otherwise from the opposite two dozen excursions within the system. At situation was LIV having a closed discipline for your complete season with restricted possibilities to be a part of, together with the group element doubtlessly affecting the integrity of particular person play.

LIV now has solely two players within the high 50 — Koepka and Smith — and 4 others who’re among the many high 100. The majors depend on the world rating as certainly one of their standards for granting exemptions to players. Executives from the 4 majors have been the one ones on the OWGR board voting on the LIV software.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)