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When LIV Golf started accumulating players last year, it came up with an unbelievable amount of money to lure other Tour golfers to its camp. The deal to play less golf and earn millions wasn't bad for many golfers on the PGA Tour. As a result, they made a switch to the Saudi-backed league, which was understandable from a time and money point of view.
However, defecting from the PGA Tour came with consequences and all those players were suspended from playing on the American Tour and also from the European Tour, which was a setback for the Saudi-backed professionals.
Cameron Smith was the 2022 champion at The Players Championship but he couldn't defend the title this year due to his association with LIV. Players like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau saw a heavy downfall in their rankings as LIV events are barred from OWGR.
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All this might have forced the LIV-associated players to rethink their decision. A source told Sports Illustrated that some LIV-associated golfers still want to compete on the PGA Tour, but this will not be easy. Rather, leaving the Saudi-backed circuit could be a costly affair for the contracted players.
The penalty clause of LIV Golf states that while it doesn't restrict its players from playing in other Tours, it does ask the signed players to honor LIV Golf's schedule and play all 14 events on the circuit.
In any case, if a player wants to leave the Saudi-backed circuit, he might have to file a penalty of two, three, or four times his signing bonus for breaking the agreement. This penalty clause ensures that players remain part of LIV until the contract ends by the end of the 2025 season.
Players part of LIV Golf
Here's the list of players that are associated with LIV Golf at the moment:
- Abraham Ancer - Spain
- Anirban Lahiri - India
- Bernd Wiesberger - Austria
- Branden Grace - South Africa
- Brendan Steele - USA
- Brooks Koepka - USA
- Bryson DeChambeau - USA
- Bubba Watson - USA
- Cameron Smith - Australia
- Cameron Tringale - USA
- Carlos Ortiz - Mexico
- Charl Schwartzel - South Africa
- Charles Howell III - USA
- Chase Koekpa - USA
- Danny Lee - New Zealand
- David Puig - Spain
- Dean Burmester - South Africa
- Dustin Johnson - USA
- Eugenio Chacarra - Spain
- Graeme McDowell - Ireland
- Harold Varner III - USA
- Henrik Stenson - Sweden
- Ian Poulter - England
- James Piot - USA
- Jason Kokrak - USA
- Jed Morgan - Australia
- Joaquin Niemann - Chile
- Kevin Na - USA
- Lee Westwood - England
- Louis Oosthuizen - South Africa
- Marc Leishman - Australia
- Martin Kaymer - Germany
- Matt Jones - Australia
- Matthew Wolff - USA
- Mito Pereira - Chile
- Pat Perez - USA
- Patrick Reed - USA
- Paul Casey - England
- Peter Uihlein - USA
- Phil Mickelson - USA
- Richard Bland - England
- Sam Horsfield - England
- Scott Vincent - Zimbabwe
- Sebastian Munoz - Colombia
- Sergio Garcia - Spain
- Sihwan Kim - USA
- Taylor Gooch - USA
- Thomas Pieters - Belgium
