Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson launched tee shots in the Saudi-funded golf league on Thursday, and it wasn't long before the PGA Tour said its players who took part were no longer welcome, even if they already had resigned.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan held a hard line on his pledge that players could choose one tour or the other, but not both.
Those who had resigned from the PGA Tour - Graeme McDowell said he did so 30 minutes before he teed off - were no longer eligible on any PGA Tour circuit. Those who remained members, such as Mickelson, were suspended.
“These players have made their choice or their own financial-based reasons,†Monahan said in a memo to his membership. “But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform as you.â€
Ian Poulter said he would appeal the ruling. McDowell said he wanted to “keep the high moral ground†by resigning to try to keep litigation to a minimum. He thinks suspensions are a healthy way to go about business.
Mickelson had nothing to say except that he didn't want to talk about the PGA Tour in his first tournament in four months, only to confirm he will play all eight of the LIV events, five of which will be in the United States.
When told that people were interested in his situation, Mickelson replied, “I'm very flattered so many people are interested.â€
Still to be determined is whether those players are ever welcome back. For now, Monahan made it clear that the suspensions include the Presidents Cup - the International team (countries outside Europe) is determined by the world ranking.
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.
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.
PGA champion Justin Thomas and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy welcomed the decision from the tour stop this week at the Canadian Open.
“I think anybody that's shocked clearly hasn't been listening to the message that Jay and everybody's been putting out,†Thomas said. “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.â€
Ten players have resigned from the PGA Tour, a list that includes Johnson and Sergio Garcia. Mickelson, who has lifetime membership with 45 PGA Tour titles, is among those who has not.
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.â€
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. Monahan denied releases for the LIV Golf Invitational because it is an eight-tournament series that plans to compete directly with the PGA Tour 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.
LIV Golf has paid enormous signing fees, with The Daily Telegraph reporting $150 million for Johnson and Mickelson declining to dispute reports he was paid $200 million. Both are more than Tiger Woods' career earnings on the PGA Tour.
Norman has said LIV would support the players even if it wound up in the courts. McDowell said some players already have spoken to lawyers.
“We haven't been issued releases. We feel like we should have been issued releases. We've done it for the last 20 years, operated all over the world,†McDowell said. “Listen, we all know the situation is about something bigger. It's competition and it's not liked. They are having to play the game the way they feel they have to play it, which is playing hard ball.â€
The European tour has not said whether it would suspend its players. It has an alliance with the PGA Tour commercially, including the first co-sanctioned events this year on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
The first test for PGA Tour players 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. That circuit never got off the ground.
This one did, with the backing of riches the likes of which golf has never seen.
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.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the captain died on board, an airline official said.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
A B.C. woman who was recorded praising Hamas as 'heroic and brave' can return to protest rallies, authorities confirmed this week.
Erin Folk and her family are dealing with a nightmare of a situation, after their pet dogs were shot last week and left to suffer.
An organization that ranks the best universities across the globe says its latest report shows a concerning trend that several of Canada’s institutions are slipping down its list.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
The federal government introduced a number of measures related to housing on Tuesday, which include measures for homeowners wanting to add a secondary suite, taxing vacant land and building homes in place of underused federal properties.
A B.C. woman who was recorded praising Hamas as 'heroic and brave' can return to protest rallies, authorities confirmed this week.
A 42-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with human smuggling following an investigation near a Canada-U.S. border crossing in Manitoba.
Another beluga whale has died at Marineland and four years into a provincial probe, Ontario's solicitor general is saying little about the investigation's progress.
Liberal MP Yvan Baker says there should not have been different punishments doled out to him and to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for comments each of them made in the House of Commons.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canadians in Florida should leave and people planning to travel there should postpone as the state braces for the impact of Hurricane Milton.
Erin Folk and her family are dealing with a nightmare of a situation, after their pet dogs were shot last week and left to suffer.
Steady rain fell and winds began to gust in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as a mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where officials sounded urgent warnings for residents to flee inland or face grim odds of surviving the storm's surge.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the administration of former U.S. president Donald Trump had sent COVID tests to Russia but it denied reports that Trump had spoken at all to Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office.
Since Joe Biden ended his reelection bid, Kamala Harris swiftly secured the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination, brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in new campaign donations and surged past Biden’s poll numbers from earlier this year. And yet, Democrats are increasingly anxious over Harris' fate. Why?
Israel's defence minister warned on Wednesday that his country's retaliation for a recent Iranian missile attack will be 'lethal' and 'surprising,' while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden held their first call in seven weeks.
Control of the White House and the narrowly divided Senate and House may hang in the balance on Nov. 5, but don’t expect election night to be all nail-biters and barn burners. Chances are some winners will be declared before a single vote has been tallied, just as the polls close in those states.
A UN tribunal has ordered a former high-ranking official to repay the United Nations US$58.8 million lost in deals he made with a British businessman who showered him with interest-free loans, a Mercedes for his wife and perks for his sons.
The leader of the Bloc Quebecois says his party 'might play a role' in helping the Liberals get House of Commons business rolling again — after days of Conservative-led debate on a privilege matter — but that his assistance would come at a cost.
A high-level strategic meeting of Ukraine's allies focused on ending the war, scheduled for Saturday in Germany, has been postponed after U.S. President Joe Biden announced he would not be attending.
Liberal MP Yvan Baker says there should not have been different punishments doled out to him and to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for comments each of them made in the House of Commons.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with listeria.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
The research that won Geoffrey Hinton a Nobel Prize for physics was the product of plenty of work carried out before artificial intelligence was the buzzword it is today.
The space rock is slinging toward Earth from the outer reaches of the solar system and will make its closest pass on Saturday. It should be visible through the end of October, clear skies permitting.
The Brazilian Supreme Court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday authorized the restoration of social media platform X´s service in Brazil, over a month after its nationwide shutdown, according to a statement posted on the court's website.
A controversial film about the rise of Donald Trump is coming out this week, despite his campaign calling it 'election interference by Hollywood elites' and threatening to file a lawsuit.
Jenna Fischer is highlighting Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sharing that she is now 'cancer free' after she was diagnosed with the disease in October 2023.
Andrew Garfield’s ability to so lovingly and poetically express his grief for his mother, Lynn, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, offers a gift of connection, and, perhaps, catharsis, to anyone experiencing loss.
Siskinds LLP says a $70.25 million class-action settlement has been reached with TD Asset Management over commissions paid to discount brokers.
A new report says growth in average asking rents across Canada last month slowed to the lowest rate since October 2021, at 2.1 per cent year-over-year.
A new report says condo inventory is on the rise in most major Canadian markets as more sellers are listing their properties in anticipation of growing demand from buyers.
An elevator mechanic mistakenly threw out a piece of artwork, made to look like empty beer cans, assuming it was litter, a Dutch museum revealed earlier this month.
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
A wildlife rescue in B.C. is caring for two orphaned bobcat kittens who have become as inseparable as 'real sisters' even though it's highly unlikely they are actually from the same litter.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning have left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton to practice the rest of the week.
RJ Barrett will miss the rest of the Toronto Raptors' pre-season with an injury.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new “incubator programâ€. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.
A B.C. woman who was recorded praising Hamas as 'heroic and brave' can return to protest rallies, authorities confirmed this week.
The leaders of B.C.'s main political parties sparred over health care, housing, and affordability Tuesday, pitching competing visions for how to address the most urgent issues facing the province in a debate punctuated by a few feisty exchanges.
A suspect remains at large after an assault sent a man to hospital with serious injuries in Nanaimo, B.C.
Police say there are 'early indications' that a stolen vehicle was involved in a fiery crash in Toronto involving two TTC buses early Wednesday morning.
Hurricane Milton is about to hit Florida and Toronto Pearson International Airport says several flights to the state have been cancelled as a result.
Amazon has just launched a new service in Canada where delivery drivers can drop packages off directly in garages for those who want to protect their parcels from being swiped by porch pirates.
Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced a new tentative compensation agreement for resident physicians Thursday as part of a push to recruit, train and keep more physicians in the province.
An Airdrie resident is facing several charges after police say they were caught in possession of several stolen vehicles.
Calgary police are searching for a suspect or suspects in a stabbing that occurred in the city's southeast on Tuesday evening.
As one of the most powerful hurricanes threatens to make landfall in Tampa Bay, residents brace for the impact.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public for help in identifying three suspects involved in an alleged assault last month in the area of Besserer and Dalhousie streets.
Three young people aged 17, 19 and 20 were arrested after shots were fired late on Tuesday near Old Montreal. No one was injured in the shooting, but the suspects will be interviewed by Montreal police investigators.
Encouraged by a recent poll, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) says it is feeling a groundswell of support among the population. A Leger opinion poll published in the Quebec media on Wednesday suggests that if the PLQ chose Pablo Rodriguez as its leader, it would be first in the polls.
Two schools in Laval were placed under a precautionary lockdown after receiving threats on Wednesday, police say.
A cougar was spotted early Wednesday morning within the city of Lloydminster, police are warning the public.
Randy Boissonnault, MP for Edmonton Centre and the federal minister of employment, workforce development and official languages, has been named the ministerial lead of Jasper's rebuild.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Premier Tim Houston said he was notified on Monday morning that funds had been allegedly stolen from the Pictou East Riding Association.
Former CTV Atlantic employee Eric Bungay who now works for a CBS affiliate in Tampa Bay is bracing for Hurricane Milton's arrival.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
A 42-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with human smuggling following an investigation near a Canada-U.S. border crossing in Manitoba.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Manitoba RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service are launching Manitoba's Most Wanted website.
The Saskatchewan New Democrats are touring the Parkland region, vowing to end rural emergency room disruptions if they form government this fall.
Those who are interested in running for mayor, city council or school board in Regina's upcoming civic election have until 4 p.m. this afternoon to submit their paperwork.
A 17-year-old boy has been charged in connection with multiple incidents in late September that saw two Regina houses shot at during the overnight hours.
Fire crews were called to respond to Mohawk Plaza shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The new Sports and Entertainment Centre is set to be built in an empty parking lot, right next to the existing Civic Centre arena, which is where the Bulldogs play.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
Dozens of people gathered at Saskatoon city hall Tuesday to voice their concerns about the growing issue of homelessness in our city, and to offer their own solutions.
The province’s consumer watchdog is investigating a Saskatoon company selling luxury vacation condos in Mexico.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) is renewing public calls for help catching Timloh "Butchang" Nkem, a man deemed the city's most wanted man.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
Highway 144 is reopened north of Sudbury after a two-vehicle collision between a commercial and passenger vehicle happened around 1 p.m. Tuesday, police say.
The widow of a London firefighter who died from cancer is applauding a federal commitment to study its prevalence.
St. Thomas police are on scene of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian.
A wanted suspect in relation to a break and enter and shooting investigation has been arrested in Oshawa.
The jury reached a verdict on Wednesday in the 1994 Katherine Janeiro murder case, finding her former boyfriend, Bruce Ellis, not guilty.
Provincial police are investigating reports of an armed robbery in Amaranth Township that sent one person to the hospital in critical condition.
Police arrested a man they say is responsible for a rash of robberies at convenience stores in Barrie over the last 10 months.
The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has arrested one suspect in connection to a child exploitation investigation.
Tecumseh residents were able to give their input on Tuesday regarding a proposed residential development in their area.
Homes were evacuated around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning due to a gas leak in the 12100 block of St. Thomas Crescent.
A suspect remains at large after an assault sent a man to hospital with serious injuries in Nanaimo, B.C.
The leaders of B.C.'s main political parties sparred over health care, housing, and affordability Tuesday, pitching competing visions for how to address the most urgent issues facing the province in a debate punctuated by a few feisty exchanges.
While the high school hallways were empty of students, Alison Calder was full of questions about her teaching career.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Charges have been laid against a 44-year-old man following a traffic stop in Brocket, Piikani Nation RCMP said Tuesday.
A metal fabrication company west of Medicine Hat has been fined by Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) following a workplace fatality in 2023.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in a scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) is the latest organization to call on the Doug Ford government to re-open dialogue with an airline service that transports lower-income Canadians to crucial medical care far from home.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
